When Hobbies Turn Into Jobs

It seems to happen to me constantly. I have something I enjoy doing. It’s just something I do during my free time. I’m enjoying doing it. Then I begin to wonder: “Can I make money doing this?” Before you can say “Business Opportunity”, I’m mentally mapping out how my business would run. I’m calculating costs and projecting profits. In short, I’ve turned my hobby into a job – even if only in my mind. Of course, eventually, reality comes crashing in.

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Aloha Friday: Favorite Holiday Meals

The holiday season is a time to celebrate, get together with friends and family, and eat some wonderful comfort food.  Chanukah just isn’t Chanukah to me without eating latkes (even if they are store-bought frozen).  I’d like to get a jelly donut tradition included in there too.  😉

Different people have different traditions, so my Aloha Friday question is: What foods do you like eating during the holiday season?  What foods do you like making during the holiday season?


Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the MckLinky there if you are participating.

Aloha Friday by Kailani at An Island Life

Aloha #18

Cooking With TechyDad: Sneaky Macaroni and Cheese Muffins

JSL loves macaroni and cheese. If we let him, he’d eat “Mac Cheeze” for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Of course, if we let him live off of boxed macaroni and cheese, he wouldn’t be getting vital nutrients. He’s going to keep wanting macaroni and cheese, so we’ve got to somehow find a way to make it healthier. Mixing in chunks of broccoli doesn’t work. He finds those and freaks out. So what do we do? Luckily, Missy Lapine, also known as The Sneaky Chef, has an answer.

This is a very simple recipe. It only has four ingredients: Eggs, Orange Puree, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, and Macaroni.

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First cook the macaroni. After all, you don’t want Crunchy Macaroni and Cheese. While that’s going on, crack 4 eggs and mix them into 1 cup of puree.

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Now, mix in 1 cup of the macaroni and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. (NOTE: Just before this point, we decided to make a double batch. Thus the sudden increase in the egg/puree level and the massive amount of muffins later on.)

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Take this mixture and portion it out into muffin cups. Top with some more cheddar cheese if you like. (We did ours without and they came out just fine.)

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Bake for 20-22 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

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When they come out, eat.

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NHL liked these. JSL was tired at the time and so cranky in general. I think the muffin shape threw him. He’s used to macaroni and cheese being slopped out onto a plate. Having it in a hand held shape was just too confusing. B and I loved these and ate…. well, we probably ate more than we should have. This recipe will *definitely* be made again and again.

As a bonus, the macaroni and cheese muffins can be frozen for long term storage. Honestly, though, I don’t think they’ll really last too long. They’re too delicious. In addition, I can personally attest to the fact that they taste good cold. *cough*late night snack*cough* The full recipe to this is available on Missy’s website.

Aloha Friday: Favorite Food Sneaking

All this week, I’ve been featuring recipes by Missy Lapine – aka The Sneaky Chef. We’ve snuck yams, carrots and wheat germ into bon bons, cauliflower and zucchini into eggs, and we shall soon sneak yams and carrots into macaroni and cheese.

My question for you is this: What meal would you like to sneak a little extra nutrition into for your child or another picky family member?


Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the MckLinky there if you are participating.

Aloha Friday by Kailani at An Island Life

Aloha #13

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