The World Is Not Your Personal Trash Can! Clean Your Shit Up!

It really just chaps my ass when I see people litter.  It doesn't matter if it is out of a car window, on a street sidewalk or even in there own yard.  Now, I understand that "their" yard is "their" yard but come on people, really?

We have some neighbors that are, well, pigs.  I have never been in their home but my son has and says that it is absolutely dreadful.  I don't know the family dynamics in the home nor do I want to.  There is a boy there that is the same age as my son and they hang out together.  Here, not there.  When he is here he is polite, respectful, and "clean".  There are two other children in the home, one younger and one older, and I know who the culprit is.  The young girl is left to her own devices for much of the time and it is not odd to see her roaming the neighborhood.  I see her "throwing" stuff and thinks nothing of it to leave it and walk away.

On trash day?  OMG - how a family can generate that much trash is beyond me.  Their full size trash can AND recycle bin is overflowing EVERY week.  The past week they had trash laying all around the trash can, not in it and not in trash bags, and there it stayed for over a week.  N A S T Y!

I walked out this afternoon and was greeted with this.  I didn't go over to investigate what it was but I can see that it is a child's play table, there is a insulated cooler out there and what appears to be orange peels (like a TON of orange peels) strewn all over the street.  Like, in the MIDDLE of the street - You have to swerve to miss any of it.  And, no, it wasn't an animal that got into the trash and did it.  It's also funny to me that these people generate SO much trash yet their trash can is still at the curb - um, trash was picked up on Friday and today is Monday.    

There is more "stuff" hidden behind the trash can.  There is a HOA here and "normally" I am not a huge fan of them.  In this case though, if it means that someone is going to tell these people to clean their shit up then I think I will be making a phone call.  This is disgusting and just has to stop.

Why is it that some people feel the world is their trash can and just do what they want?  I understand that when it's YOUR property you feel as though you can do what you want.  However, when it comes to public space please be respectful and clean your shit up!

  

No, Dipshit, The Biscuit Fairy Came!

If you are on Pinterest then you have most certainly seen the latest viral pin for biscuits made with ONLY 4 ingredients.  I think just about everyone has repinned it.  I have been on a mission to do as many pins as I can whether they be food, drink, crafts, whatever - so, when I saw this one over and over and over I just had to try it.

I woke up before everyone else, got the coffee going and started getting these buttery babies ready.  Honestly?  I think it took the oven longer to preheat than it did to actually mix them up and get them ready for the oven.

First up was the 2 cups of Bisquick.  There is the "official" recipe at the end of the post.  Before that I am going to subject you to my pictures - you're here, right?  Suck it up!

Melt butter and pour into baking dish.  Cut the sour cream into the baking mix and then stir in 7Up.  Dust your counter with additional baking mix and pat your dough out into a shape that resembles the bottom of your pan.  Um,  last time I checked 9x9 is pretty much a square so you get the idea.  

  

After you get the dough patted out into a square cut the dough.  For us, it was 9 biscuits.  Place the biscuits into your pan with the melted butter on the bottom and pop those beauties in the oven!  While the biscuits are baking grab another cup of coffee and get your jams and jellies out.  

 For real, this is how they turned out!  I totally scoffed at the recipe when I saw it but I have to admit that they turned out beautifully!

 About this time Mr. Funly comes rolling into the kitchen and asks, "Did you make those?"  No dipshit, the biscuit fairy came in!  He has tried for YEARS to make the perfect biscuit.  He has tried NUMEROUS recipes and they all come close but they just aren't "his" perfect biscuit.  He tried these and thought they were really good.  I ALMOST didn't have the heart to tell them how easy they were.

So, this pin was definitely a win!  Here is the recipe the way I made them.  It does "slightly" vary from the original floating around.  Enjoy!!!

Sour Cream 7Up Biscuits

• 2 c baking mix like Bisquick (and some extra)
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1/2 c 7Up
• 1/4 c melted butter (and some extra)

Preheat oven to 450.

Melt 1/4 c butter and pour into the bottom of a 9x9 pan. 

Cut the sour cream into the baking mix and then mix in the 7Up.  Dough will be slightly sticky.  Dust your cutting board or counter with a little of the extra baking mix and place your dough on it.  Pat your dough into the shape of the size of your pan.  Be sure you pat it out evenly so the biscuits all cook evenly.

Once you have your dough patted out cut it into squares.  For our 9x9 that turned out to be 9 squares.  Place the biscuits into the melted butter in your pan.

The original recipe says to bake for 12-15 mins.  For me, that just didn't work.  I DID bake for 12 minutes and then I brushed the tops with about 2 tablespoons of extra butter and back into the oven they went.  Total bake time for me was 22 minutes.

Seriously, these are THAT easy and they are THAT good!!!!!  

Pâtes avec Sauce aux Quatre Fromages - In Other Words.....

For the life of me I don't understand the mac and cheese in a box.  YUCK!  That stuff is just flat out nasty!  Now, does punk kid get those microwaveable cups of it from time to time.  Yes, I am not that much of a mean mom.  But, when it comes to family dinner there is no way on this planet that processed, gross orange goo will make an appearance at our table.

For YEARS I searched and experimented to find the "one" mac and cheese that the family would go crazy over and find it, I did!  This recipe is a mix match from so many experiments and is really quite versatile.  We mix it up a lot but the basic stays the same.

Some important notes to remember for this one are:

Grate your own cheese!  I think most of the "hosts" on food shows (not real chefs, IMO) are always saying, "Take a little help from the store where you can get it." as in, buy pre-shredded cheese.  I don't know what it is but I just would rather grate my own.

My personal suggestion and preference is to use a ridged pasta.  The ridges help hold onto the cheese sauce.  Tonight we had Jumbo Ridged Elbows.  If I don't use ridged pasta my next absolute favorite is Ditalini!  The sauce really works into the Ditalini and well, it's just cute!  It even sounds cute!!

Practice patience and use a WHISK!  I am surprised the number of people that don't use whisks.  Really?  This sauce starts out with a roux and you need the whisk to be sure it is all mixed evenly and you need the patience because you need to whisk for about 7 minutes. 

Be sure to spray your casserole with non stick cooking spray or you will have one hell of a touch time getting your mac and cheese out of the dish.  Baking time on this varies depending on how "brown" you want your top.

Baked Four Cheese Pasta

• 1 c milk
• 1 c half and half or heavy cream 
• 1/4 salted butter
• 1/4 AP flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
• 1/2 ground mustard
• 2 tbs worchestershire sauce
• 8 oz (before cooking) pasta such as ridged ziti, ridged elbow or ditalini
• 2-3 c shredded cheese.  Some great suggestions are:
• extra sharp cheddar
• white cheddar
• asiago
• muenster

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook your pasta in SALTED water according to package directions. 

While the pasta is cooking melt butter in saucepan, add in the flour and other dry ingredients.  WHISK this mixture for at least 2 minutes.  The reason for continually whisking and cooking after it is all incorporated is this process removes the "flour" taste.  By the way, congrats - you just made a roux!!!!

After 2 minutes SLOWLY pour in your milk/cream/half and half whisking the entire time to be sure that your roux and liquid is well blended.  Once combined you will need to continually whisk for another 6-7 minutes over medium high heat.  For my stove that is a setting of about 7.  Your mixture will start to thicken and you want a LOW bubbling.

Once you white sauce has thickened start adding in your shredded cheese whisking after each addition.  Add the drained pasta and mix well being sure to coat ALL of the pasta and letting it soak into the holes and ridges.  

Pour mixture into your prepared casserole dish and bake in preheated 350 oven for a minimum of 30 minutes.  I usually bake mine about 45 minutes since we like our top a little more browned.

That's is, guys!  The most delicious mac and cheese on the planet!  At least for this family.  I am sure that some of you may try and skinny this up - if you do and it turns out well let me know.  I'll never make skinny bitch mac and cheese but I'll certainly high five you for your effort.  ;)    

   

Love ya, mean it, please leave me a comment!  I LOVE comments!!!

PS - the title of this post was my attempt at French just to piss my BFF off!  Love ya, Z!