BJ--thank you for those updates. I have to admit I've felt a little blue ever since reading them, though. I'm sorry to have not been here when happyto lost her husband. I remember that he was struggling with his health. And yes, "yummers." I remember your airplanes, too, and Michelle and I had once exchanged Christmas cards before losing touch. I still remember what her family looked like. I hope everything worked out OK for them. Time really flies. I know your heart is breaking over Baby V. I have a good friend who fostered a baby from the time he was just a couple of weeks old until he was 16 months. She was single, so we (her girlfriends) all pitched in and he was almost as much a part of our family as one could ever imagine. She thought she was on a track to adopt him, but in the very week that the parental rights were to be officially terminated (after which my friend could begin the adoption process formally), his grandmother from 800 miles away applied to foster him. (Not adopt him.) I couldn't believe she would leave him in foster care that long and then just pop in at the last possible moment. My friend tried to make an appeal through the court system at the parents' termination hearing, but she was told foster parents don't have any rights in the relationship. She had to just sit silently, and then hand him over at the end. She was the only mom he had known at that point, and it was devastating for all of us. It could only get harder the more time you have with him, I imagine. But knowing he would be going to a loving home where he would be a priority helps so much. Not the same when he's obviously someone's afterthought. That hurts.

My search is over.... I have found the PERFECT Macaroni and Cheese recipe. I know there have been dozens posted here over the years and they are all good - but IMO were not "perfect". This one hits the proverbial nail on the head...... Alexa ***************************************************** Macaroni Cheese from Martha Stewart Serves 12 6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces (I used Panko) 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish 5 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar 2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano (I added a bit of pepper jack because I had some to use up) 1 pound elbow macaroni 1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. 2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. 3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside. 4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce. 5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve. Read more at Marthastewart.com: Perfect Macaroni and Cheese - Martha Stewart Recipes

Red Velvet Devil's Cake SECRET INGREDIENT: tomato juice Think of this as a red velvet cake crossed with a rich devils food cake. The secret to the cakes moist crumb is nothing other than tomato juice. The acidity of the tomato balances the deep flavor of the chocolate. Quick look prep 25 min cook 22 min serves 12 Ingredients CAKE 1 1/2 cups cake flour 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon red food coloring 1 cup tomato juice FROSTING3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups confectioners sugar How to make it 47 minutes Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat two round 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray then lightly dust with some flour. For cake, sift together, twice, the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at time, scraping down the bowl in between. Beat in the vanilla and food coloring until well-combined. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture and the tomato juice in three alternating additions until well-combined. Divide the batter between the two baking pans. Bake on the center rack of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the wire rack and cool completely, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, for frosting, combine the butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl. With an electric mixer, beat on high speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the vanilla and the confectioners sugar until smooth. To assemble, place one cake layer, flat side up, on a platter. Spread 1 cup of the frosting over the top of the cake. Top with the second cake layer, flat side down. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Cut into 12 wedges and serve. Save time This easy cake can be made up to 2 days before serving if wrapped with plastic and stored in the refrigerator. To keep the frosting from sticking, use a few toothpicks inserted into the top and sides of the cake to keep the plastic wrap away from the cake. Let the cake stand for 1 hour to come to room temperature before serving. Sue

For the soup, after looking at the other courses so far, I was tempted to go with something French Oniony. Or maybe a dark mushroom broth. But then I decided that would be too much beef at one meal LOL. Many steakhouses around here serve awesome broccoli cheese soup. But truthfully, after a bite or two of the very thick stuff, I kind of wish it was thinner and less rich. I have come up with a "chowder" that has the thinner consistency I like, and can include any vegetables you want. Frozen or fresh broccoli, frozen veggie mixes, leftovers from another meal. This is a chunky chowder, and it is not pureed. Both for the texture, and also for the colour. I want a milky white base with veggies, not a green slurry. I have used anything from handfuls of baby spinach leaves, to the ubiquitous "frozen cubed veggie mix". This time I used 1 1/2 cups of a fancier frozen mix that had snap peas, leaf spinach, garlic scapes, broccoli, red and yellow peppers, and asparagus - and a 1/2 cup of frozen corn. The results were spectacular! Vegeable Chowder 1 tsp butter 1 tsp olive oil 1/2 small onion, chopped fine 1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped 1-2 tbsp flour (if you like it thicker, go for the higher amount) 2 cups good chicken stock 2 cups frozen, fresh, or leftover veggies 1/2 cup evaporated milk Salt and pepper to taste Melt the butter with the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion, and saute until transparent. Add the garlic and stir, just until fragrant. The garlic can brown a bit but not too dark or it will be too sweet or worse - bitter. Add the flour, and stir to combine. Heat for about a minute to make a roux, but don't brown it. Whisk in 2 cups chicken stock. Add the frozen veggies and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the veggies are cooked/heated through and tender. This will be longer for fresh veggies, and the least for the cooked leftovers. My veggie mix simmered for five minutes and was perfect. Add evaporated milk, and simmer lightly until the chowder is hot. Stir gently to keep from breaking up any spinach(if you used it) to keep the broth as light as possible. Unless you don't mind it green ;). Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes about four 1 cup servings Like all chowders I think this tastes best after it as cooled slightly but is still on the hot side of warm. For a cheesy chowder, add a handful of finely grated cheese to each bowl. You can also garnish with sliced green onions, crumbled cooked bacon, or oyster crackers. Note that in the link, the bowl is really too large and you would only get about two servings if you did it that way. This looks better in a dark bowl or crock, if you are serving it to company. And since I already had that huge bowl ladelled out, I ate it. You know, so it wasn't wasted - tee hee! Here is a link that might be useful: