JUNE 17, 2012–FANCY MAC AND CHEESE AND BANANAS FOSTER

June 17 was Father’s Day.  A special day.  The Hunni loves Mac and Cheese, so I decided to try this adult version for Father’s Day.

But first, some gifts for Father’s Day.

The very best gifts of hugs. . .

. . .and kisses. . .

The gift of listening. . .

. . .and the gift of loving!

The best gifts on Father’s Day.

The very best way to start the day.

June 17th was a Sunday (most Father’s Days are thanks to a lady from Spokanne, Wahington), so we headed off to church and upon return I started some FANCY MAC AND CHEESE (pg. 132)  Pioneer Woman suggests Parmeason, Gruyere, fontina, and goat cheese (chevre), and a few ounces of Gorgonzola (blue cheese).

Ree Drummond’s recipe also calls for mushrooms, onions, and bacon.  The Hunni isn’t in love with mushrooms like I am, so I kept them on one side of the dish.

While I was making up this Fancy Mac and Cheese, The Hunni grilled up some burgers.

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I KNEW the kiddos wouldn’t be interested in this Mac and Cheese dish, so I didn’t even serve them up any.  Blue cheese is out with the kiddos.

Oh the green, green, grass of home!  And since it was Sunday, and since it was summer, and since we live in a neighborhood, we had our Backyard Sunday School class.

The Hunni set up the microphone system and let the kids sing and play along.  They were practicing up for our Backyard VBS.  LBG (Little Big Guy) was on the guitar, Scout on the piano, and Eloise and a neighbor sang.  They practiced up “Here is Love Vast as the Ocean”

Our craft that day was Father’s Day cards.  I found this Post It Note paper in about 20 colors in the Clearance section of Micheals one day.  We just cut ties out of the paper, and then with fun scissores, added stripes and decorations and polk-a-dots (with the help of a hole punch) to the ties.  Then we trimmed up the edges of the tie, peeled of the back paper, and stuck the tie on a card.

These two girlies made these two cards for their Daddi.

And these two girlies couldn’t keep their giggles in.

And these two girlies are nicknamed Sugar and Spice.  Any doubt about which one is which?

Supper time came around, and it was time to cook again.  I wanted something special, so I decided to try BANANAS FOSTER (pg. 256).  Since this is a Pioneer Woman recipe, it of course starts with butter.

Ree Drummond cut her banana up like this, so I copied it.

Chopped pecans are ready to be thrown in the pan fulled withbutter, brown sugar, heavy cream, banana, and rum.

At this step, you are supposed to light the whole pan on fire and walk to the table all Flambada to oohs and aaahs of the kiddos.  But I never could get the sugar-butter conconction to light.  It may be because I used Kahluha instead of pure rum.

Booo.  My flambada was more of a flop-ada.

We put the banana, sugar, butter, concoction in a warmed crepe and called it supper.

COMMENTS:  I have always wanted to bring a blazing dish to the dinner table.  I think I need to try the Bananas Foster again–this time with pure rum.  The kiddos weren’t crazy about the whole banana thing, they would have prefered strawberries and chocolate in thier crepes.  The Fancy Mac and Cheese was good, except for the blue cheese–too strong.  I will probably make the Mac and Cheese again, but halve the recipe as the kiddos don’t eat it and I love it.  That means I basically get the entire dish to myself.  And at that rate I will soon look like one of those trucks with dually tires driving down the road.

(photo from here.)

I always think these dually trucks look like they have wide hips.

Thanks so much for reading,

-rebecca