The Day of the M meals

I know I posted my Muffin Tin Monday post earlier. I realized I had taken pictures of the girls helping with the macaroni and cheese, so I wanted to share them.  However, we also had an M dinner, so I decided I would share that now as well, along with a couple of recipes from today. 

Here are the girls "shredding" up the cheese for the macaroni and cheese.

On the left we have the cheese sauce

On the right is the macaroni.

The finished product was part of our M muffin tin.

Then I decided to do an M supper as well.

Meatloaf and mashed potatoes were planned.

But then I found a cute idea for a mouse over at parenting.com.

It was an article about Bento lunches.

I followed the link provided at JDaniel4's Mom. 

Anyhow, the mouse is made out of cheddar cheese, with carrot features and a muenster cheese tail.

And of course he is after a wedge of cheese.

The carrots are just there because we needed a veggie.

I made a mouse for everyone but me.  Even hubby got a mouse.

Then we made Blueberry Muffins to go with the story

If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff.

I found the recipe a while ago over at allrecipes.com,

(my favorite site for recipes)

Actually it is a recipe for Strawberry Muffins, but we substituted.

Hannah was watching Tabitha in each picture I tried to take of them helping.

Unfortunately the girls weren't cooperating well and this is the best I have.

You could say they enjoyed the muffins.

Here is the recipe for Macaroni and cheese, from my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook book (which isn't very new as I had it when Steven was a baby and he is 18 now, but I have a few favorite recipes from this poor beat up book that is now in 5 pieces).  We really enjoy this mac and cheese.  We use the top of the stove version.

1 cup elbow macaroni (we used shell this time)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 Tbs margarine or butter

1 Tbs flour

dash pepper

1 1/4 cups milk

2 cups shredded American cheese (8 oz) (we use the singles processed cheese because it was what we have)

1 medium tomato, sliced (optional, we never use it)

Cook macaroni according to directions, drain well.

Meanwhile, for cheese sauce, in a saucepan cook onion in margarine or butter till tender but not brown.  Stir in flour and pepper.  And milk all at once.  Cook and stir till slightly thickened and bubbly.  Add shredded cheese; stir till melted.

Stir macaroni into cheese sauce.  Transfer to a 1-quart casserole.  Bake, uncovered, in a 350 oven for 25-30 minutes, or till bubbly.  During the last 5 minutes of baking arrange tomato slices atop macaroni, if desired.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Makes 4 servings.

We use the shortcut method.  The cheese sauce is poured over the drained macaroni, which has been returned to the pan.  It is cooked over low heat for 3-5 minutes.  Also let stand 10 minutes.

One of these days I will try the baked version, but for now, the shortcut version works and is delicious.