Lobster Mac N Cheese

   It's been months since I've last written, I know.  I've thought about finishing my birth story, sharing some other recipes or my thoughts on this new journey of parenting.  But to be honest, I've simply desired privacy.  We all want to be known & accepted by others, but for the past oh, I dunno...year!...I've wanted to guard my heart and put a gate on my lips so that no one would know me.  Hardship will do that to you, ya know?   If you knew me ten years ago, I was the girl who could not stand to be alone at all EVER.  I loved dorm life at college and was terribly sad when everyone went home on the weekends and I was car-less and dreadfully alone for the weekend.  Today, it is shameful how very little of the outdoors my little man sees.  With balancing work, baby, and home management, going outside is not on our priority list.  All that to say, I've grown to enjoy being alone often and haven't regretted a moment of my "blogging sabbatical."  :)

  So now I break the silence with a recipe laden with gluten and dairy.  ;)   I grew up on creamy mac n cheese made from scratch.  Though I have spent half of my life being dairy-free, this dish is a tasty cheat. This mac n cheese recipe is actually my wonderful mother's, and the addition of lobster is solely my own.  There is no amount of money that my mom can be bribed with to eat seafood of any sort.   Now, Husband is a Velveeta shells and cheese man (I think I threw up in my mouth just typing that.), but I'm slowly winning him over.

Mama Reim's Mac N Cheese

1 box of macaroni

2 TBSP butter

2 TBSP flour

1 cup of whole milk

1 cup of shredded cheese of your choice (I used cheddar)

Bring a pot of water to boiling.  Pour in your noodles. Turn the heat down and cook until tender.  Drain noodles.  Melt butter in a saucepan.  Slowly add flour, stirring consistently.   You are making a roux which is a paste that thickens the sauce.  Slowly add the milk, stirring the entire time.  The butter, flour, and milk will make a thick paste.  Add cheese and stir until melted and heated through.  I ended up adding another 1/2 - 3/4 cup of cheese.  Perhaps a sharp cheddar would give it a bolder flavor and just a cup would suffice.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour cheese sauce over noodles and fold in.

Optional Additions

•   My adventurous spirit compelled me to buy 2 lbs. of langoustine lobster tails at Costco.  (My first attempt at making a lobster dish was lobster burritios - so good!!!)  My lobster tails were pre-cooked and frozen, so all I did was heat them up in a pan with butter and folded them right into my mac n cheese.  It was so easy!  (I found a helpful lobster prep tip on this blog: Defrost langoustine overnight in the fridge or set them in a bowl of cold tap water for about 10 - 15 minutes or until they have defrosted.  Drain excess liquid.  Wrap langoustines in a paper towel and give it a little squeeze to remove the remaining moisture. )

• I also topped our mac n cheese with this yummy parmesan blend from Trader Joe's.

• I tried a dash of Frank's red hot sauce and it gave my mac a nice kick in the pants.