The Adventures of Kitchen Girl

This has to be one of the most difficult posts I've ever written. I've been working up to this, sitting down and writing about my friend Elle , for more than a week now and it's every bit as hard as I imagined it would be. There is so much I want to say, so much I wish I could still say to her. I only hope I can express here, with my words, what a treasure she was to so many of us. On January 28th, 2014 this world lost one of it's living angels. She was beautiful inside and out. She was hilarious and clever and sweet and utterly loveable. She was an amazing cook and baker. She was inspiring and encouraging and one knew they could always count on her. She was an amazing mother of 4 children and the love of her husband's life. She was a wonderful Mom to her fur-babies. And she's gone. Too soon. Far too damn soon. Elle was a young and vibrant 45 years old. Taken from this world suddenly and without warning from a pulmonary embolism. Her light remains bright...

Mac & Cheese with Ham Casserole Ingredients: 1 Pound Ham, diced small 1 Medium Sweet Onion chopped 2 Cloves Garlic minced 1 teaspoon Olive Oil 1 pound medium sized Pasta Shells 1 pound grated sharp Cheddar Cheese 1 container (16 oz) Small Curd Cottage Cheese 1 Cup finely grated Parmesan 1 container (16 oz) Sour Cream Freshly ground Black Pepper 1 Cup plain Panko Breadcrumbs 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh Parsley 3 Tablespoons Butter, melted Salt and Pepper to taste 1 Teaspoon dry mustard Method: Make sure oven rack is in the lower middle position and heat oven to 350F degrees. Coat 13×9 baking dish or dutch oven with cooking spray. Following package directions, cook entire box of pasta until just tender. While pasta cooks, sauté ham, onion and garlic in olive oil until the ham is browned and the onions are translucent. Mix cheeses and sour cream in a large bowl. Add the ham and onion mixture to the cheese mixture. Add the hot pasta and toss to coat thoro...