Truth For Sanity comes over for dinner & other stuff from this week

I've been getting over a sinus infection and bronchitis, so I spent most of the weekend and the beginning of this week cooking things that were bland and easy to prepare.

A couple of examples - noodles cooked in broth and topped with a little bit of cheese and browned under the broiler.







And mac & cheese out of a box... FYI - This is the three cheese variety featuring cheddar, colby, and blue cheeses - in powered form of course. This was really tasty!










Recently, Truth for Sanity (the band that my husband is in) came over for dinner. Just as I was about to throw food on the grill, the gas tank went out. Balls. Plan B... I had to cook everything inside on a grill pan. No easy feat when you are cooking 5 brats, 6 hot dogs, 2 turkey burgers, and 4 cheese burgers. I was so flustered that I forgot to a take a picture before serving dinner. What you see here is the aftermath.



On Monday, the kids and I had dinner with 3/5 of Truth for Sanity. We met Tony (my husband, the babies-daddy), Bill, and James at Iacono's. I don't know what the hell has been wrong with me lately but I only took a picture of the appitizers and not the pizza! FYI - If you are in the Hilliard area on a Monday, stop by Iacono's for their specials featuring $1 drafts, 1/2 price appitizers, $2.50 individual sized pizzas, and soup & salad bar with 1/2 a sub for $4.50. Good deals!

Guest Contributor - Erin Foy reporting from Mary Mac's in Atlanta!!! 07.18.2009

This photo comes from the lovely Erin Foy, reporting from Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta Georgia. She dined there earlier today.

Mary Mac's is an Atlanta institution that serves home cooked meals using real lard and animal fat. Erin tells me that she had the veggie plate, featuring a choice of any 4 side dishes. She had "fried green tomatoes, kick ass mac n cheese, hoppin john (black eyed peas with rice) and sweet potato souffle. Peach cobbler for dessert!" The peach cobbler isn't pictured here.

Just looking at this picture makes me want to run to the kitchen immediately and make mac n cheese. I've never had Hoppin' John but it sounds right up my alley. In all likelihood, you will be seeing homemade mac & cheese and Hoppin' John on my blog in the next week.

Thanks Erin!

Monday & Tuesday

Here's a bunch of stuff that we ate on Monday and Tuesday of this week.

Anyone who doesn't like ramen noodles or macaroni and cheese from a box is clinically insane or has a poor palate.




Sometimes we have bread for dinner. Just bread.




Spicy mixed vegetables from Grand China in Hilliard.




Connor surprised me this week and switched up from eating mint chocolate chip ice cream to eating chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup. It was quite shocking as mint chocolate chip has been his favorite flavor for as long as I can remember.

Thursday - 4.9.2009

Lunch date with Ian at McDonald's

I don't know why I bought this cheese. It was an impulse buy. I wanted Brie, but this was sitting right next to the Brie so I decided to try this instead. I should have just gotten the Brie because this stuff was inedible.

Ian killing two birds with one stone - playing outside AND eating Frito's at the same time.

Dinner - homemade mac & cheese. This is my not-so-secret recipe. What makes it special? I simmer crushed garlic in the cheese sauce and use half and half instead of milk.

I don't care for mac & cheese that has been baked in the oven. My secret is to combine warm noodles with the warm cheese sauce, top it with a little more cheese, and then throw it under the broiler for a minute.

You get the bubbly and crispy cheese on top without drying out the rest of the casserole.

Check this out! Tony cooked this all by himself... French toast.