Rainbow Pasta

Yesterday was the first official day of spring.  It was overcast and wet all day.  Kind of ironic, since we live in the perpetually sunny state of Arizona.  Today the sun is out, and I'm feeling the need to add some more color to our days.  I've enjoyed the rain, now it's time for some rainbows.

My cousin's creative wife shared a fun idea on her blog for rainbow mac and cheese.

We colored the pasta this morning with vinegar and food coloring.  Mr. Two loved stirring the food coloring into the vinegar and watching it change, then squishing up the noodle filled bag to color them.  This was a fun mini lesson on color mixing for him.

This evening, we turned our rainbow noodles into dinner.  I used a slightly different recipe for the sauce.  This is from my sister in law Carla.  We jokingly have referred to it as "Auntie Carla's Yucky Macaroni and Cheese" because Mr. One didn't especially like it the first time we tried it.  Rest assured, it is not yucky in the least, and the rest of us think it is delicious.

Auntie Carla's Not-Yucky Macaroni and Cheese

Cook 2 1/2 cups noodles.  Add a dash of salt to water and boil 8 to 10 minutes (or just a minute or two shy of the directions on the box).

Shred desired amount of cheese (I used about 5 oz of cheddar jack cheese).

Melt 2 Tablespoons margarine (I used butter) on medium high heat.

Add 2 Tablespoons flour and mix.

Add 2 cups milk and whisk until smooth and thick.

Turn off heat and add

1 teaspoon salt

1 big shake of Worchestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard (I skipped this)

dash of pepper

Mix noodles in sauce, pour into casserole dish and top with cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes (until cheese is melted and starting to bubble).  

Yum!  Have fun eating a rainbow!

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