Lobster Mac N Cheese on Lobster Day

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

• Kosher salt
• Vegetable oil
• 1 pound cavatappi or elbow macaroni
• 1 quart milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (4 cups)
• 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 pounds cooked lobster meat
• 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Directions

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. 2. Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
3. 3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. In a large pot, melt 6 tablespoons of butter and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Still whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and lobster and stir well. Place the mixture in 6 to 8 individual gratin dishes.
4. 4. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top

recipe source here

Fresh Vegetable Ratatouille Recipe: A hearty, fresh vegetable stew to nourish your body and warm your soul.

 

 

• ½ lb bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 large zucchini, scrubbed and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 large summer squash (such as yellow or sunburst), scrubbed and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 (14 oz.) can of crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
• 1½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp Kosher salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ to 1 cup shredded Asiago or Romano cheese, optional

Instructions

1. Brown the bacon until almost crisp, in a large skillet set over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the onions to the pan, and continue to cook until they are soft and the bacon is crisp. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant (about one minute.)
3. Stir the diced tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, carrots, and seasonings into the skillet, and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they soften slightly and brighten in color. Pour the crushed tomatoes over the vegetables, stirring well to coat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of freshly grated Asiago cheese and a thick slice of crusty bread.

Notes

NOTES: Leftover Ratatouille is wonderful when morphed into different meals. The simplest idea is to puree the leftovers and serve it as a pasta sauce. My personal favorite is to reheat the Ratatouille in a skillet, make wells in the center, crack eggs into the wells, sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper, and cover the skillet to poach/steam the eggs.

 

recipe source here

Happy Rose Day

It seems that roses never last long enough. There are a few things you can do to extend their lives. A few things you should be able to easily find around the house may help your roses stay around a bit more.

aspirin lowers the ph of the water.
bleach does the job of a disinfectant and helps to stop fungus from growing on the bottom of the rose stems
Pennies are valuable in helping roses stay around as well. The copper and zinc work as fungicides and
How about those little packets that come with fresh roses. Well they are mostly comprised of sugar and a disinfectant

changing the water in the rose container daily and trimming the bottom of the stem helps continue life just a bit more




 
   

 

Little Brown Church

I have forever loved this song "Little Brown Church in the Vale" My daddy could belt it out with his baritone voice and make it sound amazing. Since my mother always loved the Statler Brothers I am sharing their version of this amazing song. 

History:
The song is believed to be about a little brown church that sits along side Highway 218 in Bradford Iowa. The church was not there when the song was written. A twenty-seven year old man named William Pitts was traveling by stage coach to see his girlfriend. The stage coach ride started in Wisconsin and he was traveling to Fredericksburg Iowa. Along the way the stagecoach made a stop to allow the horses and ride to relax a bit. Pitts decided to take a walk and started to travel along the slopping hills and valley while the river flowed peacefully by. When he returned home he thought what a beautiful place for a church and created a song about the little church in the vale. Early on the song was not impressive to anyone and it was filed away. However, few years later Pitts found his family in Iowa teaching music. How ironic it must have been to see a church building in that very spot that he thought would be perfect. The church had been built by Christians who wanted and desired a meeting place. During the years of 1850s and 1860s war was raging in this great land. Pitts sold the song and used the money to enroll in medical college and spent his life as doctor in town of fredericksburg Iowa. 
Now the little brown church still stands and is well known for tourist as well as weddings.