Home at Last Farm...: It's Ash Wednesday

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

It's Ash Wednesday

We have to go to a school concert tonight, so we were up early and at Mass at 6:45 to celebrate Ash Wednesday as the beginning of Lent (the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday).

As I understand it, the custom of having the ashes put on the forhead comes from the ancient custom of the wearing of sackcloth and ashes as an outward sign of repentance. It is also customary in our church to "give up something for Lent" so that everytime you reach for that piece of chocolate or video game controller or whatever...you remember Jesus's sacrifice for us.

I like both these customs. I like that they remind me how blessed I am and how much my God loves me!

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mac and cheese

Ingredients
Butter, for greasing dish
12 ounces wide egg noodles
2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (packed) grated Fontina
3/4 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan
3/4 cup (packed) grated mozzarella
4 ounces cooked ham, diced, optional
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Butter a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well, but do not rinse.

Whisk the cream, milk, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup Fontina, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, ham, if using, and parsley. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Toss the remaining 1 cup Fontina, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup mozzarella in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the noodle mixture. Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.