March Forward

I must say it’s challenging to stay on the ball and inspired on my journey of writing a baby food cook book in my spare time.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, “I don’t have any spare time”.  Yet somehow each week my second thoughts and negative energy are mercilessly defeated in the nick of time by a feeling of “you can/must do this”.  Sometimes it’s as simple as an episode of Survivor or an encouraging word from friends and family that set me back on track.  If they can sit on an island trying to get along with perfect strangers while being eaten alive by bugs, eating nothing but rice and the occasional reward feast, I think I can strive to write my book.  And the Survivor contestants have it rough too.

Last night my “nick of time” revelation came to me in the form of a cough drop.  A little unconventional perhaps, but soothing just the same.  I was coughing up a storm at around midnight while desperately trying to get to sleep.  I stumbled downstairs and dug through my purse in hopes of scoring a throat lozenge in the hidden depths of the pouch.  I found 2!  The overhead stove light in the kitchen grazed the wrapper just enough to reveal some cryptic messaging.  These words went above and beyond the typical branding of “Halls” one might expect…

 

There were inspirational messages all over these babies…”You’re tougher than you think”…yes, I am! “Bet on yourself”…you know it! “March Forward”…I will!  So I popped the drop and fell asleep with thoughts of taking on the world in the morning.  Whatever keeps me going I guess. 

Ready…Set…Evolve…

ABC’s and 1,2, Cheese (and Tomato)Sauce

Age – 8 months +

Ingredients

·         1 cup alphabet pasta

·         3 tomatoes

·         ½ tsp. dried basil, or 3 fresh basil leaves chopped

·         ½ cup of chopped onion

·         ¼ cup of homemade or low sodium store bought chicken broth

·         1 ½ tbsps. of butter

·         1 tbsp. flour

·         1 ½ cups of milk

·         ¾ cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Baby Steps

1.      Chop onion and set aside.

2.      Peel, seed and chop tomatoes using the boiling water method.

3.      Add ½ tbsp. of butter to medium sized pan over medium/high heat and allow to melt.  Add onions and cook until translucent, approx. 5 minutes.

4.      Reduce heat to medium and add tomatoes and basil to onions and continue to cook for a couple of minutes until tender.

5.      Add chicken broth to tomato mixture, bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat.

6.      Boil water to cook pasta according to package directions but leave out the salt.  Cook, drain and set aside in large bowl.

7.      To make cheese sauce, melt 1 tbsp. of butter in medium sized pan over medium heat.

8.      Add flour to butter and stir with spatula until it forms a smooth paste.

9.      Add in milk, stir and raise the heat to medium high.  Continue to stir and cook until it has a thicker, smooth texture and is lump free, approx. 5 minutes.

10.  Add in cheddar cheese and stir until melted through.

11.  Remove tomato mixture from heat and transfer to a bowl and puree with hand held blender.

12.  Add tomato sauce to cheese sauce and combine well.

13.  Remove from heat and add tomato cheese sauce to pasta in bowl and stir together well.

14.  Let cool then transfer to freezing trays in the freezer to be used within 3 months and some to a food storage container in the fridge to be used within 48 hours.

Makes – Approx. 16 servings (1 serving = 2 tbsps.)

 Feeling a little down on yourself?  Mentholyptus to the rescue!