Carol's Mac 'n Cheese

If I'm gonna have mac n cheese make it Carol's please! My friend Carol makes the best macaroni and cheese there is. Her awesomely simple recipe is sure to put cheesy mustaches on your children's smiling faces.

CAROL'S MACARONI & CHEESE

16 oz. bag of large elbow macaroni or similar pasta
4 cans of cheddar cheese soup
2 cans of evaporated milk
Cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook pasta al dente, drain then place in a non-stick sprayed casserole dish. In a bowl whisk the soup and milk until blended. Pour that mixture over the pasta, then stir, coating the noodles well. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Pull dish out of the oven and stir in desired amount of cheddar cheese. Place back in oven for about 10-15 minutes, until the top of the dish gets a nice bit of golden color. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes. Serve while still warm.

Easy Tomato Sauce

A good pasta sauce is a staple in most homes. Growing up, my parents served many of the neighborhood children spaghetti. They somehow would smell the garlic and tomatoes and invite themselves to supper. This recipe is not gourmet, it's just quick, easy and good.

EASY TOMATO SAUCE
1 jar of garden style spaghetti sauce
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 T basil
1 t oregano
2 T Parmesan cheese
5 cloves of garlic, diced
1 onion, diced
1 lb. of extra lean ground beef (optional)
1 T olive oil
1 t garlic salt
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper

PASTA
1 bag of the pasta of your choice
water
2 T butter
1 T garlic salt
3 T Parmesan cheese

Pour oil in a deep saute pan and warm on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the onions into the pan. Saute for a few minutes then add the beef. Add the basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Brown the beef until cooked through then drain any excess grease. Pour the rest of the ingredients in with the beef. Let sauce simmer on low heat while you boil the pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is cooked to al dente drain the water from it. Add butter, garlic salt, and Parmesan to the noodles. Stir to coat all the pasta. Place a serving of pasta on a dish then top with desired amount of sauce. Enjoy.

Scrambled Eggs

I know I'm not the only mom in the whole world that knows how to make scrambled eggs. That being said, scrambled eggs are one of my kids' favorite foods. Here is how I make 'em up!

SCRAMBLED EGGS
6 eggs
1/2 C of grated cheese
1/4 C milk
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
pinch of garlic salt

Crack the eggs open and pour contents into a mixing bowl. Add other ingredients. Mix with a whisk or fork until well blended. Coat a skillet with non-stick spray and set on stove at medium-high heat. Pour egg mix into the warmed skillet. Let sit for a moment then scrape and turn the eggs in the skillet. Keep doing this until the eggs are fully cooked. Serve with toast.

Fruit Salad

Gramma MAS loved compiling fancy fruit salads. My mom took her fruity fun a step further and added whipped cream and pecans to the top of the salad to make it truly irresistible.

FRUIT SALAD
1 cantaloupe, peeled and cut into pieces
2-4 oranges, peeled and cut into pieces
2-4 apples, cored and sliced into pieces
1 pint of strawberries, stems removed and sliced
1 jar of maraschino cherries, juice included
1-2 cans of pineapple chunks, juice included
1/2 bunch of green grapes, removed from stem

optional:
blueberries
blackberries
pomegranate seeds
mini-watermelon
peaches
Basically any fruit you'd like to add. The more the better!
pecans (to top the salad)

Make sure all fruit is washed, prepared and cut into bite size pieces. Compile the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir. Let sit for 10 minutes to let juices combine. In the meantime...

WHIPPED CREAM
1 carton of heavy whipping cream
1 t vanilla
1/4 C powdered sugar (more if you like it sweeter)

Pour cream into a mixing bowl. Add vanilla. Start beating on high with a mixer. Slowly add powdered sugar. Continue to beat until peaks begin to form in the cream. Beat until you achieve desired texture.

Serve fruit salad in a bowl. Top with whipped cream and pecans, if desired.

Gramma MAS Snack

We called her Gramma MAS. Why did we call her that? Other than her initials being MAS, Mary Alice Smith, I really haven't the slightest idea! She was an amazing cook and homemaker, one of the best I'd say. She loved having her grandkids over and she often whipped this simple snack together for us after long hours of running around her house and yard. I make this snack for my babies now and every time I lay it out on a dish I think of my witty, talented, smiling Gramma MAS.

GRAMMA MAS SNACK

2 apples, cored and sliced
Ritz or Wheat Thin crackers
Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced into cracker sized pieces

On a large serving plate arrange apple slices, crackers, and cheese. Serve.