Change in Direction

I have decided that I would take my blog in a new direction, I will still keep you updated on Eric but in all reality he will never post anything so I decided I would make this blog all mine! So why mac & cheese in the title? I will tell you: I LOVE Macaroni and Cheese, I eat if for lunch at least 2 - 3 times a week! Now I am not talking about the KRAFT blue box kind which I find just disgusting but the frozen sort that you heat up in the microwave. I realize that the frozen microwave sort is not the best but I have to say it hits the spot when you only have 7 min. for lunch (spare me the microwaves give you cancer and processed foods will kill you lecture, I know!) However, what I really love/covet/dream about at night is the REAL homemade Macaroni and Cheese. You know the kind where you make the sauce out of real cheese like extra-sharp Cheddar and Gruyere and bake it in the oven with bread crumbs on top. It is by far the ultimate comfort food and I swear it taste even better the next day. My favorite REAL Macaroni and Cheese recipe is by Barefoot Contessa it is by far the best ever! Be prepared the cheese will cost more then you expect but the recipe makes a ton and trust me you will want to make the whole thing (hint: It calls for tomatoes on the top but if you hate them like I do just omit them). Hold on, my ode to mac & cheese if just about over. Lastly I have this new favorite quote from the movie Juno "...he is the cheese to my macaroni..." it is so Eric and I and considering my two favorite things are my physics boy and m&c I could not help but love it!

Sundance and Seniors

So Utah has been flooded with Hollywood stars this week with the oh so famous Sundance Film Festival. Eric and I have never been to the festival so when Salt Lake County Aging Services (my employer) was given free tickets to a film I jumped at the chance to go. Now when most people think of going to the Sundance Film Festival they have visions of hopnobing with the rich and famous. However, our Sundance experience was not quite what one would expect. Since the tickets were given to Aging Services that means that the majority of them went to the Senior Centers (which was quite fitting because the film was called Young @ Heart) so that means we saw a Sundance film with 50 some odd 60-80 year olds. The film was about the Young at Heart Chorus which is a group of seniors with the average age being about 80 that sing rock, punk, and R&B music and tour all over the world. The film was absolutely wonderful, I laughed and cried through the whole thing and if you get a chance you must see it. The best part of the whole thing was that as we walked out of the movie theatre the majority of the audience climbed back into the senior center buss to go home.

Check out these clips from the film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBeFL3qI-n8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u6k-99qcCE&feature=related

Christmas

For Christmas Eric and I went to Portland, OR to spend time with my Family. Now I am not a nervous flyer, in fact I usually get on the plane and I am asleep by take off. However, when it comes to getting to the airport on time I have major anxiety. So here is a picture of Eric annoyed with the fact that we are at the airport and to the gate 2 hours before takeoff. Oh, and he is reading the calculator manual, I sure love my physics geek!

Christmas morning at the Ryder's is much better now that we don't start till 11:00 a.m.! Though Alex and I still don't look that awake.

So, I look really scary in this picture, but that is not the point. You can't tell but it is snowing! We went all the way to Portland to get away from the snow and it followed us there.

One whole week at your parents with out a car can induce boredom. Thus we have these two self taken pictures!

Lastly, we have Alex my youngest brother (yes I know he looks older then me). He is actually very annoyed that no one will go to the store an buy him stuff to make home made raspberry ice cream.

Winter Adventures

This is Eric and I at the one Ward activity we went to this year. The activity was at This is the Place State Park and we just about froze to death. However, on the up side we did get square dance in a sense and Eric has more rhythm then I thought!

Okay, so I have to toot my own horn, I made this wreath! It is by far the most crafty thing I have ever done on in life and I am sure my mother would be proud. See Mom I am not a completely inept homemaker!

Eric, his brother, dad, and grandfather all went snowmobiling in Yellowstone this winter. I was not part of this little adventure mostly because I was scared of being cold. However, since Eric had so much fun he has decided that I have to go next winter, looks like I will be investing in some really warm long underwear.

The start of the Maughan Family Blog!

So I decided that it was time to start a blog! It was always my opinion that you did not need a blog until you had a child. However, being that this little family will not be adding a new member for at least another 5 years and one must keep up with the times, I figured that I would break down and start one anyway. Now don't get too excited to read the Maughan Family Blog, we lead very boring but busy lives and most of the things written here will be pointless ramblings but stay tuned things may get exciting eventually!

Disclaimer: I am a very bad speller! I always have been and I always will be and I am okay with this. So please be understanding as you read and remember spelling ability is no determinant of intelligence.