#Ad - Nighttime Accidents Are Normal. Getting Help from #WhiteCloudSleepPants

Disclaimer - This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of White Cloud Sleep Pants. All thoughts and experiences are my own.

Mom Confession: Starting my day with a pile of wet bedding puts this Mom in a grumpy mood. Also, a child woken up in the middle of the night from a wet bed is also in a pretty grumpy mood in the morning.

I have an almost 4 and 5 1/2-year old. They are finally potty trained. *Whew!* But, that doesn't mean all our nights are dry. In fact, lately I have become a laundromat for all the nighttime "oops" and "I'm sorry"s. Though people openly talk about the trials and tribulations of potty training, no one really discusses what goes on afterwards.

Even the most competent child can experience bedwetting. As a Mom I was surprised to discover it is quite common, even in older children. I know, no one talks about it, do they? Bedwetting can affect a child's self esteem and they can be reluctant to discuss it with their parents. My son knows I dislike the added laundry, but I have tried to stress to him that it happens and we just need to take care of it and move on. It's just a developmental stage for him and his younger sister. They don't always wake up in time to make it down to the bathroom, but for some children it can also be caused by a medical condition. Whatever the reasons behind a bedwetting situation, it can be frustrating for everyone in the family.

My husband and I try to be proactive with our kids. They know that drinks are limited after dinnertime and either my husband or I wake them up to use the restroom when we come to bed. Luckily since I am pregnant, I wake up all through the night so it is easy to remind them to use the bathroom then.

Because the laundry was really stacking up and no one likes the wafting smell of pee-stained bedding first thing in the morning, we tried out the White Cloud Sleep Pants available exclusively from Walmart. These are cost-effective, gender neutral sleep pants designed for older children. We tried out  the S/M size, for kids between 45 and 65 lbs.

Thinner than a regular diaper, they are surprisingly absorbent. With stretchy sides, they go on like regular underwear and have a soft inner, hypoallergenic liner that is treated with vitamin E and aloe to be gentle on their skin. My children are very proud of wearing 'big kid' underwear so I didn't want to take a step backwards at night. My daughter liked that they didn't make noise when she wore them in the bed. I have previously tried other nighttime solutions that woke her up throughout the night because they crinkled so much.

The designs are bright and colorful, which is always important to attracting my kids to use something. Since I have two at the same stage I was grateful that I only needed one bag and didn't have to get each child's favorite character or theme.

These are a little large (long?) on my daughter. They fit my son better, but both of my kids are at the bottom of the weight range. Truth be known, they are also pretty low on the growth chart, so I wasn't surprised. They did fit well enough to provide the protection we needed though. I was very impressed with the price per pant. It really can't be beat!

I just want my kids to get a good night's sleep and not worry about whether they will wet the bed. There are so many other things to think about in childhood. This stage too, will pass. I am just glad that White Cloud Sleep Pants can also cause my mornings to be a little brighter and no longer overshadowed with added piles of laundry.

Did you know that over 5 million kids a year experience bedwetting and it is one of the most common experiences during childhood development?

White Cloud Sleep Pants have been developed to provide exceptional comfort and leakage protection while looking like underwear. White Cloud Sleep Pants offer thin, discrete absorbent protection for your child. They have soft, stretchy sides that fit like real underwear, plus leak guards to help protect against leaks. The soft inner liner is hypoallergenic and treated with vitamin E and aloe for skin protection.

Each bag contains two unisex graphic designs and at $7.75, White Cloud offers exceptional value.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of White Cloud Sleep Pants.

Easy Hawaiian Roll Recipe, in the Bread Machine

Counting down the final weeks to the baby's arrival has not left me with much time left to linger in my kitchen. Eating lately has been more practical, fast and not too special. There is just too much left to do! I do have some strawberry recipes to share soon since our local season has just begun.

Recently I was wanting a good barbecue dinner. The kind of simple pleasure that we could all enjoy outside on a nice, warm evening. Besides grilling up a few pieces of chicken basted in a tasty sauce, I wanted to break out the traditional macaroni salad from Cook's Illustrated and some Hawaiian rolls. Of course, I had the perfect recipe tucked away to try.

These rolls call for pineapple juice and a little coconut extract. A nice, fluffy dinner roll that we could enjoy with chicken leftovers the next day. Now, rolls don't last long in our home. The homemade variety is usually gobbled up within a 24-hour period. I didn't mind though, because I let my trusty bread machine do most of the work. They still need to be hand formed and baked in the oven, but I didn't have to knead them myself or fuss over them for the afternoon.

When using my bread machine, I like to get out all the ingredients, measure them out and then dump in as I double check my recipe. It makes it go so quickly.

I have a Zojirushi bread maker and really love using it to make my dough. I do like the act of kneading bread by hand, but lately I can't even get close enough to the counters, thanks to my expanding pregnancy waist, to really get leverage. Not too mention that with swelling ankles I would rather put my feet up than be standing in the kitchen right now.

After a rise in the machine, I can separate out my rolls and place them in a casserole baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.

Place these little beauties in a warm spot and cover with a tea towel for 45 minutes to an hour. They puff up nicely and will be ready to bake at 350 degrees.

I wait till they are evenly golden brown on top and then brush them with a little butter as they cool. Warm, fresh rolls are such a simple pleasure.

Ready to try them yourself?

Easy Hawaiian Rolls

You Will Need:

• 1 c. pineapple juice
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/3 c. milk
• 4 Tbsp. butter, unsalted and cubed (+ more for brushing the tops)
• 1 tsp. coconut extract
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. instant potato flakes
• 3 c. all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 c. bread flour
• 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

Bring all the wet ingredients to room temperature. You can skip this step if your bead machine has a warming stage in the beginning.

Add the ingredients as called for by your bread machine. Mine calls for wet ingredients, then dry and yeast last. Run your bread machine on the dough cycle.

Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with non-stick spray. When the dough cycle has finished and the dough has proofed, divide the dough into 12- 15 rolls and place evenly in your baking dish. Cover with a tea towel or flour sack cloth and let rise for another 45 minutes to an hour in a warm place.

Towards the end of the rise, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the rolls for about 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with butter. Let them cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy!

Michael Bublé's To Be Loved - Hits a Sweet Note with Me (Album Review)

Disclaimer - I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the CD to facilitate this review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Ready to be swept off your feet? Yes, I have been known to swoon for a crooner and Michael Bublé definitely fits the bill. He is here with a new album, #ToBeLoved and I just wanted to sound off that there is so much to love about it!

This Canadian singer may be famous for his covers of well known songs, but this album shows him stepping out with 4 original songs he co-wrote. The original songs like, Close your Eyes and I Got It Easy are soulful and memorable, and draw from the singer's own life and family.

My favorite song on the album was definitely, It's A Beautiful Day though, another co-written by Bublé. It was a great song about being better off without someone. Completely upbeat and fun. I found some of the songs on this album featuring other favorite personalities and singers of mine like Reese Witherspoon and Bryan Adams. After All was another of my favorites. I remember Junior High dances swaying to the ballads from Bryan Adams. Was I the only one?

I still love when he covers the classics I grew up with though. I just love it when he covers Sinatra. Such a great twist to those amazing songs!  Check out his clip of You Make Me Feel So Young. 

"I labored over every song, every note and every arrangement because I can’t resist trying to make each record better than my last one." - Michael Bublé

Of course a smooth voice paired with a classy suit doesn't hurt either, right?

Here is a peek at the track listing:

1. "You Make Me Feel So Young"   

2. "It's a Beautiful Day" 

3. "To Love Somebody"

4. "Who's Lovin You"

5. "Something Stupid" (featuring Reese Witherspoon) 

6. "Come Dance with Me"

7. "Close Your Eyes"

8. "After All" (featuring Bryan Adams)

9. "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" (with Naturally 7)

10. "To Be Loved"

11. "You've Got a Friend in Me"  

12. "Nevertheless (I'm in Love with You)" (featuring The Puppini Sisters)

13. "I Got It Easy"    

14. "Young at Heart"

You can download your favorite tracks or the entire album on iTunes or Amazon

The Blasphemy Box, by Mandy Behbehani - Book Review

Disclaimer - I was provided a review copy from the Promotional Book Tours to facilitate my reviews. 

All opinions are my own. This post contains an affiliate link.

The Blasphemy Box

“You know that nightmare you've always had? The one where you wake up one day to find yourself fat, frumpy, fifty and alone? I’m living it.”

Maddy Nelson has an idyllic existence: a handsome husband, great kids, a comfortable, affluent lifestyle. One morning soon after she turns fifty, however, she wakes up in her San Francisco home to find her husband Steven announcing that he’s leaving her for a woman half her age. And a third of her size.

 Ouch!

 Feeling totally unmoored and grieving for her married life and husband, Maddy finds herself thrust into an unfamiliar and uncomfortable world of middle-aged singledom. There, she must come to terms with her situation and embark on her new life: divorce proceedings, single parenting, internet dating, and trying to earn a living. It’s enough to drive her over the brink. To help her cope, she shares her struggles in a smart, wry blog named The Blasphemy Box, after her ex-husband’s obnoxious habit of having her drop a quarter into a wooden box every time she said something off color. Her madcap middle-aged adventures find her devoted readers who identify with her challenges.

 In time, Maddy recreates herself and finds happiness in the arms of a good man, and a fulfilling new career as a novelist.

My opinion:

I am neither the same age as Maddy, nor have I ever gone through a divorce, but have watched some play out over time. The Blasphemy Box pulled me in from the beginning though, and I felt like I was experiencing all the gut wrenching realizations as well as the triumphs right along with the main character. I didn't realize when I started reading that I would love this book as much as I did. As a SAHM, getting older and soon to have 3 kids of my own, I share many of her fears and insecurities. We all age, we all get comfortable with our spouses, but what if things changed?

I loved the humor that Maddy Nelson faced each challenge with. Her evolution from dumped wife to blogger was the perfect therapy she needed and really showed off some great quirky insight from author Mandy Behbehani about the cycle of being divorced. It was very akin to the traditional grieving process, just uglier, messier and ultimately funnier. 

Another great Summer read to add to the books. This one is a great roller coaster of emotions, but in the end left me feeling like an empowered female. I only hope I could face a situation like this with as much class and humor as Maddy. A great 'chick-lit' addition to any reading list.

Purchase Kindle / Paperback

About Author Mandy Behbehani

Mandy Behbehani grew up in England and now lives in California. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and is a professional journalist whose work has appeared in a variety of publications from the Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Chronicle to W magazine, Town & Country magazine and Travel & Leisure magazine.

Follow Mandy Behbehani: Blog | Facebook | Twitter

The Love Wars by L. Alison Heller: Book Review #SRC2013

Disclaimer - I was provided a review copy from the publisher to facilitate my reviews. 

All opinions are my own. This post contains an affiliate link.

Ah, yes. Another stop and another installment from the 2013 BookSparksPR Summer Reading Road Trip. This week, stop number two on the trip, is L. Alison Heller's The Love Wars.

from the back cover:

Breaking up is hard to do. At least the first few times.

Even though Molly Grant has only a handful of relationships behind her, she’s already been through more divorces than she can count.

At the premier Manhattan law firm where she’s a matrimonial attorney, the hours are long, the bosses tyrannical, and the bonuses stratospheric. Her clients are rich, famous, and used to getting their way. Molly’s job—and primary concern in life—is to work as hard as possible to make sure they do. Until she meets the client who changes everything….

Fern Walker is the desperate former wife of a ruthless media mogul. Her powerful ex is slowly pushing her out of her young children’s lives, and she fears losing them forever. Molly—haunted by an incident from her own past—finds herself unable to walk away from Fern and sets out to help her. She just needs to do it without her bosses finding out.

Now, as complications both professional and personal stack up, Molly can only hope that her own wits, heart, and instincts are enough—both in and out of court.

My opinion:

Another great read! I know nothing about divorce law and was fascinated by the characters and crazy culture surrounding such a vulnerable time for people. I love that the author, L. Alison Heller is actually a divorce lawyer and  used her past experiences to composite some memorable characters for both the divorcees and firm coworkers.

Her main character, Molly, was such a down to earth, likable character. It felt like I could have been in her shoes if I found myself in that world of the matrimonial group. A clever, strong and yet self-conscious character whom I wanted to see make if out of the story on top.

The story was both funny and full of surprises. And despite the backdrop of divorce, I was rooting for love to prevail. Don't be surprised if this one doesn't last long in your Summer book bag, you won't want to put it down.

Grab your own copy on Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Be sure to join in on the fun with BookSparksPR Summer Reading on their Facebook page. I will be back next week with my next #SRC2013 read. 

Friday Food Frenzy (5/17) - What's for Dinner?

Ready to dive right into this week's tempting recipe collection for Friday Food Frenzy? Be sure to pass on the link, tweet or post because the more great recipes, the merrier!

On a personal note, I am counting down for baby #3. Most of my favorite recipes this week were sweet or simple. You better believe it you post something like that, I will be stopping by for a visit. Can't wait to see what everyone shares this week.

Almond Joy Baked Doughnuts - My Way to Start The Day! #Spon

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

Mornings...

Gone are the days of opening my eyes with the sun, a gentle song on my old clock radio or even a kiss from my darling husband. Now, I am more likely to meet with either a stray hand to the face, from my toddler, or the question of, "Mommy, are you awake yet?"

I prefer the latter, but if I am not quick enough to respond it is usually accompanied with a few pointed pokes to the face or the soft fleshy parts of my throat. Yeah, mornings are just not what they used to be!

A wake-up call like this is sure to leave me feeling less than chipper, so I have learned to combat it with a great cup of coffee and a little treat for myself.

Recently asked, "What's your I.D."? I quickly responded with Almond Joy International Delight. My mornings may no longer be as sweet and peaceful as they used to be, but I can still add a little sweetness to my breakfast routine.

In order to go with my tasty cup of coffee, I decided to create a fun and easy baked doughnut to really treat myself. 

Have you ever made doughnuts?

There is nothing quite like a fresh warm doughnut, but when I first tried making a batch at home I was not too pleased with the lingering grease smell from our fryer. It hung around in our small apartment for days. When I found out about doughnut pans for baking them instead, I was over the moon. The recipes tend to be even simpler to make than yeast doughnuts that are fried. They do turn out more like a cake doughnut, but I don't need the extra oil in my diet anyway. I promise with this recipe, you won't miss it. Here I combined one of my favorite coconut doughnut recipes with a lovely semi-sweet chocolate ganache that uses the Almond Joy International Delight Creamer, I am also using in my coffee,  in place of the cream.

Almond Joy Baked Doughnuts

You Will Need:

• 1/2 c. pastry flour
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. coconut cream powder
• 2 Tbsp. potato flakes
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 6 Tbsp. water
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp. coconut extract

Toppings & Glaze:

• sliced almonds
• mini chocolate chips
• sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
• 4 Tbsp. Almond Joy International Delight Creamer

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a standard 6-doughnut pan.

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add this all at once to the dry ingredients and stir gently until combined.

Divide the batter equally between the 6 wells. It will take about 1/4 c. of batter in each. Bake the doughnuts for 15 minutes until they are slightly golden on top.

After you take them out of the oven, go around the side of each form with a rubber spatula to loosen it. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.

To make the glaze: in a microwave safe bowl, steam the creamer. Pour the warm creamer over the semi sweet chocolate chips and stir until melted and the chocolate looks smooth and shiny.

Dip each cooled doughnut in the glaze and sprinkle with sliced almonds, coconut and mini chocolate chips.

Enjoy!

Now, I want to hear what your ID is! Head on over to whatsyourid.com to create your own flavor profile, share with friends and be entered to win some great prizes just for sharing. Be proud and show me what area you represent and what your favorite flavor is. Are you a fellow Almond Joy fan, like me?

What's Your ID? International Delight is looking for their most passionate flavor fans. Put your ID on the map to enter to win a Magical Trip, play games and discover more unexpected delight. Share your ID flavor at http://whatsyourid.com.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

The Repeat Year by Andrea Lochen: Book Review #SRC2013

Disclaimer - I was provided review copies from the publishers to facilitate my reviews. 

All opinions are my own. This post contains an affiliate link.

Ready to get reading?

I am so excited to dive right in and tell you all about my first read on the 2013 Summer Reading Road Trip with BookSparksPR.

This first review of the Summer is for The Repeat Year, by Andrea Lochen.

from the back cover:

Everyone has days, weeks, even months they wish they could do over—but what about an entire year? After living through the worst twelve months of her life, intensive care nurse Olive Watson is given a second chance to relive her past and attempt to discover where she went wrong…

After a year of hardships including a messy breakup with her longtime boyfriend Phil, the prospect of her mother’s remarriage, and heartbreaking patient losses at the hospital, Olive is ready to start fresh. But when she wakes up in her ex-boyfriend’s bed on New Year’s Day 2011—a day she has already lived—Olive’s world is turned upside down.

Shouldering a year of memories that no one else can recall, even Olive begins to question herself—until she discovers that she is not alone. Crossing paths with Sherry Witan, an experienced “repeater,” Olive learns that she has the chance to rewrite her future. Given the opportunity of a lifetime, Olive has to decide what she really wants. Should she make different choices, or accept her life as she knows it, flaws and all?

A lovely idea of righting the wrongs of a whole year seems easy enough, but would it be? How would anyone know what to change and what needs to stay the same in order for things to work out in our best interest.

The author, Andrea Lochen, did an amazing job of not only creating in The Repeat Year a base of characters I wanted to root for, but also subtly asking the harder questions. I found myself cheering Olive on and hoping she could fix the mistakes of her past year, while also wanting to shake her for not doing what I hoped. What could be changed? What are the domino effects of each choice we make in our lives? And what is really important?

Everyone loves the idea of getting a second chance and The Repeat Year takes a look at what price it may come at.

This was a great book to start off Summer reading! Not too heavy, but still gave me enough to think about between reading sessions. I can't wait to see what Andrea Lochen will write next. She is a bright and rising author.

Grab your own copy on Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Be sure to join in on the fun with BookSparksPR Summer Reading on their Facebook page. I will be back next week with my next #SRC2013 read.

With Little Ones Come BIG Messes - #ScottValues #Sponsored

Some things are inevitable in our home...

1. We are going to run out of toilet paper faster than I estimate 
2. Someone will probably get 'stranded' in the bathroom 
3. The size of the child is not proportional to the messes they will create 
4. And I stock up on my favorite brand when there is a great deal

Am I the only one constantly fighting the empty roll war with my family? 

I try to remind my kids to replace the empty roll, but the best defense I have found has been to stay well stocked and keep everything handy. I never appreciated the importance of simple paper products before my children were born. But, I have also never met anyone quite as messy as my kids! Now I completely embrace #ScottValues since they keep my home cleaner, teach my children personal responsibility, as well as save me money.

Scott Shared Values makes these durable and handy products even more exciting to this savvy Mom. I am signed up on their site (it was free!) and can now receive unique coupons, savings and deals just by buying the products we already need. I also connected with the deals on their Facebook page.

When I heard Scott products had partnered up with Vudu at Walmart, I knew I would have to track down my own in-store coupon. We love watching movies together and a $4 Vudu coupon would be the perfect treat to enjoy for Mother's Day weekend. We went in search of specially marked Scott Bath Tissue and Scott Paper towel packages.

I prefer to buy the biggest packages possible when I stock up. It not only saves me money, but I don't have to shop as often. I have devoted a corner of the laundry room to stocking up on paper products and cleaners. 

But, this isn't the only place I stash our stock of Scott products. No, the laundry room just holds my reserve stash. I love the 4-packs within the bag so I can easily grab one to store under the bathroom sink. I also keep one roll handy right on the counter. You know, just inches from the hanger. Yes, it might seem like overkill, but my kids don't often tell me when we are running low on supplies. I really hate to be caught unaware. 

Of course, my kids are messy. Just the day after our shopping trip, my 3-year old spilled her cereal and milk at breakfast. I love that she can grab a sheet or two of Scott Paper towels herself and clean up the spill. Since I have small children I never know what life will throw at me. I keep my camera handy so I was able to grab this quick picture of her morning mishap.

A total Mom win, right? She found it a little odd that I took a picture, but I wasn't busy since she had the spill covered.

Besides having a well-stocked laundry room, we then had that Vudu coupon to redeem on the Walmart site.  All the instructions for the credit are listed underneath the coupon. Account set-up is equally easy and there is a variety of ways to enjoy Vudu. I prefer viewing our selections directly through our TV, but you can also choose to watch via computer or through your Xbox, etc. My kids hadn't seen Dora's Butterfly Ball before and we agreed it would be perfect for our day together.

In honor of our movie selection, we used some of our empty rolls to create our own cute butterflies. This turned our movie date into a full morning of fun activities for the kids. That made this mom very happy.

For me, #ScottValues isn't just about the deals and free promotions, It is about running a headache free household and having the time to enjoy as a family. If that means I have to endure a few empty roll surprises, along with fun days of movies and crafts, then so be it!

So, how do you motivate your children to change the roll or clean-up their messes?

Smoked Mac n Cheese - May SRC Recipe

I always feel blessed that I fell in love with a man who is not a picky eater. No, really. He rarely complains about what is put in front of him, even if it is the same leftovers 3 nights in a row. Even though he seems to enjoy everything I make him, I know there is a special place in his heart for Macaroni and Cheese.

It is one of the dishes he used to ask his Mom to make him for his birthday dinner. Now, her recipe is amazing, but calls for several cheeses that are pretty hard to find in our small town. Hers comes with a classic bechamel - complete with nutmeg and the bay leaf. I have made it a few times, and love the recipe but it just isn't practical to throw together for an average night.

I tend to not make macaroni and cheese because I am not a fan of Velveeta. I want my homey side dish to have some sophistication and depth. Yeah, I sound like a total pasta snob...

This post is my May edition of The Secret Recipe Club recipe exchange. This month I was luck enough to be assigned Little Bit of Everything with Julie.

This was the first month ever that when I went to her site, the first recipe that popped up was 'The One'. I spied this Smoked Mac n Cheese recipe and despite an entire blog chock full of mouth-watering recipes, I couldn't think of anything but this mac n cheese.

Julie is a Midwesterner with similar interests to my own. She enjoys cooking, traveling and gardening, and I wouldn't mind making every single recipe she has listed. But, of course, there was no competition with the recipe of hers I picked.

Now, this pregnant mama doesn't really need a rich dish to tempt her with... but I was intrigued by using my smoker to make something my family already loves. My husband is the grill master. I tend to stick to the oven and stove inside. This was my chance to play around with the Traeger. Inspired by Julie's fabulous recipe, I did take a few liberties by adjusting the time and temperature to fit my smoker, as well as added in some garlic and crunchy topping. I think I did a good job of keeping this great recipe close to the original with my own flair.

This is a pretty easy recipe to follow, and you can find the complete instructions at the end of this post. But, let's walk through all the steps together, shall we?

I think the key to a good mac n cheese recipe is the sauce. It is the foundation for delivering all that cheese goodness around the pasta. Really, no one gets excited about the noodles. I mean, really? It is all in the ooey-gooey stuff those little noodles swim in.

The other star here is a good Gouda. Luckily, since this dish is going on a smoker, don't bother to shell out extra for smoked Gouda. A nice medium cheese will do fine.

...and here we get to the beautiful bubbly sauce. The cream cheese really helps to tighten this up and add a creaminess that is divine. I added in a little extra cracked black pepper and garlic. That is just how I roll.

I always think the more the merrier with cheese! This recipe calls for cream cheese, Gouda, sharp Cheddar and Parmesan. It is one big boisterous party of flavors in there.

Don't let your sauce get too tight. The smoker will dry it out a little and really bring it together. I like to start baking mine a little on the thinner side. But, prepare as you like.

I topped mine with some bread crumbs and the remaining cheese. After a few years of marriage I found out the crunchy topping was my husband's favorite part. I have learned not to omit it. But, again, he rarely complains about it.

*Note - next month I will be taking a little break from the SRC as I welcome my 3rd child into the world. We have already named him Elliot and I can't wait to meet him. Of course, I look forward to getting back onto my feet and back into the kitchen.

Okay, ready to dive right in? This recipe has been modified to work on the Traeger brand smoker. For exact temperature and times refer to your brand's website or manual. Here we go!

Smoked Mac n Cheese
adapted from Little Bit of Everything

You Will Need: 

• 1 lb. macaroni noodles
• 1/4 c. butter, unsalted + 1 tsp. for noodles
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 3 c. milk
• 8 oz. cream cheese, cut into chunks
• garlic powder to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 c. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 2 c. Gouda, shredded
• 1 c. Parmesan, shredded
• 1 c. bread crumbs of choice

Make sure your Traeger has sufficient wood chips or pellets. With the door open to the smoker, turn on to smoke for about 5 minutes. Then shut the lid and preheat the smoker to 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Boil the pasta 2 minutes short of al dente as listed on the box. When the pasta is done, drain and add a a tsp. of butter to keep the noodles from sticking together. Set aside.

While the pasta is boiling, begin on the sauce. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and whisk the flour into it. Over medium heat, let the flour and butter become fragrant, but keep whisking so it doesn't burn. Slowly whisk in the milk, careful to whisk out any lumps. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken and come to a simmer. Add the cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Add the garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the cheese, reserving a handful for the top. Stir until melted and then mix in the pasta to coat. Pour into an 11 x 9 1/2 inch roasting pan and top with bread crumbs and remaining cheese.

Place in the smoker, uncovered, for 45 minutes to an hour.

Enjoy!

Now check out what my fellow Secret Recipe Club members have been up to: