One of my favorite things to do is wander.
In New York, I would get on the subway and wander around the Upper West Side, or Lower East Side, or somewhere in between.
I still wander around the "tri-state" - Iowa, Wisconsin & Illinois now (instead of New York, New Jersey & Connecticut).
A couple of weeks ago, St. Donatus, a small town (population 135 in 2010!) just north of Bellevue was having it's Sorghum Festival (sorghum is like molasses).
St. Donatus is home to the Gehlen Barn. Built in 1839, it is supposedly the oldest building in Jackson County and was recently included in an article in the
LA Times about Iowa barns.
And it is COOL.
Just up the street from the barn is the St. Donatus Catholic Church. I am not Catholic (at all!), but the church is pretty.
Behind the church is an outdoor Way of the Cross, consisting of 14 stations winding up a hillside...
to the Pieta Chapel at the top.
After that little hike, I headed to
Kalmes Restaurant to rehydrate.
After a quick stop to check out the renovations at the
Old City Cemetery in Bellevue,
Then I wandered across the river to Savannah...
(I did NOT get a tattoo.)
After all that, I came home and made another macaroni & cheese recipe. I think this makes three, but can anyone have too much macaroni & cheese?
Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
16 ounces elbow macaroni (about 3 cups)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 ½ cups milk, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 lb cubed Velveeta cheese
8 ounce shredded Kraft Mild Cheddar Cheese divided
8 ounce shredded Kraft Monterrey Jack Cheese
(I used a 16-ounce bag of shredded cheddar jack)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees
Cook macaroni until tender but not mushy, about 8-10 minutes
Drain well and pour into a large mixing bowl
Melt on low the Velvetta Cheese and ¾ cup milk until melted (stir often)
Pour the melted cheese sauce over pasta and stir
Add in butter, ¾ cups milk, eggs, 1 cup shredded cheeses, salt and pepper
Mix well and transfer to a 2 quart baking dish
Pour the remaining cheese on top
Bake until top crust is golden brown and casserole is bubbling, about 25 minutes.
Enjoy!
