Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

I've got an easy and yummy recipe for you! This Croc Pot Mac and Cheese is perfect for those busy weeknights when you just need something hearty and warm to eat. It's one of my favorite things to make as a side dish or a main course. I can put this in my Crock Pot right before afternoon dance classes and it will be creamy and ready by the time I get home. And it's delicious!

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Recipe for 2.5 quart Crock Pot (you can double or triple this for larger Crock Pots)

Ingredients:
4 cups milk
2 cups water
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups Colby and Monterey Jack cheese
16 oz. Rotini noodles (I prefer these because they cook best in the slow cooker, but you can use macaroni or any other type of noodles.)

In Crock Pot, combine all ingredients except noodles. Whisk together until frothy. Add noodles. Mix until noodles are completely covered. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook on Low for 5-6 hrs or High for 3-4 hrs.
After it's cooked, I like to add more cheese to the top to melt just before serving.

I attempted and tweeked this recipe many times until I finally got it to the right taste and texture. Now I guess I can consider this my own recipe! Hope you enjoy!

The "F's" of Fall

Fall is finally HERE!!! Like most people, I LOVE fall and everything that it brings. The cool weather, the changing leaves, the aroma of pumpkin spice and much more! I want to share with you some of my favorite things about fall and it just so happens that they all start with the letter "F"! So here are my "F's" of fall to get you excited for this great time of year!

FOOTBALL

 

Honestly, I  go to football games to see the halftime show... That's just the dancer in me... But, I definitely still enjoy football! It has become a big part of my life and one of my favorite things about fall. I have 3 brothers playing on football teams so I attend their games and get to hear all about their experiences as growing athletes. My husband is very passionate about football and he is a coach at the local high school so I get to go to all of the high school football games. Go Templars! Plus my sister is on the drill team so I can enjoy the halftime show too! So now when fall rolls around, I have Friday nights at the football field to look forward to.

FASHION

Sweaters, leggings, plaid, boots, scarves, hoodies... I could go on and on about fall fashion! I love it! In my opinion, it should be fall all the time just so I can always wear my favorite clothes! Keep an eye out for some fall fashion tips coming soon from a surprise source!

FOOD

Probably my absolute favorite thing about fall is eating a nice hot bowl of soup and a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cool fall night. My mom is a wonderful cook and she always knew just what to make for those cool fall nights. She taught me everything I know and I can't wait to start cooking! Stay tuned for lots of tasty recipes for this upcoming fall weather.

FUN!

Finally, on my list is fall fun! What could be more fun than a four-wheeler ride in the mountains, through the trees covered in beautifully colored leaves? This has to be at the top of my fall fun list. I love seeing all the colors of the changing leaves as the trees prepare for the cold winter. If you haven't ever been in the mountains during fall, definitely put it on your bucket list!

Well there you have it! My "F's" of fall! What are some of your favorite things about fall? I would love to know!
Can't wait for the upcoming fall days!

Hannah Montana Who?... I'm not that old am I?

Well, here's my first blog post! I'm brand new at this so bear with me, but I hope this post will be somewhat entertaining for those of you who are getting older, but are still young at heart.
This first post is dedicated to growing up and growing old. Now I don't consider myself to be that old, really I'm still just a kid, but recently I realized that I am definitely getting older, and it's happening fast! I have experiences all the time that make me realize how fast life happens and how fast you really do grow up! I had an experience like this recently in one of the dance classes I teach.

This particular class was for 4th grade girls, 8-9 year olds. I was searching for music to play for the girls to go across the floor (this means do technique or dance steps while moving across the floor). In my search, I came across a song by my tween self's favorite artist, Hannah Montana. After the small internal excitement died down, I played the song and the other dance assistant and I started singing along. I cranked up the volume and we were jamming out when I noticed the confused looks on the girl's faces.  So I asked them, "Do you know who sings this song?" headshakes and many "No's" ensued... Then, it hit me... These girls are too young to even remember Hannah Montana!.. Wow... I'm not that old am I?? Then I realized, though it seemed like not that long ago, I went to a Hannah Montana concert when I was 12 years old... that was just over 8 years ago... So most of these girls weren't even born yet!!!... Well, I guess I really am that old!...

Now I could go off talking about how great Hannah Montana was and then Miley Cyrus kind of fell apart and now she's just weird, but I won't. I'm just going to hold on to my memories of a young pop star with great music and good morals for teen girls.

This small experience was a good moment for me to realize how fast time goes by. But getting older doesn't mean forgetting things you enjoy! In fact it's those things that keep you young! Getting old is inevitable, but by holding on to young passions like Disney and Hannah Montana, it will keep you young forever.