Macaroni and Cheese made sneaky style!

I found a great recipe for homemade Mac and Cheese off the Food Network. It's made with frozen pureed squash and it's delicious. It comes out really creamy and you can sneak a veggie in there for your little ones. Personally, I needed to add just a little more salt for taste. Definitely buy the extra sharp cheddar for that kick. Depending on the size of your family, I was able to freeze and make 2 more meals out of this dish. We have our mac and cheese as a side dish. I just grill some chicken to go along. Enjoy!

* Cooking spray
* 1 pound elbow macaroni
* 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen pureed winter squash
* 2 cups 1 percent low fat milk
* 4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
* 2 ounces Monterrey jack cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup)
* 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon powdered mustard
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
* 1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Cheddar, jack cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.

From Freezer
Place in a preheated 450 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Cottonwood should go back where it came from?

I had the chance to have a CNO (Couple's Night Out) last night. I had been telling my husband what he was doing wrong all day, so I thought it would be a nice treat to go out and sort of apologize. Well, I was excited to try this new restaurant called Cottonwood Restaurant and Cafe located in Royal Palm Plaza in Boca Raton. I had a girlfriend tell me about it. She said it was delicious and the restaurant is a chain from Boston. So when I got my Clipper coupon Magazine in the mail, I saw the Cottonwood ad with a coupon for dinner. (By the way, I am a coupon whore now that I am a stay-at-home mom) So the ad stated "reservations required". I was really nervous we might not get a table, so I made a 7:30 reservation for two.
We pulled up to the restaurant and noticed the outside seating. Nice, but no customers. We walked inside. I looked up at the vaulted ceilings and as my head lowered I noticed 1 couple in the restaurant. Yes, 1. There must be 25 tables on the first floor and upstairs were another 25. The hostess bounced over with delight and asked, "how many?". I told her somewhat laughing that we had a reservation. She actually started to check the computer. Hello! It doesn't really matter at this point now does it. She seated us at our table and the couple behind us gets up and leaves. Now we are the only patrons in this restaurant. It was so bright, the music was cheesy and the only people to people watch were us. So we made the best of it. The menu was interesting. It was a southwestern/tex mex/shrimp/not really sure type of restaurant. We ordered 2 Dos Equis and the chips and dips. The dips tasted like they were from a jar: green salsa, red salsa, cheese dip and guac. Andy ordered the Chicken Diablo. It was chicken tenders mixed with beans and it was too spicey. I had a taste and my throat was on fire. I had the Steak Enchiladas. It had a strange flavor. Maybe it was cooked in wine, I'm not sure. It was wrapped in a soggy red tortilla. The beans and rice had a strange flavor too. They smelled like nutmeg or cinnamon Let's put it this way, for $73 bucks, I think I should have loved it. I mean how can you screw up an enchilada?

My favorite boutique in Boca!

In this economy, I am all about supporting the small businesses. They are the back bone of this nation. One small business in particular is an adorable boutique located in Boca Raton called Vintage June. This boutique has unique and interesting items for women and children. The store carries the most amazing handbags from oversized quilted patent bags to woven baskets trimmed with ribbon. She has a beautiful assortment of unique jewelry and candles. For children, the owner features a collection of different books about manners for ages 3 and old. Start them young moms. She also has dolls, puzzles and games. The other great thing about this boutique is I can walk to it from my house.

Well, Vintage June has been open for a year and they are throwing a first anniversary party this week serving cocktails, hors d'oeurvres and shopping. It's Thursday, November 13th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. To RSVP or for more information call 561.338.7735.