Three Things - or more!

Three things I learned this week:

1. Always, always buy 1/2 yard more of the backing fabric than the pattern calls for. I was all ready to finish up this project this weekend and when I got the backing laid out, I'm about 1/2 yard short. This is the second time this has happened lately. I know I'm going to have to piece the back anyway, but no matter how I did my math, it's not possible. Unless one of you quilty wonder women out there has a secret that I don't know about, I'll be making a trip to the quilt shop this week. What a shame ;-) I think this turned out pretty cute so far though. I used a jelly roll of Deb Strain's Daydreams fabric by Moda. The next big challenge will be to figure out how to quilt it. I think I'll try on my machine this time. Any suggestions are welcome too! 2. Never try to "tweak" Grandma Mary's Macaroni and Cheese recipe. Like a lot of you all, I like to watch the Food Network and try new recipes. I haven't done that much lately because, frankly, I'm kind of out the cooking mood. But yesterday, Bobby Flay's Throw Down featured macaroni and cheese. I didn't follow any of the recipes they featured but instead thought I'd just work with the tried and true and see if I could incorporate some new ideas. Bad idea. Grandma Mary's mac and cheese is so simple, it doesn't need tweaking. It does take a little practice to get it just right though and after 33 years I'm getting close! For you non-family members. The basic recipe is this. Boil some macaroni. Drain. Put in baking pan to fit. Stir in cheese (colby works the best, but cheddar or colby-jack will do) as much as you like. Dot with plenty of butter (the real stuff !) Then pour milk (preferably whole milk - but I never have that any more) over the whole thing just until you see the milk coming up through the macaroni. Sprinkle with a little more cheese and salt and pepper. Bake until bubbly and a little crispy on top. Nothing complicated about that. It probably wouldn't win any food network prizes, but its what my family likes. Especially DH. Then I went and made the mistake of messing with his macaroni! Luckily I was able to salvage the leftovers by adding a few more of the key ingredients (that would be butter, milk and cheese!) to accompany our pork chops tonight.

3. Never, ever tell your hair stylist to cut your hair "just a little shorter"! The girl who cuts my hair is a real sweetie and after going to her for about seven years, she pretty much understands my wavy locks. But this past week she got a little carried away. Oh well, at least my hair grows fast but in the meantime I've had some of those "moments" in front of the mirror. Sorry, no pics of the hair cut.

Saturday was Thunder Over Louisville. It is one of the biggest air shows and fireworks displays in the country. We have gone a couple of times but aren't fans of large crowds. They usually have several hundred thousand people on the shores of the Ohio River to enjoy this kick off event for the Derby. This year the weather kept a lot of folks away, but as we drove across the bridge on the Harley for a little shopping trip you can see by this photo people were already setting up their viewing spots early in the morning.

We enjoyed the air show and fireworks in HD in the comfort of our family room. But someday we'll have to go back.. If you are ever in the area, it's quite an experience.
Other than the short trip on Saturday, we stayed home this weekend. Don't be too shocked Uncle L!! He actually worked on the kitchen cabinets. I can't wait to load up these super drawer slides! The lower cabinets will all have pull out shelves so this old body doesn't have to get down on her hands and knees to reach to the back for an elusive pan or lid!
Okay all you food photo fans - here's the snack of the week! Rice Krispie Treats! I had a box of cereal and a bag of smushed marshmallows in the back of the pantry. They won't last long. This is a diet food, right?
Have a Happy Week! Tax Day is Tuesday - D is finishing ours up while I'm here blogging. Procrastination runs in the family!