Pepper Confetti Macaroni and Cheese

This weekend Trevor (my husband) and I visited with my sister Ashley and her husband Shawn at their place. They have a darling 12 week old daughter Lucy, and I always look forward to spending time with them. Lucy and I have a special bond that only Aunties can have with their nieces and nephews. Ashley started calling me the baby whisperer because at times when Lucy is desperately fighting sleep and she's worked up I can often cuddle with her for a little while, get her to sleep, and put her in her bed without waking her. It's flattering to think it's a special touch that I may have, but in all honesty it's more likely that when I step in I'm relaxed and calm and it is soothing for her. When mommy and daddy are trying to put Lucy to sleep for the 10th time that day, and she's screaming and fighting the whole time naturally they tend to be a bit stressed and frustrated, so Lucy senses it and it makes her unhappy. It's quite the vicious cycle.

My darling niece Lucy, 12 weeks old

Regardless of the real reason she sleeps well for me, it's very special time, and I soak it up with every fibre of my being. I truly enjoy the opportunities I have to spend with Lucy. I treasure the time together even more knowing that my other sister Bailey is all the way across the country with her little newborn girl Lily, who I haven't gotten to meet yet, and I know Bailey would give anything to have us nearby for the same quality time.

Shawn had to work a 12 hour shift on Saturday, so he was not home until 7PM and Ashley was busy with her usual routines looking after Lucy. Trevor and I offered to come for a visit and bring dinner with us. I was feeling motivated to cook something special and I knew it would take a load off her to not have to worry about food.

Earlier this week I randomly remembered a favourite menu item that I hadn't made in a while and knew it would be the perfect make-ahead item to bring along for dinner.

Pepper Confetti Macaroni and Cheese

This is a recipe I found in Steven Raichlen's "Big Flavour Cookbook." I picked up this book a number of years ago on a clearance table in a bookstore. This book features made-over versions of many popular worldwide dishes, created by the author with healthier ingredients. Raichlen's take on the classic comfort food 'Mac & Cheese' is divine, and truly unlike anything else I have tasted. He dropped a large portion of the fat and calories by swapping the typical wheelbarrow load of cheese for tri-colour bell peppers, and feta to bring on some major flavour. Adding garlic, dijon mustard, fresh dill, and nutmeg create a highly seasoned dish that leaves you asking for seconds, and not once missing the gooey cheese of the traditional version.

It takes a bit of time to prep the veggies and make the sauce before baking in the oven, but it's well worth the wait in my opinion! When I have made this in the past I divided one batch into 2 casserole dishes and put one in the freezer to cook at a later date. For the two of us, one batch makes enough for 2 whole meals plus leftovers and it freezes really well (freeze before the baking step).

Pepper Confetti Macaroni and Cheese

Prep time: 1 hour; Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

• 8 oz. macaroni
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 2 yellow bell peppers, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups skim milk
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese (or other strong flavoured cheese)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 1 tbsp dried)
• 1 tbsp Dijon-style mustard
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• dash cayenne pepper and nutmeg
• cooking spray oil
• 1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs

1. Bring 4 quarts of lightly salted water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Cook the macaroni until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the macaroni in a colander, rinse with cold water to cool, and drain well. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, preferably nonstick. Add the onion, garlic, and peppers and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are soft and aromatic, but not brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the milk and bring to a boil, stirring steadily. Simmer the sauce until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the cheese, dill, mustard, as well as salt, pepper, cayenne and nutmeg to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned.
3. Stir the macaroni into the sauce. Spoon the mixture into an attractive 8x12 inch baking dish lightly sprayed with oil. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs. Bake the macaroni and cheese until bubbling, crusty and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

Serves 6.

Nutrition Facts:

408 calories per serving; 18 grams protein; 13 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 55 grams carbohydrates; 665 mg sodium; 40 mg cholesterol

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A New Beginning

January truly is a traditional time of reflection. As I look back on the last year of my life it's hard to believe the positive changes that have come about.

To someone looking in from the outside it would appear not much has really changed, and I suppose in the traditional sense the big things haven't, especially compared to my siblings. My baby sister got married and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl this past year. My other sister also gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, as well as completed a large chunk of the planned renovations on her fixer-upper home. Both of them experienced obvious life changing events this year. My changes, while not so outwardly obvious, have to me been just as life changing.

I always considered myself to be a very creative person. Anybody who knows me would agree. I could truly do anything artistic that I put my mind to. The problem lied in the fact that throughout my life I rarely put my mind to anything. Don't get me wrong—I’ve definitely had momentary streaks of inspiration over the years and created some things that I'm proud of. But, I’ve also had lots of great ideas, and ultimately lacked the motivation or drive to pursue them, citing that I didn't have the money, or I was too busy to take the time to work on a new project. I would get really down on myself at times because I couldn’t seem to tear my sorry butt off the couch to work on something that I really wanted to do. I guess you could say I was stuck in a rut.

It all changed for me when I was asked by my brother-in-law’s lovely fiancé to assist her with designing invitations for their wedding. My graphic design diploma and crafting skills had been put to the test before assisting with wedding invitations for a couple of family members as well as my own wedding, but it had been couple of years. I was delighted to help, and very excited to get my creative juices flowing again. I hadn't worked full time as a designer since 2005, and although my subsequent jobs have made use of my graphics skills at times, I really was itching for a way to get back to it on a more regular basis, if for no other reason than to keep my technical skills sharp.

brother and sister-in-law's wedding stationery collection

The brother-in-law’s wedding went off without a hitch and it was a beautiful weekend all around. Upon arrival at the church every guest received a program I had created to perfectly coordinate with the custom invitations they received a few months prior. At the reception guests were greeted by a custom seating chart and the tables were decorated with table numbers, place cards, menu's and favour cards that completed the look. Seeing it all come together was so rewarding. The Bride and Groom were thrilled with everything, and their wedding decorator liked everything so much that she asked if she could recommend my services to some other clients that she was working with.

I had pulled it off! I had so much fun working with the decorator and the bride to get everything coordinated. I assisted with 2 more weddings that fall for other clients of the wedding decorator. After doing some market research I learned that there weren't many local graphic designers focusing specifically on weddings, and there appeared to be a lot of demand. The largest player in the industry locally is a premium offering and their prices are higher than many people are willing or able to spend. This definitely appeared to be a niche I could dive into.

wedding table decor - favour cards

In October 2012 I officially launched my business. I thought up a name, designed a logo, registered my business, opened a bank account, and all the other little start-up activities one completes when they open a business. It was all suddenly becoming very real—I was officially a sole proprietor!

Since October 2012 I have serviced over 15 clients, both in the wedding industry and also some freelance design for small businesses. My client list is growing almost weekly as wedding season 2014 gets closer and people are looking for their wedding vendors.

It's All About Balance

Working full time at a day job and running a business in one’s “spare time” can be a daunting task. It certainly requires a lot of motivation—more than I ever believed I was capable of mustering—yet the joy my business brings me makes it possible to push past the fear, the tiredness (at times), and the busy schedule, and leaves me willing to give up most of what used to be downtime (or should I say “butt glued to the couch time!”).

The new & improved, happier, motivated me!

I’ve finally found a viable way to pursue my goals of getting back to the graphic design world, to build a different kind of future for myself (and my family), and I’ve found a new kind of passion, motivation and confidence within myself.

I live in the same house. I’m happily married to the same man. I have the same pets. I drive the same car. I work the same day job. Nevertheless, I truly feel that 2013 was my biggest year of change yet. I changed ME, and that’s the biggest change of all.

So here’s to 2014 being another record year. Onwards and upwards!

I have some big ideas for this blog and I hope you’ll stay tuned J

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