Driving down Ocean Beach Highway, we noticed that Nichols Boulevard that flanks one side of Lake Sacajawea, was getting a face-lift to match Kessler Boulevard, on the opposite side of the Lake. It will be weird not to be driving over the 100+ year-old-angle-cut-cement pavers anymore, but they were lifting up off the sub-road and becoming a traffic hazard; the face-lift is needed.
While in town, I also nipped into Joanne's Craft Store in the Strip Mall that borders Kelso, and grabbed two cards of sewing snaps for the preemie sacque I am currently working up.
There is a definite Fall nip riding on the breeze that blows through here, so I thought a tasty comfort food casserole would be welcome tonight - I know it would be for me, but this is the first time Holland would be tasting it … and the first time I'd be making it with a Patriots Food Mac & Cheese - and a halved packet, at that: prep would be different, all the way around. I made it up, and slipped it into the oven with a hope and a prayer ;-)
Holland, last year, had bought two huge bins of Patriots Food; it is packets of survival foods that we can easily store without taking up too much precious space - but it is basically tasteless and unappealing without additions being added to the meal prep; I didn't add spices, but I did add a meat to tonight's meal.
It was a hit with Holland, so it's a repeat :-)
Cooking meals in an RV is a bit different than in a normal full-size kitchen. Everything is smaller - the pantry, the work area, and the cooking appliances. For tonight's meal, I used a hot plate & a portable multi-task countertop oven. And for the meal itself, I only used 2 measuring cups, 1 cooking pot, a cooking spoon, 2 supper plates & 2 spoons: cleanup was a snap ;-)
I enjoy cooking - but I also admit that I am a lazy cook: the less time spent in the kitchen, the better.
This casserole recipe has been modified from the original Kraft Mac & Cheese-Spam casserole … but it is every bit as delicious:
MY PATRIOT FOODS MAC & CHEESE-SPAM CUBES~serves 2-3
Half a packet of Patriot Foods Mac & Cheese Supper * 1-1/2 cups Water * 1/2 tin Spam loaf, cut into cubes (refrigerate the rest) * 1/2 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (refrigerate the rest) * 3/4 cup frozen Peas * 1 Tbsp. unsalted Butter * Cooking Oil Spray (I used Butter flavor) * 1 8"-sq foil baking pan
Pour water into a medium cooking pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium boil and add mac & cheese mixture to the boiling water - boil until noodles are softened and sauce is thickened.
Reduce heat to low, and add remaining ingredients: blend thoroughly.
Lightly spray foil baking pan, and add blended mixture; carefully place casserole in oven, and cook at 350-degrees for 20 minutes (ovens are different - if you need to add more minutes, that's okay = do not bake more than 30 minutes).
I'll sew the snaps & buttons on it tomorrow, after we set up in Long Beach - Holland secured a parking space for us there, for a month.