By Chuck Woodbury
ROADSIDE JOURNAL
I have written a few essays through the years about my eating habits, but not lately. Specifically, I have discussed my addiction to foods with cheese, especially Macaroni and Cheese. If I were forced to eat Kraft Macaroni and Cheese six days out of seven, I wouldn’t mind — not a bit. I might even ask for it on the seventh day if it wasn’t formally on the menu. Otherwise, I would likely eat a burrito.
Years ago, I speculated in this Roadside Journal if Queen Elizabeth ever eats Macaroni and Cheese from a box. I bet strongly that she does not. If you have ever dined with the Queen and Mac and Cheese was on the menu, please let me know.
I also speculated whether my Northwest neighbor Bill Gates eats Macaroni and Cheese from a box.
I pondered the question after dining in a small-town cafe in Eastern Washington where I met Mary Merry, a waitress who had once served Gates when he passed through town. I asked her what he ordered and she said a burger and fries. Now, that’s ordinary, right? So if a billionaire could opt for that, why not Mac and Cheese?
Now, for the record, I do not often eat Macaroni and Cheese from a box. I hardly ever eat it at all due my tendency to clog my arteries. But if I am really, really hungry and you mention Mac and Cheese to me I will start to salivate. And don’t ever bring me a box of Cheez-Its because I will live on them until the box is empty.
I will tell you this, though. If I were to ever — by some miracle — become filthy rich, I would still crave Mac and Cheese and would still eat it, and I would still prefer it to anything made from scratch (generally, speaking).
All that said, and while I am on the subject, there is a little place in Pemberton, British Columbia, called the Mile One Eating House that has, in my opinion, the best Mac and Cheese in North America, even better than Kraft from a box. It’s a cholesterol buster of elbow noodles, aged white cheddar and mozzarella cheese and heavy cream. If you are prone to heart disease, eating one bowl may shorten your life a minute or two. But I am telling you, it’s worth every second!
Pemberton is just north of Whistler. The photo above is of its Mac and Cheese. If I could eat a photo, I would eat it.
They changed the noodles in KD (Kraft Dinner) many years ago, they now split if boiled to long and have lost any flavour… so now I will buy more quality noodles and make our own “KD”. I found the cheese powder on Amazon that works wonders in that dish, and after reading some of the ‘add-ins’ on this page I will be experimenting more!
Stay cool
Hate Kraft, make my own with extra sharp Cheddar or buy Schwans and add more cheddar
Mac and Cheese with boiled hot dogs is the best!! My beautiful bride makes it for my Birthday Dinner every year.
And add some ketchup for the hot dogs!!
I love small towns, too, and the people that inhabit them. Have you ever been to Borrego Springs, California? This is a wonderful small town (in San Diego County) which must be what Palm Springs looked like 100 years ago. And it’s absolutely beautiful right now and all winter long. One of it’s distinctions is that it is completely surrounded by the Anza Borrego Desert State Park, home of Big Horn Sheep and Grapefruit farms; wierd landscape (Font’s Point) and an array, spread all over the valley, of life size and larger metal sculptures of Whooley Mammoths, Dragons, Men working in Vineyards, running horses, giant turtles, elephants, and more. One can stay at a golf rv resort, or boondock out in the desert. When you visit the State Park Visitor’s Center, which is built into the side of a hill close to town center, be sure and ask to see the film about Marshal South, a writer/dreamer like you, Chuck.
Ahhh, Mom’s homemade mac n cheese. Elbow macaroni, Velveta, and sliced hotdogs. I’ve tried but could never replicate it.
Chuck, you need to listen to the lyrics of “If I Had A Million Dollars” by Bare Naked Ladies. You almost quoted their song verbatim when you spoke about Mac n Cheese (except they call it Kraft dinner!)
I don’t know if Bill Gates would eat Mac and cheese, but I suspect he would. There is a photo of him in line at Dick’s on Broadway waiting patiently for a deluxe and fries. Our daughter took dance lessons and competed through High School. She would often come home “starving” and whip up a box of mac and cheese. It is still our go to meal as full-timers. Sometimes from scratch, but more often from the box. Add bacon or a cutup sausage or even spam. never gets old!
Mac and cheese, food of the gods. I used to love Kraft but now I have been unable to eat gluten for several years. Thankfully GF has become almost normal in many stores including Walmart. On many occasions, I can find a family size GF frozen mac and cheese there. Nobody can tell the difference when I serve it. But, alas, I am totally selfish and don’t share it anymore cuz it’s not always available.
Once, up in Bar Harbor Maine, there’s this super popular restaurant that’s, of coarse, big on LOBSTA rolls and, get this, gluten free lobster mac and cheese. It is AMAZING!
Mac and cheese–true comfort food.
I love Kraft Mac n Cheese. It is my favorite Mac n Cheese with the exception of my Mothers which was made from scratch and that’s when I was a child.
When I need my Kraft macaroni and cheese fix, I cut up some Eckrich sausage into small pieces and brown them while the macaroni is being prepared. Then I add that to the Mac cheese mix and also a little extra grated sharp cheddar cheese.! Now I have to go make some you made me hungry for it.
One of my favorite foods is Kraft macaroni and cheese with diced celery, diced onions, and bits of bacon added in. Try it sometime, Chuck!
We, too, plan our trips in advance avoiding Interstates. What triggered us to travel this way? We were approaching Cincinnati to cross the Ohio River…probably about 20 miles south…and ended up in the passing lane in bumper to bumper traffic. Needed to look for a restroom exit and found we could not pullover to get onto the exit lane. An hour and a half later, and 20 miles north of Cincinnati, we were able to pull over and find that restroom. We vowed at that time to NEVER cross the Ohio River at Cincinnati again, and MANY trips across the Ohio River we have not crossed since. Just to the East, there is a newer, nicer bridge to cross near Marysville. We love it.
Sometimes takes many maps to travel this way….but worth the effort. After using this method for several years, we did some research and found the extra time and miles traveling this way was not that significant for the enjoyment we received. Eating at mom & pop cafe’s, going through small towns and stopping whenever something appealed to us and getting restaurant suggestions from locals…what a plus. Traveling in a 24 foot RV with a lab, it is much easier to pull off the two-lane and let him run & do his business. Negatives: Interstates are set up to cater to travelers and sometimes you have to “google” to find chain restaurant or major retail shopping store that allow boondocking. And the old trip-ticks we used to always use when traveling by auto, now only are available using major interstates/highways and maps now combine states. Summary: we will continue to travel the backroads of America and enjoy every small town we go through. Blessings.
Tour and drive the blue highways and see the Real America. Not the megabisness version.