A Perfect Day, Especially For January

The macaroni and cheese with leeks is wonderful! Very rich, too. I used about twice as much pasta as the recipe calls for and I chose Cabot Vermont extra sharp cheddar. The milk was 2%, not full-fat. The butter was a light version, mixed with Canola oil. I don't make baked macaroni and cheese often. When I do, it's worth taking time on it to make it good.

Leeks are sweeter than most onions. They smell like onions though, as I discovered on the drive home. Even with the window down, I had to stop in a parking lot and move them to the trunk. My apartment smelled of leeks for a day or two. (I'll take that over cigarette smoke from the downstairs apartment.) I regret that I didn't take a photo before I cleaned them. Next time!

It was one of those "perfect" days to me. I got to play in the garden, take something home from it to cook, then relax -- in this case with my guinea pigs and a book. Really, I'm not much of a cook. I am doing it because I should: it's cheaper and usually healthier than eating out, and it's a habit I have to reestablish. I generally keep it simple. A couple of books of healthy recipes I have: slow cooking and one filled with Mexican recipes. I love Mexican because of the ingredients often used: black beans, corn, corn meal rice, tomatoes, chiles; however, it can be very unhealthy without alterations.

I'll have to work on streamlining my favorite cuisine more: Italian. Ciao!