Chaos complete

This past week was a doozy. I worked Monday-Wednesday, plus prepping for the weekend craft show, which involved being up every night until at least 1 a.m. Because of course it did.

On Thanksgiving morning, I loaded into the show (a perk of working for local government is being able to get into all the buildings), then came home and made mac and cheese to take to Thanksgiving dinner at a friend's house. 

I always bring the mac and cheese, and I always make it the way my mom made it. Because that was how I learned. 

This year, I did it differently and made a roux and a proper cheese sauce (cheddar only this time, since it was a year drive; next time, I'll add gouda).

It came out of the oven with just enough crispy bits on top, and it smelled divine. It went over well, too. Even the family vegetarian's nose twitched, which I take as a compliment. 

Recipe below, if anyone's interested.

*****

Stovetop-to-Oven Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

For the Pasta

* 1 pound (450g) elbow macaroni or small shell pasta

* 1 tablespoon salt, for the boiling water

For the cheese sauce

* 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the baking dish

* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

* 4 cups (32 fl oz) whole milk (do not use skim!)

* 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder (this won't make it taste like mustard, but it sharpens the cheese flavor)

* 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional, for depth)

* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

* 1 pound (450g) mixed shredded cheese (see cheese recommendations below)

For the Topping (Optional)

* 2 tablespoons melted butter

* 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Prep and cook the pasta 

* Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

* Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.

* Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, but stop cooking 1-2 minutes BEFORE it is fully al dente. It will continue to cook in the oven. Drain the pasta and set it aside. Do not rinse.

2. The Creamy Base (Melted Cheese & Milk)

* In a separate, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, pour in the 4 cups of whole milk.

* Over medium-low heat, gently warm the milk until steam just begins to rise. Do not boil.

* Gradually add 3/4 of the shredded cheese (3/4 pound) to the warm milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. This is where you achieve that wonderful, creamy melt.

* Continue stirring until the cheese is completely melted and the milk has transformed into a smooth, slightly thickened, cheesy base.

* Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.

3. Create the Roux and Combine

* In a medium saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.

* Once the butter is melted and foaming, whisk in the 1/4 cup of flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until the mixture (the roux) is smooth and smells slightly nutty.

* Slowly pour the warm, cheesy milk mixture from Step 2 into the roux, whisking continuously to prevent lumps.

* Return the pan to medium heat. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently. The sauce should thicken considerably in 5-8 minutes. Once thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the dry mustard and smoked paprika (if using).

* Season generously with salt and pepper. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as needed—the salt is crucial for bringing out the cheese flavor.

4. Assemble and top

* Add the cooked, drained pasta to the pot with the cheese sauce and stir until everything is evenly coated.

* Lightly butter a 9x13 inch baking dish (or whatever size works for you).

* Pour the mac and cheese mixture into the prepared dish.

* Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 pound of shredded cheese evenly over the top.

* For the Optional Topping: sprinkle panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese over the top of the casserole to get crispy bits.

5. Bake

* Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden brown.

* Let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This helps the sauce set up nicely.

Cheese Recommendations

For the best flavor and melt, use a mix of the following:

Sharp Cheddar - 70%, classic savory flavor

Gouda or Gruyère - 30%, Excellent melting quality and a nutty, complex flavor. 

Cream Cheese - 1-2 oz cubed (added with the shredded cheese) Ensures smooth and creamy final texture,/

Chaos

Scrap pile for the potholder class

November is the time of year when I ask myself, "Why do you do this?"

Every year.

I had a craft show the first weekend of the month. Then we installed our in-town popup the next Friday. I've done drop-offs of merchandise at three stores in the last week, and now, on Black Friday and Saturday, I have my final craft show in town.

And I do not have enough stuff.

Did I mention I also went to work every day for the past weeks (except for the holiday, when I sewed like the wind), wrote a few words, sewed some custom stocking orders from Etsy, and in general tried to maintain my marriage and other relationships?

Yeah. Not entirely successful, but trying.

I also led a sewing workshop at the maker space (where the popup is) last Saturday. Four women, two of whom had never sewn before, showed up to learn how to make potholders out of scraps. It was an hour class that lasted nearly two hours, with a lot of laughter, comparison of menopause symptoms, and a promise of another class.

In January.

Because I'm mad, but not completely.

Home for Christmas

So last Friday, Home for Christmas officially launched into the world!

This is a standalone novella that belongs in the Ava & Claire universe. I didn't want to write a WWII book, that's why there was a time jump between the end of Coming Together (1935) and French Lessons (1946).

But my people had other ideas. I knew a few things that happened because they came up in French Lessons - that Toby joined the Navy immediately after Pearl Harbor and that his younger brother George (his too younger brother) managed to join up, as well.

I didn't know how that happened, but Toby and George could be counted on throughout the earlier books to create a maximum amount of trouble, so I had total faith that they could do it again.

Home for Christmas was my most successful pre-order so far, which surprised me. I thought Paris would have had more fans, but apparently we (me included) can never get enough of sentimental-without-sappy holiday stories.

If you were one of my pre-orders - or if you decide to purchase now, on the basis of my ramblings - I hope you enjoy the story.

Popping up

Last year around this time, I banded together with a bunch of other local makers and we set up a pop-up shop in our local makerspace. It went okay. Not fabulous, but worth the effort, and we decided to do it again this year. 

Currently, I'm trying to remember why I thought it was worth the effort, because between trying to get a book out this coming Friday (Home for Christmas - have you ordered?), working on the next one, dealing with a large stack of custom Christmas stocking orders (excellent, but exhausting), and things like my part-time job, my cats, and my husband, I think my head fell off two days ago and I put it back on having the wrong direction. 

I generally deal pretty well with stress. At the moment, I am not. It will get better. 

I leave you with video of the shop and the wide variety of locally made goodies on offer. Because that's all I have the energy to do. 

Better next week. Promise.

Library Girl

Did you grow up in your local library? Did you stagger home under the weight of as many books as you could carry?

Me too.

Which is why it's made me sad for years that I haven't been able to get my ebooks into libraries.

Until now.

Since my books are in Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program, I haven't been able to offer them anywhere else. That recently changed and I just uploaded all my ebooks to a distributor to get them into libraries. Print copies have always been available to request, and audiobooks of the Ava & Claire series will be coming in the New Year.

If you've read my books, ask your library to get them.

If you haven't read my books, definitely ask your library to get them.

You read for free, I still make money... it's a win for everyone.

Skeleton season

It's that time of year again. Even though the leaves are late, just now beginning their shift to gold - orange - red, Halloween is Friday. 

This past weekend I helped out at the local farmer's market. The mayor was running a table with treat bags and gave out prizes for the best dressed pets. The parks department had a pumpkin painting event at the other end of the market. I bopped between the two, helping out and needed but mostly enjoying the day. 

My town is a little over the top as far as holiday decorations are concerned. They really pull out all the stops for Christmas, but this year, thanks to those jumbo skeletons that people bought during the pandemic, we've turned into skeleton town.

These are a few of my favorites. I really love the plague doctor - that one's right down the street from me - and the skeleton on a bicycle is also particularly cute.

In the clear(ish)

Also, it's fall!

Remember last year when I was doing all that deferred medical maintenance? I had a mammogram back in March which showed something they wanted to take a further look at. They didn't schedule the follow-up until April, so that meant I had to go through a month of waiting, including a week in Paris, where they texted me everyday to remind me of my appointment.

At the April appointment, they did a second mammogram and then an ultrasound. The doctor decided that what I had was most likely a fibroadenoma, left breast, high on the left side. So a really difficult location to wedge between two plates on a mammogram machine. 

They told me it was very likely nothing to be concerned about. I had two options: a needle biopsy then and there or, if I wasn't likely to either disappear or spend 6 months worrying myself to death, a further mammogram and ultrasound in October. I decided that I could wait, because needles. 

So that happened monday. Thankfully the University of Pennsylvania Hospital does not observe holidays.

They didn't even do the ultrasound this time, just two views on the mammogram. The doctor said that, if anything, the fibroadenoma has gotten a bit smaller. Which is good. Mystifying to me, but whatever. He said to come back in 6 months for my regular mammogram - the yearly kind that I avoided until last year - and then whatever I have in there simply becomes my new baseline for them to look for changes. 

So I would have probably known that in April, if I'd agreed to the needle biopsy, but I was okay with the wait. Keep away from me with your pointy objects.