With the languid days of summer dwindling down to hours, I am set on savoring every last morsel of solitude. For me, this means a few more healthy doses of sun and sleep, losing myself in embarrassingly too many abandoned novels, and long afternoons spent flipping through cookbooks and creating in the kitchen. Did you know that creating, in whatever capacity, is the highest form of self-expression and intelligence? (Bloom’s taxonomy) We can only learn and retain so much information, repeat so many ideas. At some point, we have to make something that is truly ours (even if it is influenced by lots of somethings that aren’t “ours”). If you really think about it, one of the purest forms of satisfaction stems from creation. Think about the satisfaction the Creator of our universe felt upon completion! “God saw all that he made and it was very good.” Genesis 1:31
Julius Ceasar once stated, ” It is better to create than to learn. Creating is the essence of life!” What a beautiful, freeing thing. So what if we can’t locate Lithuania is on a map (sorry Lithuanians) or have difficulty recalling the inciting event(s) of World War 1. Yes, it’s interesting to know these things; knowledge can certainly help broaden our perspectives. However, at the end of the day, I think trivia and academia seem to lose their gravitas, and real things, here-and-now things, tangible creations are what truly penetrate our memories and our hearts. Children’s magical pillow forts, mom’s spaghetti sauce bubbling away on the stove, messy kitchen tables and broken guitar strings. These are the things that matter. (I feel a remake of “My Favorite Things” coming on…)
Oh, and a mac ‘n cheese recipe that has spent far too long in the refining stage of “creating.” At some point, it’s perfect just the way it is! So whether you crochet it, saute it, formulate it, sing it, write it, paint it, cut it, or sculpt it, just keep creating! Buen provecho.
- 1 pound noodles (penne, macaroni)
- 1 stick (8 Tbs) butter, separated
- ½ cup flour
- 3 cups reduced fat milk
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup smoked gouda cheese, grated
- 1 cup gruyere cheese, grated
- 2 green chiles, roasted and chopped, or 1 (4oz) can chopped green chiles
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 3-quart casserole dish (or 8-10 ramekins) and set aside.
- Cook noodles, about 2 minutes less than package directions dictate. Once cooked and strained, spread noodles out in the greased casserole dish (or ramekins).
- While noodles are cooking, heat 6 Tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan until melted and bubbling. Add flour and whisk for one minute.
- Heat milk in a microwave-save container for 1 minute. Slowly pour milk into butter-flour mixture. Continue cooking over medium heat and whisking until the mixture becomes thick and creamy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat and add ground mustard, grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and cheeses (besides about ½ cup) and stir until smooth. Add in green chiles.
- Pour cheesy mixture over noodles and stir. Make sure it is evenly spread out. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.
- Melt remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large bowl and add panko breadcrumbs. Mix to combine and spread evenly over the macaroni.
- Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes, until crisp and bubbly.