ScrapHappy

Last Night's Dinner - Easy Homemade Mac & Cheese

I tweeted that we had homemade mac and cheese last night for dinner, and darling Jodie asked for the recipe. Here you go:

I adapted this from Family Circle: 1 box (16 oz.) pasta (I use elbow macaroni) 3 T unsalted butter 3 T all-purpose flour 2 1/2 C milk 1/4 C chopped onion (or 1 tsp. onion powder) 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 tsp. nutmeg pepper to taste 1/4 C grated parmesan cheese 1 C grated cheddar cheese 1/4 C grated monterey jack cheese 1/4 C bread crumbs Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil pasta and drain. Set aside.

Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, whisking to blend. Add milk gradually, whisk until smooth. Bring to simmer over medium/medium-high heat, stirring. Then add onion (or onion powder), salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Simmer to thicken for a few minutes.

Stir in cheese until melted and sauce is smooth.

Put pasta in large, greased casserole dish and pour cheese sauce on top, mixing it in. Sprinkle approx. 1/4 C breadcrumbs on top.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes; remove foil and place under broiler until top browns.

YUM. :)

You could easily add cooked meat to this (sausage or browned ground beef, or ham) or veggies. We like it straight up. :)

Day 18

Label Tulip Reveal!

I'm guest designer over at Label Tulip! Check out the full layouts/projects from all my sneak peeks over here: www.labeltulip.com/gallery.shtml

Check out the October kit here:
www.labeltulip.com/kits.shtml 

Blog World Expo Needs Me!

ProBlogger is having a contest for one person to get a weekend pass to Blog World Expo... 

Don't you think I should go? I do!

I've never been to an event like this before, and I would love to go. To qualify for a chance to win I need to tell you why I should be "the chosen one." Because I like to do things in five, here are five reasons I should be sent to Blog World Expo:

1. Networking. I live in an isolated world surrounded by other suburbanites and many mice. I interact with "my kind" almost completely via the Internet. Actually being face-to-face with other bloggers would be amazing, inspiring, and a heck of a lot of fun. 

2. Increasing my technical skills. Despite having grown up in Silicon Valley, my technical skills are a bit, shall we say, limited. I'd love to hear about the latest and greatest tools to help me reach my audience. 

3. Learning more about leveraging social media. Social media is the hot word, but as soon as I feel like I have a handle on one thing, something else pops up! I would love a peek down the pipeline to see what's coming my way and how I can leverage it to reach my peeps.

4. Getting away from it all. For true learning to take place, for a complete shift in perspective, sometimes it's necessary to get away from the mundane and immerse yourself in a new world. How can I envision what I want my blog to become if I'm running off to soccer practice (to pick up, not play!) every half hour?

5. Getting and giving inspiration. I want to take my blogging to the next level - and I want to help others, too. I expect that what I can offer in terms of technical know-how is extremely limited -- but I do have some expertise in the writing area. I'd love to offer what I have!

There you have it, in a nutshell. Five reasons why I need Blog World Expo -- and why Blog World Expo needs me!

We have a winner!

The winner of the Harry Connick Jr. album is:

ABBIE!

And if you didn't win, you can still get your own copy for an unbelievably low price of $9.99 from Amazon (if you use the link below, I'll get, oh, $.10). 

Congrats, Abbie, and stay tuned for a review of Michael Buble's new album -- insane! Which is appropriate because it's called Crazy Love . ;)

Day 12 Peek

Just a peek - I'm guest designer at Label Tulip this month and can't show the whole thing until 10/15!
 

Day 11

Lots of fun stuff from Weeds and Wildflowers, a new digi place I found.
 

Day 10

Two-page 8.5x11 spread. Mostly Ami Collofello from Pixel Gypsy. 

Day 9

Digi stuff from Pixel Gypsy, mostly Ami Collofello. She's awesome! 

Harry Connick Jr. Makes My Heart Sing.

That's a corny title, isn't it? But it's true. I have been following Harry Connick Jr. since the late 1980s. I loved him in Little Man Tate. And I went to college with his cousin (Hi, Pat!). And after hearing about his vocal protest against a blackface routine in a talent show he was judging in Australia, I love him even more!

I was excited to have a chance to review his new album, Your Songs , for the One2One Network.

This album is a collection of favorites, from "Just the Way You Are" to "Some Enchanted Evening" to "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." His voice doesn't disappoint -- it's full and luscious, as always. The songs are executed perfectly -- almost too much so. Very smooth and calming. And while I enjoyed listening, I have to say I prefer his albums that leverage his jazz background and are a little more wild and less sedate (like his fabulous kids' album, Songs I Heard , or the When Harry Met Sally: Music From The Motion Picture soundtrack).

I think my mom would love this album, mainly because the songs on it are more from her generation than mine. In fact, that's a great idea -- I've got her Christmas present taken care of! ;)

If you're a lover of smooth, classic songs, you'll love Your Songs. And if it's not quite your cup of tea? I bet you know someone who'll love it.

In any case, you can WIN YOUR OWN COPY right here, courtesy of One2One Networks! Leave me a comment telling me your favorite singer, and I'll pull a winner Sunday morning.