Watermelon Salsa

Watermelon Salsa --definitely worth sharing!

Ingredients:
1/2 chopped watermelon
1 bunch Cilantro
1/2 Red and 1/2 Yellow Onions
Jalapeno
3 fresh limes *MUST be fresh limes

SO easy and quick, it's amazing how delicious this is!

Chop or cube 1/2 a watermelon and squeeze 3 fresh limes (don't use store bought lime juice, it won't be the same, promise!)
Knead the watermelon and lime juice together (this melds the flavors together)
Then add chopped cilantro, red and yellow onions (chopped about 1/2 of each onion) and 1 fresh jalapeño (more or less depending on how much heat you want). 
I brought it to share with a group of people and used 1/2 jalapeno. It was just enough kick for the wimps in the group. The watermelon does a nice job of toning down the heat of the jalapeno. I LOVE some heat so if I make it for myself, I will use the entire jalapeno.

Yep that easy and just like the farmers market. Serve with tortilla chips and watch it disappear. So unbelieveably refreshing!

Macaroni & Cheese with a KICK!

I was on the hunt for a new macaroni and cheese recipe for my family's Christmas lunch. Everyone always talks about everything they try from the Pioneer Woman is nothing short of amazing so when I saw that she started it off with a roux, I knew she was talking to me. Look at this deliciousness!
I didn't take step by step pictures because let's face it, I couldn't have outdone the pictures she posted on her site.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients
■4 cups Dried Macaroni
■1 whole Egg Beaten
■¼ cups (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
■¼ cups All-purpose Flour
■2-½ cups Whole Milk
■2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
■1 pound Cheese, Grated (I used pepper jack and sharp cheddar)
■½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
■½ teaspoons Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
■½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
■Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme
Preparation Instructions
Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

My notes: The dry mustard is what gave it the KICK which I loved but I felt it was a little too strong. She suggested using even more dry mustard but next time I would definitely not doing "heaping" teaspoons. I would probably say 1 1/2 tsp is sufficient.

This is what was left after my extended family had their way with it:

Success!!!
Source: Recipe with step by step instructions and beautiful pictures