Another one bites the dust...

General Mills has purchased Annie's Homegrown.

This is a very sad time for me. And many many others. It's another 'homegrown' organic company that mirrors the ideals of it's customer base that has been purchased by a large, soul-less, monster company that has publicly, and privately made it a point to deceive consumers. This is a very sad time.

You see, I planned so many of my child's snacks around Annie's offerings. Who needs cheeze-its filled with hydrogenated, un-sustainably sourced palm oils, dyes, artificial flavors? Nobody when there was Annie's to take their place! Wholesome ingredients? Check. Organic? Check (usually...). No artificial colors? Check. Non-GMO? Check!! Free of the evils associated with purchasing food from a large corporate conglomerate? Womp womp.

I've cried, I've decided to boycott (as much as possible...because bottom line- my kid isn't eating Nabisco or other conventional crap. Not happening...but if there are alternatives, I'm going to opt for them).

le Sigh.

But the heart of the matter, is how the hell can moms who want to boycott this empty- sell out brand still have macaroni and cheese on the fly for their little ones?

Well, well, well...I've got a solution. No, it's not exactly the same as grabbing a box and whatever, but it'll be a nice way to feed your kids yummy and nutritious mac-n-cheese!

First things first- ingredients! This is the fun part. You can literally mix in anything, or nothing. I think it's so important for children to get their veggies- which is hard to do from what I hear.

You can add in chopped broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, zucchini, diced cooked chicken...The list is endless! Just make sure the harder veggies are well cooked before adding them in.

1 lb organic pasta (works well with gluten free pastas as well!)
2 cups of your preferred cheese blend (sharp cheddar and gouda are my fave)
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of milk
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup of any mix in item you would like- pre cooked.

wax paper
cookie tray
foil or ziplock baggies

- Cook pasta as per directions on box, and then drain thoroughly
- Put pasta back in the pot, and over medium heat mix in the butter,  two cups of cheese (1/2 cup at a time) as well as the milk, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix in optional ingredients as desired.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper, and scoop spoonfuls (what you'd approximate to be a serving) along the sheet, and freeze overnight, or for minimum 4 hours.

Once the scoops are frozen wrap with foil or wax paper, and store in ziplock bag or freezer container. They'll keep for about 3 months if frozen.

To reheat, put frozen servings in a sauce pan with 1/4-1/2 cup of water, over medium heat for approximately 5-10 min until you can stir the macaroni.

Enjoy!

So of course I encourage everyone to boycott Annie's Homegrown products now- since essentially they've sold out. There are still alternatives, and if you can't buy any alternatives, you can always make your own!

Arts and crafts/ embarassing confessions/beautiful epiphanies...bringing y'all up to speed.

So that was a pretty decent chunk of time away from blogging. What was I doing? A whole lot of nothing and everything. That's life right? I will aim to be a more committed bloggess.

Allow me to bring you up to date.

I'm super thankful right now. Always...but right now specifically.
Right now I am thankful for the usual. Health, wellness, my family, Cha-cha-charlie!!, and of course Drew! Things are always going to be hectic, up or down, good or bad. But the gift of right this minute is something I can't overlook. Enjoying the moments as I inhabit them.

Aside from all of that, I'm also really thankful for the increasing time I've had for myself lately.

Charlie has had some really solid naps and I've been able to work on de-cluttering the house, and getting myself, and my home and my mind organized. I'm not there completely, but it's nice to see some semblance of a path. For example, I've gotten rid of some clothes that I'll never wear. I've thrown out some things I'll never use, never need, and never look at. And of course there's tons of donation bags to be dropped off. It feels good. Guess it's autumn cleaning.

Arts and crafts have been such catharsis lately too. I've been painting (almost done with a friends commissions that have taken FOREVER!), sewing, making cards, autumn wreaths and making bracelets. My whole life any time I've been able to be creative my life has become a little better. My goals are to set up an etsy shop with the letter panels I've painted, headbands I've embroidered, and paintings.

Now before I conclude this post, I have to say that it's imperative that everyone engage in some kind of indulgent behavior. Be it a deep dark chewy-gooey brownie, or a cheeseburger, or a new pair of boots. Everyone should treat themselves to something. TREAT YOURSELF.

Ok. So I indulge in lethargy and bad TV. Food, well let's say I've been there, done that. I don't associate guilt with food. If I want to eat it I do. But time to do nothing? Ahh...love it. Mindless television with vapid and pointless dialog? Mmmm.

The reason why this is such a treat is I spend a lot of time over thinking, and analyzing, and concerning myself with the problems of this world. Politics, Food, the economy. Shit is on my mind. So when I watch this gar-baaahge- well it all just goes away while I enjoy my brain candy. Not bad I suppose.

I think that associating guilt with indulgence isn't ideal. There is always a happy medium - and like I said, treat yourself.

Movimg forward I hope to be a more consistent blogger- sharing ideas, and projects. And I hope people will still follow along as I battle boredom, the quest to figure out what to do when I grow up, my artistic and culinary endeavors and everything else that crosses my mind.