When the weather is cold and the days are short, most of us prefer to stay indoors. And when most of us think of cozy nights at home, we crave comfort foods. If you’re looking for a tasty macaroni and cheese recipe, you’ve come to the right place. From creamy classics to cheesy twists, these homemade mac and cheese dishes give your taste buds what they want. Find your family’s favorite and make it on the nights that call for comfort foods… like tonight!

1) Red Pepper & Velveeta Mac and Cheese
Whether you’re stressed out from deadlines at work, rowdy kids at home, the holiday season or even Tax Day, cheese is a classic comfort food. What’s more, it’s the ultimate American comfort food. This delicious macaroni and cheese recipe includes Velveeta for extra creaminess and red pepper for a nice kick.
Servings: 6

Ingredients
1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Velveeta, cut up
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) elbow macaroni, cooked, drained

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix milk and eggs in large bowl. Add butter, red pepper, Velveeta and cheddar cheese. Stir in macaroni; mix lightly.
Pour into 1-1/2-quart casserole.
Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

2) South of the Border Macaroni and Cheese
Even comfort food deserves a (small) change every now and again, and this macaroni and cheese recipe includes a few adjustments to the traditional dish. From corn and onion to cilantro and zucchini, the flavors are complex and addictive. In fact, you’re likely to forget it’s mac and cheese!
Servings: 12

Ingredients
1 pkg. (16 oz.) elbow macaroni
1 can (14.5 oz.) tomato sauce
2 cups frozen corn
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small each green and red pepper, finely chopped
1 small zucchini, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
12 American cheese singles

Directions
Heat oven to 350ºF.
Cook macaroni in large saucepan as directed on package. Meanwhile, combine tomato sauce, vegetables and cilantro. Blend evaporated milk and chipotle peppers in blender until smooth.
Drain macaroni; return to pan. Add chipotle mixture with mozzarella and 4 singles; cook and stir 5 minutes or until cheeses are completely melted. Spoon half into 13×9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with layers of half each of the vegetable mixture and remaining singles. Repeat layers of macaroni and vegetables; cover.
Bake 25 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining singles; bake, uncovered, 5 minutes or until melted.

3) Home Sweet Macaroni and Cheese
Nothing offers comfort on a cold night like mac and cheese, especially this macaroni and cheese recipe. The seasoned bread crumbs and flour provide additional bulk to keep you satisfied longer. Word to the wise: Make enough for your family to enjoy second and third helpings—they’re expected!
Servings: 6

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 Tbsp. seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups fat-free milk
1/4 lb. (4 oz.) Velveeta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked, drained

Directions
Heat oven to 350ºF. Melt butter in large saucepan on low heat. Remove half of butter; mix with bread crumbs. Set aside. Stir flour and salt into remaining butter in saucepan; cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir in milk until well blended; cook and stir until thickened. Add Velveeta and 1-1/2 cups cheddar; cook until melted, stirring frequently. Stir in macaroni.
Spoon into 1-1/2-qt. casserole; top with remaining cheddar and buttered crumbs.
Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

4) Bacon & Spinach Mac ‘n Cheese
While mac and cheese is a favorite amongst many individuals, it’s also very predictable. Why not surprise your loved ones’ taste buds by adding a touch of spinach and bacon to an ordinary macaroni and cheese recipe? The bacon enhances the flavor, and the spinach is a subtle way to sneak in a leafy green veggie for the little ones.
Servings: 6

Ingredients
3 cups medium shell macaroni, uncooked
1 pkg. (6 oz.) fresh baby spinach leaves
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Cook macaroni as directed on package, adding spinach for the last min. Cook bacon in large saucepan. Remove bacon; save drippings in pan.
Add flour to drippings; cook and stir until bubbly. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened.
Stir in 1 cup cheddar and Parmesan; cook and stir until melted. Add bacon and macaroni mixture; mix well.
Spoon into 1-1/2-qt. casserole; top with remaining cheddar. Bake 20 minutes.

5) Oldtimer’s Favorite Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese conjures up warm and fuzzy feelings, including this macaroni and cheese recipe. Melt the hearts of many—both young and old—with cheesy pasta and baked goodness. Does it make your mouth water just thinking about it? If so, take that as a sign: make this delicious dish tonight!
Servings: 6

Ingredients
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 pkg. (7 oz.) elbow macaroni (1-3/4 cups), cooked, drained

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in large saucepan on low heat. Add flour and salt; mix well. Cook 2 minutes or until bubbly. Gradually add milk, stirring until well blended. Cook on medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Add 1-1/2 cups of the cheese; cook until melted, stirring constantly. Add macaroni; mix lightly.
Spoon into 1-1/2-quart casserole; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

It is almost the end of January so you know what that means don’t you? If not I will tell you what it means, it means tax time which some enjoy and some don’t.

Usually I enjoy doing our taxes because we typically get a refund but this year I am not sure that is going to happen which I am ok with as long as we don’t have to pay. Every year there are so many unfiled tax returns which blows my mind. Ever hear the saying “there are only two things you have to do in this world, pay taxes and die”. Well, filing your taxes should be another saying because when the government hits you with penalties for not filing taxes you will wish you had. Having to hire a tax attorney is going to cost you so much more then what you might have had to pay in taxes so just do the right thing and file your taxes.

You see in the news all of the time famous and rich people who haven’t filed their taxes in years. Really people, years? They make so much money they don’t know what to do with it so what is the reason for not filing and paying taxes? Their excuse is always my accountant didn’t file them which to me is total BS. Step up like every other hard working American and pay taxes. They had no problems when they were making millions of dollars in income during the year.

So the moral of this post is FILE YOUR TAXES so that the government doesn’t come after you. Who needs that aggravation anyway? I know I don’t.

Are you looking forward to tax time? Are you expecting a refund or will you owe Uncle Sam?

Sleep overs are like a necessary evil for parents that come with having kids. They will happen so you’d better start prepping your home now rather than scrambling at the last minute.

Get some twin twin bunk beds to put in your kids rooms rather than standard beds. even if you only have one kid or if they their own individual rooms, this is a great option for increasing the sleeping space without taking up too much extra space. Using bunk beds for kids rooms will help them have a little privacy as well. You should keep checking in on them but this will clear up your living room and you won’t have to sacrifice your entire home for the entire night.

If you already have beds for your kids and don’t plan to replace them anytime soon then you should prepare your living room for invasion. Large futons are an awesome option here. Depending on the age of the kids you can pack a surprising number of them onto a large futon and, like using bunk beds for kids rooms, they offer a great sleeping space without taking up any more floor space than you would with a normal couch.

Lastly, now that you have sleeping arrangements out of the way, it’s time to kid proof your house. Your kids are probably perfectly behaved little angles but I promise that once a bunch of them get together they are like a whirlwind of destruction. Something will get broken so make sure that everything breakable and sentimental is put away in a safe place, well out of the reach of candy covered fingers before you open your doors to them. Spending time around kids gave me a great sense of respect for elementary school teachers.

We are twenty four days into 2012 and my New Year’s resolution is to pay off credit card debt. This process is going to take more than twenty four days but I feel like we are on the right track this time.

The first thing we did in 2012 to save money was stop eating out. We would eat out at least one to two times a week and over a month those trips out to restaurants added up and added up big. If I had to guess I would say we were spending $300-$400 a month eating out which was not helping us get out of debt. Even though we were eating out a ton we still needed to go food shopping on a weekly basis and spent another $100-$200 week so that is $400-$800 a month. So between grocery shopping and eating out we would spend anywhere between $700-$1,200 per month.

I am ok with the expense associated with having to go grocery shopping because my kids need something to eat but eating out isn’t going to help me pay off bills faster. With the money it costs to eat out just twice I could buy a week’s worth of groceries.

Most people eat out a couple of times a month and cutting that out is probably the easiest way to save money. We have a long way to go in order to be debt free and other than our food expense we have a few other things that we can cut out to save money but I went to the easiest thing first and eating out was it.

What do you do in order to save money in order to pay off credit card debt?

At the start of the year Melinda and decided that it was time for us to start eating right and begin working out. Melinda gets her exercise via Just Dance for Wii and I try to get to the gym three-four days a week so right now I am on the hunt for the best running shoes for men.

I have a few pairs of running shoes but when I was walking the tread mill the other day they weren’t as comfortable as I would have liked them to be. Typically I wear New Balance and to date they haven’t failed me but the problem here is that they are just old. I read that you are supposed to buy new running shoes every six months and I know for sure that they are way older than that. The other obstacle here is price. Good quality running shoes that you want to last the six months aren’t exactly cheap and if they are you are running a chance that they may not last or feel that great on your feet.

I have been looking online as well as in stores to try and get the best deal possible that I can get because I figure I will be wearing them an hour or so a day three to four times a week so I need to be 100% sure that they are comfortable.

Save some change; Eastbay coupons are always available for running shoes.

Do you wear running shoes? What brand do you wear and do you like them?

As a man I find wedding fun to a certain extent. Meaning I like the food, drinks and then desserts and cake. The one thing that I hate about weddings is looking for wedding gifts.

I feel like Melinda and I are pretty laid back and simple so finding a gift for us would be pretty easy. Something bike riding related for me and something home/kitchen related for Melinda and BAM you just got us the perfect gift.

Unfortunately not everyone is simple like Melinda and I and take a lot more planning and this is where I fall on my face because I don’t have the know-how or concept of wedding gifts. To me a toaster, mixer or even cash seem appropriate but I see people listing china, silver flat wear and this is where my head starts to spin. Thankfully Melinda is a pro at this and usually steps in and takes over. Over the years we have taken the time to go out and purchase a gift and for the last few wedding we even went online and bought a gift. Shopping online for wedding gifts is the way for me because you never need to leave the house and just about everything you can think of is out on the web which is a huge time saver.

I remember when I was the best man in my friend’s wedding he gave me a flask for being in his weeding and to be honest I thought that was an awesome give. Simple, easy and extremely functional but something that I will keep forever. Now to be honest I have only used the flask once but that is something that never gets dated and something that I will always have.

When you attend a wedding do you buy a gift or give cash? Also, do you prefer shopping for the gift online or going to the store?

With everything going on in today’s society I can understand why so many people experience depression. Adults have to work longer and harder in order to keep their jobs and kids need to work harder than ever in school so that they can further their education and become successful adults.

More women are experiencing postpartum depression and it seems like more people than ever are on anti depression medication. It’s not hard to believe that depression is so rampant in this country with everything that is going on in the world. It seems like every time I turn on the news it is nothing but bad news. People getting killed, unemployment and the list goes on and on. I typically don’t watch the news and when I actually did turn on the news I see a report about the Costa Concordia hitting a rock and now approximately 29 people are missing.

I know it seems like I am being a Debbie Downer and trust me I am not and all I am saying is I can see why it is so easy for people to be depressed and unhappy when a lot of things around us aren’t exactly happy go lucky.

It’s the new year – did you make any resolutions? If saving money was on your list of things to do in 2012, you’re not alone! Was taking care of your eyes on your resolution list, as well? If not, it should be! So many people wait over two years to get a new pair of eyeglasses and they usually hold off for so long because of the cost.

What if you could save money on a new pair of glasses this year?

Did you know that by shopping for glasses online, you can save up to 70% on a fashionable pair of frames? GlassesUSA.com puts their money where their mouth is – their glasses start from $38 and come with basic single vision lenses. All of it translates into savings for you!

You won’t be getting cheap glasses with GlassesUSA – you’ll be receiving a high quality pair of glasses that comes with a satisfaction guarantee! You can also try their glasses on through their Try-It! Virtual Mirror! All you need to do is upload a picture of yourself to their database or select from one of their models and try on any frame you like!

GlassesUSA also sells multifocal glasses and you can get them on sale! For a limited time, you can upgrade your lenses to progressive lenses and get all three premium coatings for only $45 instead of $110! You’ll get their premium anti-scratch, anti-reflective, and ultra-violet protective coatings for free – all you need to do is select the “progressive lens” option along with the three coatings combination and use the code MultiSave. How easy is that?!

So, this year, stop wasting time and energy worrying about how you’ll pay for new glasses. GlassesUSA makes it really easy for you to save money while you get a great pair of prescription eyeglasses. What are you waiting for? There’s no time like the present to start following through on your resolutions!

This post was paid for and sponsored by GlassesUSA.com.

With it now being 2012 most of us have made New Year’s resolutions. I am assuming the #1 resolution is weight loss and #2 is probably some sort of financial resolution and this is where Nerd Wallet can help you find cash back credit cards.

With 2012 upon us now is the time where we should be reevaluating our credit cards and maybe think about replacing them with lower interest or reward cards. Nerd Wallet allows you to search credit cards by rewards such as travel and gas as well as low APR and balance transfer options. They also show you credit card options for students, business as well as cards for people with bad credit.

I like websites where they have all of your options in one place especially when it comes to credit cards. There are probably hundreds of credit card options and finding the right one on your own would be extremely difficult and very time consuming so Nerd Wallet putting your options all in one place is a real savior.

With just a few selections like what type of card you are looking for, your credit rating, your average spending, length you plan on keeping the card and fee you are ok with paying Nerd Wallet will spit out every card that they feel is a good match for your selections. To me this is a pretty easy site to use so if you are in the market for a new credit card for 2012 Nerd Wallet is the site for you.  Check out the Chase Sapphire Review for tips on turning points into cash.

When I was growing up there were five kids if not more in our house at any one time so my mother used our basement as a long term food storage area that she still uses to this day.

 Now you can understand why my mother would need to do this because out of the five kids there were four boys and teenage boys eat like it is going out of style.  Well, at least me and my brothers did and my mom would always say that she needed emergency food storage just in case because my brothers and I would probably starve otherwise and she was probably right, LOL.  I can remember my brothers and I eating one to two boxes of cereal every morning at breakfast and eating a pack of hotdogs after school.  Now that I think about it this may be the reason why I am not a huge hotdog fan.  That is another post for another time.  

If you are going to store food like my mother did wise food storage is essential.  She had and to this day still has a system where all cans were stacked a certain way and certain items were store with like items.  It was OCD at its finest.  Thinking back my mother used to store enough food to feed an army so there was no way my brothers and I would have ever starved.

I kind of do the same thing now but on a different level as I really don’t have the space to store a lot of extra food but I do what I can with the space I have. In our pantry I do keep multiple items on hand so that I will never run out of any one item and shop in bulk and we even have a chest freezer so we can store a lot of frozen items. Not sure why but I feel more comfortable knowing that I have extra food on hand just in case.

What does your pantry look like?  Do you have a crazy food storage system like my mom has and still has to this day?