The Comforts of Home

Some days it doesn't pay to get out of bed. Today has been filled with mishaps ranging from laying my hand across a pan fresh from a 400 degree oven to losing a battle with a plastic binder (and yes, I have the bruise to prove it). Perhaps the most annoying problem of all was having to throw out a package of chicken. I bought this package of meat on closeout just before the sell by date and stuck it in the freezer. A day or two ago I moved it to the fridge for slow, safe defrosting. Tonight, when I opened the package to make Shake-and-Bake-style chicken fingers, it had an odd smell. As I began cutting it up, the smell became so rank that I stepped toward the trash can with a heaving stomach. Needless to say, the whole kit and kaboodle went into a bag of its own and out to the can for garbage pick up. Wasting food ticks me off more than just about any other household problem.

To compound the situation, I suddenly had nothing to make for dinner. A quick rummage through the pantry and fridge produced bow tie pasta, an assortment of cheese, and some bacon. Voila! Mac and cheese to the rescue. Since I had enough Velveeta to make the cheese sauce base, I didn't even have to put much effort into the dish. While the pasta cooked, I threw the bacon onto a cookie sheet and into the oven. (I haven't cooked bacon on the stove top since I watched the Ina Garten aka the Barefoot Contessa put it in the oven about a year ago. It is so much easier, and clean up is a breeze!) With the pasta and bacon underway, it was time for the cheese sauce which consisted of about 8 ounces of Velveeta and a third of a cup of half and half. (I usually use milk, but somehow the half gallon that was in the fridge this morning had disappeared by dinner time. Did I mention I have a 15-year-old son?) Once the cheese melted, I added plenty of pepper (so Jeff could taste something through his cold) and some grated marble cheddar for good measure. In the end, I dumped the drained bow ties into the cheese sauce along with some crumbled bacon. After spooning a helping into a bowl, I plopped on the couch for a little Friday evening R and R. Ah...comfort food.

It seems to me that something hot and homemade - even if it is simply mac and cheese - makes even the worst of days better. When some of my friends have a bad day at school, their first reaction is to go out to dinner. In contrast, my first reaction is to cocoon at home where I can eat something simple in front of the television wearing my favorite pajamas. I must be getting old.