New cars & things

Hubs has had his eye on a new truck for quite a while now.  And by new I mean new-to-him.  I've decided that when it come to vehicles, he gets bored very easily.  I'm sure he'll be that way until he someday gets his dream car. 

Someone recently offered to buy Hubs current truck without us even formally putting it up for sale.  So, of course, he sold it.  And tonight he bought another truck with the money he made off the truck he sold.

I think this one is the same year (which means it's a gazillion years old 11 years old), but it makes Hubs happy so I'm happy :) In all actuality, this truck may be the same year but it's a vast improvement.  This truck is bigger, has 4 wheel drive, and has power windows and locks...which is a first for him :p
I even like it! Though I'm scared to drive it because it is SO BIG.  It really is probably not that big.  But anything bigger than my mid-sized SUV seems gigantic.

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I've been off work the last couple of weeks and I've definitely been enjoying myself.  I've taken the time to get our place organized again, especially after the holiday festivities, and I've been cooking A LOT.  Oh how I missed cooking.

Tonight I made this:

Baked Mac & Cheese with kale & bacon....and oh my YUM! Even the hubs went crazy for it and had two helpings :) The kale makes me feel less guilty, and it added a nice extra something.

Ingredients*:

1 lb. macaroni
3 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups whole milk
8 ounces sharp white cheddar, grated
1 ounce Parmesan, finely grated ( I added a little extra since we LOVE Parmesan)
dash nutmeg
dash cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt, or according to personal preference
6 ounces center cut bacon or pancetta, cooked and crumbled
3 1/2 ounces fresh kale, chopped (about a half a bunch)
1/2 cup crushed homemade breadcrumbs
*the original recipe I found also called for garlic and onion.  I don't believe those ingredients belong in Mac & Cheese so I omitted them.  If you want to add it in, saute it in the butter before you add the flour.*

Directions:

Cook pasta one to two minutes less than package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, cut the bacon pieces in half vertically, then into small bite sized pieces. Cook until crispy. Then drain, and set aside.

In a large French or Dutch oven, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook over medium heat till golden. Slowly whisk in the milk while cooking over medium heat.

Stir in the sharp white cheddar and Parmesan cheeses whisking until melted and creamy. Add the nutmeg, cayenne, black pepper, and salt (if desired). Bring to a slow simmer, and then stir in the pasta, bacon, and kale.

Transfer the pasta mixture to a 3 1/2 quart oven safe casserole dish or cast iron pan. Sprinkle the top with the breadcrumbs. Bake at 375 degrees F on the center rack in the oven for 10-20 minutes, or until the mixture is hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

While we were waiting for this to finish, I made some Kale Chips for the first time....

Word to the wise: DO NOT use the Pampered Chef Chip Maker for this...I almost blew up the microwave.  Yes, I actually had to blow out flames.  Luckily, the chip maker survived, as did most of the kale chips.  But I'm assuming that the Kale is too thin to successfully make chips in the microwave.

Instead, I made the rest in the oven.  It took a little longer, but all of our appliances are still alive and well :) And bonus, Hubs LOVED the chips.  I worried if he would because it didn't seem like his thing but he said there were delicious! Which of course means I made even more.  Anything to make sure we eat healthy.

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After dinner Hubs fell asleep on the couch and I cleaned up while I watched watched How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days. Poor guy has only been back to work for 3 days and is already wiped out.  But he also got called in to work overtime this weekend which means he has to wake up tomorrow and Sunday at 3:30 am.  I'm just glad it's not me!

Now I sit here writing this while I watch Sleepless in Seattle.  Gotta love the movies they play on TV on Friday nights.

Tomorrow I have a very exciting day of laundry planned.  I know you're jealous.  Then I will be making Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower that I found on Pinterest.  Not sure what else yet, but I'm excited to try it.  I'll let you know how we like it!