Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe is one of my husband's favorites! It is probably one of his most requested meals. I probably make this about once a week. I really like this recipe. Cheese and Pasta, how can you go wrong?





Ingredients:

2 T butter
2 T flour
2 cups of milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups cooked elbow macaroni ( I use the whole pound)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces sliced American cheese, broken up into pieces

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour, cook one minute stirring constantly. Stir in milk and seasonings, cook stirring frequently, until mixture boils and thickens.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Stir cheeses into milk sauce. In a baking dish, stir together pasta and sauce. Bake 30 minutes or until bubbly and hot.

Mr. Watermelon rating: One of his favorites! Never a complaint from him!

Mrs. Watermelon rating: This is so easy to make. I love it.

Pomegranate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made this recipe a while ago, but never posted it. I had some leftover chocolate covered pomegranate arils and thought that they would taste great in a cookie. I just used the Nestle tollhouse recipe. I love this recipe for chocolate chip cookies so I knew it would be perfect to add the pomegranates to.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 Cup chocolate chips- I didn't use because the fruit was chocolate covered
1 cup chocolate covered pomegranate arils




Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Combine flour, baking soda, salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add chocolate covered pomegranate arils, they are bigger than the morsels. Stir well.


Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.Place on wire racks to cool. Enjoy!

Watermelon rating: These cookies were scooped up. The fruit was a great surprise and worked well in this cookie.

Five little lady bugs climbing on some plants.....

I teach first and second grade and this poem came to mind when I made these cupcakes. Mike and I had cookout over the summer and some of our guests were of the age to appreciate these cute little bugs.
Unfortunately, the frosting was more pink than red when I mixed. I made these out of a box cake mix. I made the spots on the bugs with black gel mixed with white frosting. The antenna are made from black licorice. I made 5 of these bugs and then decorated the rest with sprinkles and candies.


Watermelon seed rating: My little friends loved these cupcakes and many of them walked around the party with pink frosting covering their faces.

Mrs. Watermelon rating: These cupcakes were so fun to make! I just wish I had a darker red frosting!

Another great fall recipe!!!

One thing I love about the fall is that I am always in the mood to bake. I made these bars because Mike was going to a Pats game and I thought the guys would like these to tailgate with. I was right. However, before Mike brought them to the game, I brought them to Amy and Kevin's house for them to try. This recipe is definitely a winner!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions : Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9x13 cake pan. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, both sugars and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture.Stir in chocolate chips. Spread into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Mr. Watermelon rating: He loved these! I'm surprised he shared.

Mrs. Watermelon rating: I liked them, it was like eating a square cookie.

Watermelon friend rating: These were gobbled right up. There were requests for more.

Sunny sunflower cupcakes

Sunny days, keeping the clouds away.....Mike needed to bring a treat to a class, so I thought I would try my hand at making sunflower cupcakes. I made the cakes from a box mix, so I could concentrate on the decorating. I love using cake decorating tools. I got the idea from Hello Cupcake!

I used green frosting to frost the cupcake. Then I attached an Oreo cookie. Around the Oreo cookie I used yellow frosting to make the petals.





Watermelon rating: Everyone loved these! Especially my good friend Patrick (he's 3)!

Fall Favorites

Fall is here! It is my favorite season! Pumpkin picking, apple picking, and all the fairs and carnivals! So I decided to remind you of some of my favorite recipes that I have made for the fall. You can click on the link to get the recipe, remember if you try one to leave me a comment and let me know how you made out.

Apple Pie

Apple Spice Bars- just made these this past weekend. Always a favorite!!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Potato and Cheese Soup

Hope you enjoy some of my favorite fall recipes! Coming soon.......

Chocolate chip cookies bars and some recipes that I made over the summer....better late than never!

Still the best....

One of the best recipes for Chocolate Chip Cookies is Nestle Tollhouse. You can never have enough chocolate chips!

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels




Directions: Preheat oven to 375° F.Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.



Mr. Watermelon rating: He loved these! He loved that I added more chocolate chips.

Mrs. Watermelon rating: Love these! Definitely wait until they are cool before moving them onto a plate.