A Bowl Full of Love

I know it is cliche to write about mac n cheese, but I cant help it. We all have a favorite version of it and most of us grew up on it in some form or another. From a box to a béchamel sauce, we enjoy it anytime of the day on its own or as a side dish.

It always makes me happy, especially when my mom makes it. She has never ever altered her simple recipe- elbow macaroni, Velveeta cheese and milk. Its always perfectly creamy and cheesy.

The first time I made my Mom's version was when Velveeta was still on a shelf. Of course I went to the cheese section to find it, but to my horror it wasn't there. My Mom laughed when I called her from the store asking where it was. When I found it, I stood there, stared at it wondering what it was made of and why it wasn't with the cheese. I used better judgment and chose not to read the ingredients and grabbed it.......I never looked back. Of course you can find it in the cheese section now and that makes me feel a little better in some silly way.

Even in my mid 30's there is nothing more comforting than my Mom's mac n cheese. I've tried the box stuff, several restaurant's versions and I even tried to make my own fancy version. Of course nothing comes close what I grew up on.

A Bowl of Love

I sarted to think of my mac n cheese guidelines:

• First there are no rules- when it comes to certain foods you should do whatever you want
• Cheesier the better- lots of one kind of cheese or a mixture of several
• There should be no such thing as "healthy" mac n cheese- that just doesn't make any sense
• Endless toppings- bread crumbs, crumbled bacon, tater tots, chicken, etc. 
• Eat it whenever- I will eat it for breakfast or for a snack.
• Have fun with it- I've been know to re-heat mine in a pan of butter to get it crispy. Once I even made a seafood version with crab and shrimp.
• Be proud of your favorite version! If you like the box kind who cares, if you like to get fancy with it have fun and if you're like me don't be afraid of the mystery cheese on the shelf. 

Wow, I guess that is my celebration of mac n cheese, my Bowl of Love.