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!