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07/24/2005 Archived Entry: "I like food and freedom."

I like food.
Raving reporter Thunder here again. Just like most living creatures, I'm partial to being able to keep on living and food is rather essential to that end. We humans have the unique ability to be able to take from the enormous bounty of this earth and combine those various edible treasures in a limitless number of combinations, most of which are adored and savored by us. We enjoy our meals. They aren't merely a means of survival like they are for animals.

Freedom is also something I treasure and adore, as do you. It's not something to be taken for granted. Like food, if you take freedom for granted, you may find yourself starving for it.

If you don't take steps to ensure your rights today, you may find yourself without tomorrow. If you don't plant those crops today, you may find your garden (and stomach) barren tomorrow. As we all know, it's much easier to take the steps needed now than to wait until its too late to prepare. It then becomes a survival situation and a fight of desperation.

Ok, now you're wondering why I'm combining food and freedom again. Well, I thought I'd do something a bit different. I came up with the idea of providing you with the favorite recipes of well known freedom lovers. So, here it is. The first in (hopefully) a long list of recipes from freedom-lovers across the country.

It is my distinct pleasure to present to you:

Sunni Maravillosa's Macaroni and Cheese

Use the best-quality cheese you can for this recipe; it makes a difference in both texture and taste. Buy it as a block and shred it yourself for best flavor. Sharper cheeses also work better for a rich, cheesy taste.

1/4 C. butter
1/4 C. flour
2 C. warm milk
dash pepper
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce (or more, to taste)
1/2 C. heavy cream
12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded coarsely
4-8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded coarsely
3 C. macaroni

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish and set aside.

Cook macaroni in salted water just until done (it will be baked, and will get too mushy if overcooked). Drain well and set aside.

In a heavy saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add flour; stir with wooden spoon and cook for about 3 minutes, or until frothy and taste of raw flour is gone. Gradually stir in warm milk, stirring constantly. Turn heat up to medium; stir frequently until the sauce begins to boil. Reduce heat slightly and allow sauce to simmer a few minutes.

Add pepper and Tabasco sauce. Stir in cream; simmer until flavors are blended. Add cheese to sauce and stir until melted and thoroughly combined. Check sauce and add salt to taste, if desired.

Stir cooked macaroni into cheese sauce; pour into prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle dish with additional 4-8 oz. shredded cheese. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden.

To prepare ahead for baking later: After pouring into casserole dish, cover loosely and refrigerate. While oven is preheating, top with cheese. Bake about 45 minutes.

Wheat-free version: Use about 1/4 C. potato (recommended) or rice flour instead of wheat flour in the sauce; it will require more stirring while it simmers. Substitute favorite wheat-free product for macaroni noodles (Sunni and her family are partial to Ener-G rice pasta).

Enjoy! And remember to plant those seeds now, both of the freedom and the culinary kinds!

Posted by Thunder @ 10:38 AM CST
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