Carb heaven is almost here!

Well at least that's what Daniel, the hubby, likes to call Thanksgiving. Once again we'll be staying here for Thanksgiving versus traveling. When we started having kids we chose Thanksgiving as the holiday we'd stay home so we could rest, plus Daniel usually has to work on Black Friday. Apparently people like to work off some of the glutton the day after.

Now I grew up eating Thanksgiving with at least 18-25 people (all family mostly) and we had TONS of food to choose from. I have to say I struggled this year with "Should I fix a full meal? Should I fix a contemporary meal? Should we do something else?" Finally enough people pulled me out of my slump and told me to fix a normal meal on a smaller scale. So at the request of dear old hubby, who chose our fine menu, here's what we're having:

• Turkey
• Stuffing/Dressing
• Gravy
• Green Beans
• Mashed Potato Casserole
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Rolls
• Pumpkin Pie with homemade whipped cream

He was very specific when he gave me the "Please can we have" list, as you can tell by the homemade whipped cream request. Tomorrow I'll go ahead and make the casseroles so they can cook the next day while the turkey is in the oven and I won't have to prepare them all on the same day. I need to test what will fit and not fit in our oven so I can decide if I actually need to pre-cook anything to just be reheated in the microwave if I'm in a pinch. I'm not 100% sure that all the casseroles and the turkey will fit in my little oven. Oh how I dream of a bigger kitchen some day (with double ovens).

But without further ado, here's a yummy recipe for homemade macaroni and cheese. I've tried many but this one is the absolute best!

Macaroni and Cheese

(found on www.recipezaar.com)

Ingredients

• 8 oz macaroni
• 4 Tbs butter
• 4 Tbs flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup cream or half & half
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper to taste
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
• bread crumbs (optional)

Directions

1. Cook and drain macaroni according to package instructions and set aside
2. In a large saucepan melt butter then add the flour, salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended
3. Pour milk and cream in gradually, stirring constantly
4. Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly)
5. Reduce heat and cook 10 minutes (stirring constantly)
6. Add cheese and simmer an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts (stirring occasionally)
7. Turn off heat and add macaroni. Toss well with cheese sauce until coated.
8. Transfer to a greased baking dish.
9. Sprinkle with bread crumbs OR top with a little shredded cheese
10. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until top is golden brown

Bon Appetit!