easy macaroni and cheese

My husband loves homemade macaroni and cheese and my son and I love kraft macaroni and cheese so I tried and tried until I created a recipe that we all really enjoy.

Ingredients
1 pound macaroni noodles
half a cup of shredded swiss cheese<br>
1 cup of shredded mild cheddar cheese
half a cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon of butter (optional)
Extra cheese for topping
Potato chips or bread crumbs for topping

Cook noodles according to the package instructions.  Put cheeses in a glass making dish that has been lightly greased.  Microwave whipping cream and butter until warm and poor over cheeses.  Stir until combined and cheeses are slightly melted.  Add noodles and combine well.  If you desire a cheesy topping you can have some extra cheese to top it with.  Crumble potato chips or bread crumbs on top of cheese.  Bake at 375° for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.  My husband likes his really crusty so I cook it a little longer for him.

You can alter this recipe any way you want.  The cheese s especially are great to change up until you find the right combo for your family.  I like the cheddar and the swiss gives it a really nice bite.  Hope you enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Since it's so cold outside I thought I'd post this soup recipe which is one of my favs.

1 lb chicken (I cover with olive oil and S and P and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until cooked through and then shred)
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
Egg noodles (I use abt 3/4 of the bag)
6 cups water
3 to 4 T chicken base

This recipe is defintely a judgement and whatever you like kind of recipe.  I begin by putting veges water and chicken base in a large stock pot.  You want the broth to have flavor but not be too salty because it will redue throughout cooking.  I usually fill the pot up with water and then add chicken base until I like the flavor.

Boil veges until they are tender then add your shredded chicken and noodles. You may need to add more water if yours has reduced too much...also dont forget you will need plenty of water for the noodles to absorb.  Make sure you taste broth to make sure it has lots of flavor.  Boil for about 15 minutes or until noodles are tender.  I serve with grilled cheese sandwiches.  This is a great way to get kids to eat their veges too.  The chicken base gives them a really nice taste.

sn: if youd like a thicker sauce right before serving mix a small amount of cold water with about 1to 2 T of cornstarch then add to soup and stir over medium heat until you reach the thickness you desire.

For the Kids

I regularly see things on pinterest that I try to pin but if I dont like everything on the link I wont pin it. So here are a few things that I saw and only wanted to remember 1 or 2 things:

Have you and your child gather soft outdoor items such as leaves, twigs, grass, and other things a bird might want to build its nest with. Put all the items in your backyard near a window so that you can bird watch to see what the birds pick. Over time the birds will use most of the items if you pick the right things. This would be a great time to get some pictures of birds too!

Create an outdoor scavenger hunt for your kids by drawing a picture or taking a picture or using the actual item on a sheet of paper and the kids have to hunt outside to find the item. I plan on doing this with my kids when its safe for them to be outdoors and get out of my sight. I want them to look for oak leaves, worms, pine cones, etc. Whatever is in the backyard. Even if you dont have a backyard this would work if you went to a park or nature trail as well so it works for everyone!