A Cold Winter's Night

The weather outside is definitely frightful.

We are snuggled up inside, drinking hot cocoa and eating comfort food, trying to keep warm on a cold winter night.

I had high hopes for today. So many projects I want to get done and today was to be the start of the year of simplicity - by tossing things out of the house, either to Goodwill or the garbage.  

But my train got derailed by K. And a shopping trip to Anthropologie.

So the year of simplicity will start tomorrow. After I put away my new purchases.

I got obsessed this afternoon, when the snow first started falling, with finding teeny, tiny snowflakes.

I don't know how they stand up on one leg.

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Out of the bosom of the Air,
   Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
   Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent, and soft, and slow
   Descends the snow.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It accumulated. 

And the teeny tiny snowflakes got gobbled up into bigger piles.

I went inside and made mac and cheese.

Simple.

Hot.

Cheesy.

Perfect winter food.

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Homemade Mac and Cheese

1 box cavatappi
7 tbs butter, divided
4 tbs flour
2 1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
3 oz American cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbs bread crumbs

Cook cavatappi according to package directions, drain. Place in a baking dish and set aside. In a saucepan, melt 6 tbs of butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes; reduce heat. Stir in cheeses, salt, and pepper until cheese is melted. Pour over cavatappi, mix well. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter; add the bread crumbs and mix together. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.