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The hardest thing (to me) I ever cooked Elnina was brownies..... They came out OK though.........
Mac and cheese is probably one of my most favourite meals
Were the brownies from scratch or a box?
If you want to try a scratch brownie recipe that is super easy, use the one for Baker's One Bowl Brownies that is on the package of Baker's chocolate. You will never want to resort to brownies from a box again.
I am guessing anyone who cooks mac and cheese from a box, is a new, inexperienced cook and should follow the directions exactly. After you have spent more time in the kitchen and experimented with real cooking you can wing it a lot. I will add, when I think of cooking from a box, like mac and cheese I think of my daughter when she was in college and lived on mac and cheese. On the day we sent her the monthly check she added a can of tuna. I don't think then she has ever had or would have mac and cheese out of a box.
Mac and Cheese out of the box is my go to when my little world is in utter chaos food. Do not hold the hot sauce! I got a pretty heavy blow the other day - SO brought me a box and offered to cook it for me.
Start with simple things. Grilled cheese, grilled cheese with ham, panini with cheese/meat/fruit/vegetable. Take it one step at a time.
Spice can make a big difference. Some grocery stores carry spices and staples in bulk. Most dollar stores have some spices.
Brownies out of a box? Bake them in a cup cake pan using liners, sprinkle a bit of brown sugar on top. Fill only to the halfway mark. Preheat oven, bake until you think they are not quite done yet. Spongy to the touch but dough will not stick to your finger.
Also you probably would not notice the difference much in how well the pasta is cooked.
I backed off my time to cook pasta 25%-40% off of what the box says to get it more firm (Al dente?).
Boiling the water first is just a good way to control the results and get more consistent results.
I usually follow a new recipe first then modify it.
Also when I cook the boxed mac and cheese I use the microwave and it works great. They used to put microwave instructions on the boxes but stopped for some reason. I think it hurt their microwave mac and cheese sales?
No-Drain Microwave Macaroni and Cheese
1 7oz box of Mac & Cheese mix
1 3/4 cup HOT tap water
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
Put macaroni in a 2 qt bowl with HOT tap water. If you can’t use HOT water, adjust cooking time accordingly.
Cook in microwave for 9 to 9 1/2 minutes, stirring once or twice. All the water should be absorbed and macaroni tender. Stir again after it is finished.
Add cheese mix, milk and butter, stirring until butter is melted and cheese powder is cheesy.
Lately I've been getting very bored with my mental cooking rut, so I've gone to Allrecipes.com for inspiration. That website is great. It's a free site that has literally millions of recipes created by regular people just like me. There are all kinds, from simple to elaborate for every type of dish. I usually choose simple dishes with 30-45 minute prep time (not counting marinating or fridge time) and cook time of a 90 minutes of less. I am very picky about measuring quantities just right, but I will substitute ingredients frequently. But I always add more garlic than the recipe calls for
When baking, I usually follow the recipe, making the appropriate adjustments for baking at altitude. When cooking in general, not really. I know the basic techniques, so there's room to play around. I don't usually purchase packaged foods, so I can't say whether or not I'd follow the recipe for boxed mac & cheese, but I always bring an ample amount of water to a roiling boil first when preparing pasta. I live in Denver, so failing to do so would definitely result in gummy noodles.
Trim off as much fat as you can from the roast and brown it on both sides in the same pot you are going to roast it in.
Cut up some parsnips, potatoes, carrots and mushrooms if you like them. You can even use pumpkin.
Place the veggies around the pot roast.
Take an onion and slice it into thin strips and place it on top of the pot roast.
Pour some Marsala or red wine on the pot roast until it covers the meat a little less then half way up.
Roast it at 350 for about 2 hours.
Add some milk to a couple of tablespoons of corn starch and make your gravy. It's really awesome and you will have a couple of meals. With veggies!!!
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