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Three Cheesy Side Dishes

My kids aren’t too picky when it comes to food, but if there is one way to guarantee that they’ll eat a dish it’s to put cheese on top! This pregnant mama and her cravings don’t mind it either.

Here are a few cheesy dishes that will add a touch of comfort food to any plate!

Carroty Mac and Cheese

If your family likes macaroni and cheese then give this sneaky recipe a try!

(photo by: Color photography by Andrew Scrivani)

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat macaroni
2 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrot (about 8 small)
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400° F and grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven.

Cook macaroni according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water; add carrot 3 minutes before pasta is finished cooking; drain well.

While pasta is hot, stir in all but 1/2 cup of the cheddar and the butter. In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, salt, mustard powder, and pepper. Fold mixture into the pasta.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and the Parmesan over the top. Bake until the casserole is firm to the touch and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Cheesy Slow Cooker Potatoes

This is delicious with ham and makes a great potluck dish!

Ingredients:

10 oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup

8 oz. container sour cream

1-1/2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese

32 oz. pkg. frozen hash brown potatoes

Preparation:

Spray 4-6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine soup, sour cream and cheese in medium bowl and mix well. Pour half of potatoes into prepared slow cooker. Top with half of sour cream mixture. Top with rest of potatoes, then remaining sour cream mixture, spreading evenly. Cover and cook on high for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours, check at 3 hours to see if the potatoes are tender.

Broccoli Au Gratin

I love to make this and put it over a baked potato for a meal in itself, also an indulgent way to enjoy broccoli as a side dish!

Ingredients:

3 c water
2 c baby carrots, cut in half
4 c broccoli florets (very small pieces)
10 whole wheat Ritz crackers, crushed
3 T grated parmesan cheese
1 T butter, melted
4 oz. light Velveeta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 oz. light cream cheese

Preparation:

Preheat broiler. Boil water and add carrots. Simmer for 8 minutes then add broccoli and simmer another 3 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl.

Microwave Velveeta and cream cheese on high 1 minute then stir and cook another 30 seconds or until completely melted. Pour on top of veggies. Mix crackers, parmesan, and butter and sprinkle on top of the veggies and cheese and place under broiler for 2-3 minutes to brown the crumbs.

Written by Happily Domestic Contributor - Jodi Faye

Why I'm Choosing A Home Birth by Brittney Thompson

"You are constructing your own reality with the choices you make...or don't make. If you really want a healthy pregnancy and joyful birth, and you truly understand that you are the one in control, then you must examine what you have or haven't done so far to create the outcome you want." ~Kim Wildner (Mother's Intention: How Belief Shapes Birth)

Growing up I never really had any particular view of birth. I remember my dad watching shows discussing the danger of unnecessary interventions (epidural, c-section, induction) and asking my mom to have a natural birth with both of my sisters. I also remember him remembering with sadness my birth and how roughly the doctor treated my moms body and how in his rushed state he damaged my eye. My mom laughed saying something like "You don't know how painful! No way!" (though later she ended up having a natural birth because of quick labor and one botched epidural that went up instead of down). Despite wanting the epidural, my mom desired to experience something better with my sisters. She created a birth plan and was saddened when her physician told her no, it was not convenient for him to follow her plan. I guess I figured I would have my babies in the hospital and I probably assumed I would get an epidural.

Then when I was 16 I met my husband and his family. Two weeks after meeting them his mother gave birth to her 7th baby. Seems ordinary enough until I learned it was a home birth. I later learned that she was 41, had gestational diabetes and the baby was breach. Oh and this was her 4th vaginal birth after 3 csections (VBA4C). Wow! Normally that would be an automatic C-section as simply her age put her in the high risk category. However, with a skilled midwife who was carefully monitoring mom and babies health, a beautiful girl was born into her fathers hands. I remember reading a book in her car called "Ina Mays Guide To Childbirth" while waiting outside of an appointment. Those birth stories had me spell bound. I had never heard stories like that before. Women were talking about how fulfilling it was. How strong and empowered they were. They didn't even call contractions painful... They referred to them as "rushes" and "intensity". Just in that one statement, all I had ever thought about birth changed. Suddenly, it didn't seem quite so scary. Thus began my introduction to the natural birthing movement and my growing passion for empowering women in birth.

Fast forward 5 years and I was pregnant with our first child. By now I had read everything I could get my hands on. I could recite by memory the statistics surrounding hospital vs. home birth. I could tell you almost verbatim the risks listed on medications used regularly in the U.S. for 90% of births. I knew what I wanted and I was ready. Unfortunately, my husband was deploying only 14 weeks into my pregnancy. He was simply not comfortable with a home birth he wasn't sure he could attend. I ended up choosing a wonderful midwife and began preparing for a natural hospital birth. All was going well until 35 weeks when I showed up to my appointment and was told my midwife had moved to Florida. WHAT? It's ok though, we have another midwife that just started working here, they said. I remember thanking God for my second midwife. I ended up loving her even more than the first. Then at 38 weeks the news was broken that my midwifes paper work would not be done in time to deliver my baby. She didn't have "catching privileges" for a few more weeks. So.. I moved to the most natural birth friendly OB in the office. Or so I thought.