We were out trick-or-treating with Next To Youngest Son and he balked at going up to a certain house. When asked why he told us that a kid that rode on his bus lived there and that they have WILD CHICKENS and you shouldn't go to a house that has wild chickens. He ultimately went up to the door but kept a wary eye peeled.
This was our first Halloween in this neighborhood and we weren't prepared for the number of kids that came to the door. Youngest Daughter started handing out treats by throwing a hand-full of candy into each treater's bag. One of the mothers then helpfully told us that they have around 200 kids each year!
We had enough candy, barely, but now we'll be better prepared for next year. The places I lived before were somewhat isolated and we'd have only a handful of treaters each year so that's why we used to throw a handful of candy into each bag.
When we were out there had to be at least 10 cars parked at the end of our road and all of them were packed with kids coming to treat in our neighborhood! I better do some decorating next year!
I saw a Rachael Ray show where she made a Rueben Macaroni and Cheese meal. I made it and we all thought it tasted great but it got me to thinking. What else could I put into the base macaroni and cheese?
I came up with the following:
-about a pound of boneless/skinless chicken thighs
-Mexican shredded cheese (had taco seasoning added)
-3 tbsp of butter
-3 tbsp of flour
-3 cups of milk (her recipe only had 2 but I like my mac & cheese to be creamier)
-pound of whatever pasta strikes your fancy
-jar of your favorite salsa
-jalapeno slices
-pepper/garlic seasoning (together or separate)
-dry cilantro
-salt for the boiling water and if you wanted to season the cheese more
I seasoned the chicken thighs with a pepper/garlic blend and some dry cilantro before putting them on the Foreman Grill. I started the chicken first and put a big pot of water on to boil.
Once the chicken was done and the water was nearly boiling I made a rue by first melting 3tbsp of butter in a pot and then whisking in 3tbsp of flour. I let that cook until it had a slightly nutty smell and then whisked in the three cups of milk. I stirred occasionally until it started to thicken and then added some of the same pepper/garlic blend and cilantro. Once it had thickened enough I added around 3 cups of the cheeses and but saved some to sprinkle on the top before broiling.
Once the pasta was cooked I drained it and put it back into the same pot. I added the diced chicken thighs, about half a jar of salsa, and all the cheese mixture. I stirred it all together and then poured it into a casserole dish. I sprinkled some cheese on top, garnished with jalapeno rings and then put under the broiler until the cheese melted and browned.
I put it on the table and everyone devoured it. There are some leftovers and I'm hoping to have them for lunch on Friday. Four of us ate and there was enough to feed a couple more people so this is a great recipe for feeding six.
It is hard, sometimes, to think about the good things in life or look to the future when you're faced with difficult times in the present. For the past year or so we've been dealing with behavior problems with Youngest Daughter. We've dealt with lying, stealing, drug use, and just overall difficult living conditions for far too long.
Things came to a head when she finally garnered the attention of the local police and now we're dealing with court. I just had to fill out paperwork that was more invasive than a mortgage application in order to figure out how much I have to pay for these court proceedings.
For the past few days she's been a bit better. Part of that may be that any infraction could literally land her in jail, part of it was a bad scare after smoking some pot (again!) while visiting an aunt's house. Now she's worried that she may go crazy and is claiming anxiety attacks. We're pursuing medical/behavioral type help but the wheels of that system move slowly.
In the midst of all this I realize just how lucky I am to have met my wife and how much her love and support means to me. I'd be lost without her and hope that we have many years together and can look back at all of this as a blip in an otherwise happy and care-free life together.
PW and I had such a great time in Maui. Even though she was 27-weeks pregnant at that time we still managed to have an awesome time in the sun.
We both still have dreams about Maui and talk about it often. I can't wait to go back and enjoy ourselves there again. Actually, any place that I can go alone with her is what I look forward to. We have our BNB that has to get older and some family members to train but once that happens we'll be going off on our own again.
That's not to say that we don't plan on lots of family fun too...it's just that we like those special times all alone so much!