1. It didn't take long, but it was a blast.
First, I turned on the oven to its lowest temperature (170 degrees), put my leftover macaroni and cheese in a cast iron pan, and slowly warmed it up.
I chopped two slices of bacon and cooked them in a pot. Once these bits were close to being cooked, I added the chopped pieces of a small onion and, when they were tender, I added two or three cloves of crushed garlic and let it all cook for another minute or so.
To this mixture I added all-purpose flour and stirred it up and let it cook for a short while.
Next I poured two cups of Heidelberg beer into the pot and whisked everything until it was all smooth.
Now I added grated cheese and cream cheese to the pot with some milk and whisked the soup until the cheese melted.
I removed the lukewarm mac and cheese from the oven and added it to the soup.
As I hoped, the pasta got a bit warmed up, but did not get softer with more cooking.
I ladled myself a small bowl of this rich and creamy soup, put a few dashes of Frank's Original Hot Sauce over the top, and enjoyed the way I used the leftover mac and cheese to add body and green peppery flavor to a beer cheese soup.
I'm thinking of straining the macaroni out of some of the left over soup and using it as a sauce to pour over a soft boiled egg on toast.
2. A few hours later, I sliced a yellow pepper in half and roasted it in the oven for about 20-25 minutes and then put a packet of spinach with a crushed garlic clove in a pan and cooked it until the spinach wilted. In a pot of salt water, I boiled a package of cheese and spinach ravioli. I drained it. I added pasta water to to the wilted spinach along with vegetable stock concentrate, sour cream, and cream cheese and whisked it and cooked it down into a sauce. To this sauce, I added the ravioli and once the roasted pepper had cooled, I cut the two halves into strips and put them over the ravioli and sauce. I topped it all with parmesan cheese and squeezed the juice of an entire small lemon over everything.
I especially enjoyed that I went all out with the lemon. When I eat the leftovers, I might add some red chili pepper flakes to this dish to give it some heat.
3. Today, I loved knowing that Debbie was visiting the National Mall in Washington, D. C. and was spending time at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Knowing she was experiencing some of the world's finest modern art was part of it, but I loved that she was on the Mall, spending time viewing the grandeur of the monuments. Yes, we only lived for three years in a D.C. suburb, but every time I drove to Union Station, parked the Sube on the top of the parking garage, and explored the National Mall, I was more and more moved by its beauty.
I also loved venturing to other parts of D.C. to visit the Aquatic Gardens, the National Arboretum, different neighborhoods, the Lincoln House, and my favorite two places to drink beer: DC Brau, the brewery, and Church Key, my favorite tap house.
I miss the movie theaters, the Union Market, the long walks I took all around Washington, D.C., days in the National Portrait Gallery, heading downtown to hear lectures on art at the National Gallery, a poetry reading by Billy Collins, great music at The Kennedy Center, and more.
Knowing Debbie was in Washington, D.C., enjoying a day's worth of its stimulating variety and pleasures, moved me deeply.
I loved knowing she was there.
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