Hi there and welcome to Home Base! It's good to be back to share another great dish with you. Hope you had a nice holiday season. Ours was  busy and somewhat chaotic at times. Fighting  viruses on (and off) the computer has been quite challenging over this past month as well. 

I discovered another twist  to an all time favorite comfort food recently and thought I'd share it.  I was trying to make a quick dinner one night but wanted to "bump up" the dish in some way. I checked out my pantry items and started grabbing what sounded good at the moment. Once assembled and served we were pleasantly surprised and very satisfied. This is the way a lot of my  dishes come to be. I make a certain choice as my "base" and then use what I have at home already to whip it into something  REALLY good! 

I chose to start my base this time with Macaroni & Cheese, an all time favorite comfort food. We don't eat it often but when we do, I want it to have that  tasty creamy cheesy touch that makes you go "Mmmmm"  when you take that first bite as well as the last. I made this dish  a little different than your normal way and discovered that with a few additions this meal turned out downright delicious! 

So go ahead and make a  copy of this recipe and give it a try the next time you are serving mac and cheese...

             BUMPED UP MAC AND CHEESE

Serves 6 / Make on top of stove (& some microwave use too)

1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can of  1/2 & 1/2 ( use can from soup)
1 bunch of fresh asparagus  cleaned and cut in chunks
1 small container of grape tomatoes - cut tomatoes in half so they don't burst
1 can of artichoke hearts - drained,rinsed well,and cut each in half 
6 cloves of garlic sliced thin
1 small onion halved and sliced thin
1/2 stick butter
2 TBLSP olive oil 
1/2 bag noodles- your preference -cooked
Asiago cheese - shredded
 
 

In a microwave safe bowl  put in enough water to cook noodles. Add  noodles and  bring  to a boil then let sit covered  for 10- 15 minutes to absorb  proper amount of water to be cooked just past al dente.
Meanwhile, in medium sized saucepan / pot melt butter with olive oil,  add onions and  garlic and saute` until onions are translucent.  Add asparagus and tomatoes and artichokes hearts and heat through thoroughly.  Add cheddar cheese soup and 1/2 and 1/2 to the veggie mixture and  stir  gently until combined and bring  just to boiling. Do not bring to a hard boil! Turn off heat.
Drain noodles and  put a serving onto plate, cover noodles with cheesy veggie sauce and then top with some shredded Asiago chese.

This meal is so tasty, serves 6 easily, and is a nice change of pace.  If you are looking for a meatless meal or side for your meal, this is a great choice.  It is easy to adjust to your tastes because you can choose the veggies you prefer and can even put it over rice  or other noodle  choices- there are so many types to choose from. Adding seasonings you like can enhance this dish too. I was just trying to get a quick meal on the table so I went light and didn't  try to embellish too much,but I am sure there could be several choices in every area you can be creative in using and it is such an easy base with the noodle  & soup  combination that I don't believe it could mess up!

So there you have it! Good luck and let me know if you try it, and if you like it, and if you chose to  do yours in a different way and how it turned out for you!

Today's Home Base Tip : I am sensitive to a lot of  chemicals  so I try to  use as little as possible in my everyday lifestyle. I  was searching the web one day and found this  solution on many websites for  an all purpose, sanitizing cleaner. I am so glad I tried it and  decided to share it  with you..

1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup alcohol
1/2 tsp dish soap
10n drops essential oil (I used lavendar)

Combine all into a spray  bottle and spray surface , wipe with a damp cloth or sponge. I used it on my linoleum floors, countertops, all door knobs ,handles on appliances and the appliances themselves. It cleaned easily, was very effective and made my home smell way better!I was very impressed and can say it will be a keeper for my home. In my quest  to find a good , sanitizing, as natural as possible cleaner, I believe this  was a great choice. try it out and tell me what you think. I  would not suggest using it on wood. ( If you want to try that so it in an inconspicuous place first to see if it changes your wood).

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit".  Romans 15:13                          
Have a blessed day, appreciate all you have and what you can do.