Our Family

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Friday Findings

I really had no clue what to title this and it is Saturday, but I am going to try and do this on Fridays (we'll see if that happens).  Well this week I realized that our dishwasher has been cleaning really good lately and here is why. 

For a long time it has not been cleaning good.  We bought it new 4 1/2 years ago, after year 2 is when it started not cleaning good.   I couldn't figure out why.  We adjusted everything!  We had the exact same dishwasher at our old house and loved it.  It was like that old commercial where you could put a plate in with a whole cake and it would clean it spotless.  Well this one stopped cleaning!  It was so frustrating have to pre wash stuff.  Defeats the purpose of a dishwasher.  Andy and I were convinced we needed a new one, but stuck it out.  I am glad we did.  This week it hit me, about the time it stopped cleaning good is when I started couponing and switched detergent brands because one leading brand was way cheaper (I will not say the brand, but it is the one that always puts coupons out). Finally not that long ago I was just thinking that I would switch back to the detergent I always used and see what happens.  Well this week it hit me that we haven't taken dirty clean dishes out of the dishwasher in a while.  The only change was...switching back to Cascade!!!  (Andy told me to put that they are not paying me to endorse their product.  They are not, but if they want to I will take their money :) This is totally true! I would not put this about a product unless I firmly believe that it was the detergent.  I will now pay more for the Cascade because it is worth every penny!!!

On to my cooking and health for the week.  We ate at home every night this week!!!  I bought a ham on Tuesday and guess how much an 7lb ham was...$7.00!!!  Harris Teeter rocks!!  We ate that for a couple nights and had brinner (breakfast for dinner for you none Scrubs watchers) one night for dinner.  Then yesterday morning Andy put a Boston Butt in the crockpot to cook and make BBQ for supper.  It was so yummy!!! This is the easiest meal ever!  Just put it in, let it cook on low for about 7 hours, and then shred it and you have pulled pork!!!  I also made homemade Mac and Cheese.  The boys devoured it. I found the recipe on the Kraft Food and Family website, http://www.kraftfoods.com/.  It is so easy and very yummy.  The only thing is I didn't bake it, which it called for.  We like our mac and cheese gooey.  By the way, the BBQ is probably healthy as it has nothing on it except the sauce you choose after it is cooked.  However, the mac and cheese is probably not the healthiest.  I did use 2% milk and 2% milk Velvetta and natural unsalted butter.  I would have used whole grain pasta if I had some, but didn't have any on hand. 

Homestyle Mac and Cheese
2 cups elbow noodles
3 Tbsp of Butter
1/4 cup fllour
1 cup milk
1/2 lb or 8 oz of Velvetta cut in to 1/2 in cubes

Cook your noodles.  In a sauce pan melt your butter on medium.  Then whisk in the flour.  Stirring constantly for 2 minutes.  Then slowly pour in milk.  Stir constantly until it thickens and boils.  Then add Velvetta and stir for 3 mins or until cheese is melted.  Then mix with noodles and yumm-o mac and cheese is ready!!!

There is a baking part, but since I don't do it, I don't know what it is.  You can find this on the Kraft website if you want baked mac and cheese. 

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