Grandma Alexander's Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

-box of gf noodles or zoodles or spaghetti squash

-5 Tbsp butter

-1/3 cup gf flour, sifted

-4 cups milk

-1/2 tsp paprika 

-1/2 tsp ground mustard

-1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp pepper

-2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (mild, sharp, Colby, 3 cheese, Colby Jack, whatever combination you'd like), divided

Instructions:

1. Set out 9x13 in baking pan.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cook gf noodles according to box.  

    For zoodles, don't cook just spiral and add to 9x13 pan.

    For spaghetti squash instructions, click HERE for cooking instructions.

3. Place large saucepan over medium low heat.  Melt butter. Slowly whisk in sifted flour.  Slowly add milk and whisk continuously, making sure no lumps form.

4. Whisk in paprika, ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.  Bring to boil while stirring.

5. When hot, remove from heat and add 2 cups of cheese.  Mix well until melted.  Pour over noodles in 9x13 pan and mix well.  Cover with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

6. Bake 10-15 minutes until melted.  Enjoy!

Zucchini Pizza Boats

Ingredients:

-4 zucchinis (or one per person in family), washed and halved

-spaghetti sauce (try out this Homemade Tomato Sauce )

-mozzarella cheese

- any toppings, i.e. pepperoni, sausage, pineapple, etc

-watermelon scoop or spoon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash, cut zucchini in half, and using watermelon scoop or spoon, scoop out the middle making sure NOT to go all the way to the end of each side of the zucchini half (see pic above).  

3. Place on baking pan lined with parchment paper.

4. Fill each with sauce, cheese, and toppings.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Enjoy!

Mine devoured happily! 

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup maple syrup

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup water

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Whisk cocoa powder, maple syrup, and salt together in small bowl.  In medium saucepan add water and vanilla on medium heat.  Slowly whisk in cocoa mixture until smooth.

2. Bring mixture to low boil.  Stir continuously for 5 minutes or until thickened.  Syrup will thicken further once cooled. 

3. Pour into storage container and cool completely before refrigerating.  Keep for up to 3 months.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

I found this recipe on Pinterest (here's the link: https://spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com/how-to-make-homemade-tomato-sauce/ ) and it's soooooooo yummy that I added it to my recipe collection here.

Here's a link if you need to know how to blanch tomatoes that I used:

Blanching Tomatoes

Ingredients:

-12-15 fresh tomatoes, blanched and blended or chopped  (can use 3-4 cans of crushed tomatoes)

-4 cloves of garlic, chopped or pressed

-1 onion, chopped

-4-6 Tbsp fresh basil OR 1-2 Tbsp dried basil

-1 1/2 tsp black pepper

-1 Tbsp sugar (optional)

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-1/3 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a 5+ quart pot over medium heat; add garlic and onion.

2. Sauté for a few minutes until onion is translucent, making sure not to burn the garlic.

3. Add tomatoes (I blended them first), black pepper, basil, and sugar.  Stirring often, bring to a low boil.

4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring often.

5. For first half of simmer time leave pot uncovered; cover for last half.

6. Stir in cheese and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or so. 

7.  Let the sauce cool before you fill in containers to store if not eating immediately.  See the top link to to see tips on this recipe for canning and freezing. Enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

My son LOVES this smoothie, can you tell?!?! Haha!

2 frozen bananas

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup milk

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp maple syrup

Ice (as needed)

Add bananas, peanut butter, milk, cocoa powder, and maple syrup in blender or food processor.  Blend on high adding more milk as needed to mix.  If too much liquid was added, simply add ice as needed.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

As you can see my daughter adores this smoothie, she has ever since she was a little girl.  

Ingredients:

1-2 frozen bananas

2 cups of frozen whole strawberries

1/2 cup milk (or water; milk makes it creamier-- we have made both ways) 

1 handful of spinach (optional)

Add ingredients to blender or food processor.  Mix on high.  Adding more milk/water as needed to help blend.  Enjoy!