Smoked Gouda and Bacon Macaroni and Cheese
I was super busy this past week with work, but had a huge hole in my schedule mid-day on Wednesday. I took advantage of the extra time to make my famous Smoke Gouda and Bacon Macaroni and Cheese to put in the freezer for Thanksgiving. I can take no credit for this recipe other than finding it online about five years ago when my youngest son asked that I make something non-traditional for Thanksgiving – neither he nor I are crazy about Thanksgiving food. As soon as my guests tasted the gooey deliciousness, they declared it needed to become a part of our holiday tradition. Because it’s so time consuming to make (and clean up after), I always double the recipe and freeze half of it for Christmas. Both casseroles are in the freezer just waiting to make their holiday debut.
In Other Holiday Preparation News
Monday evening, Bill and I went to Total Wine to pick out wine for Thanksgiving. One of the two wines he had researched and had in mind just happened to be open for a tasting. We declared it a winner and brought home several bottles from that winery, but from different vintages.
And Now on to a RunDown of this Past Week’s Workouts…
Running
One of my solo runs was faster than usual and one was slower than usual for very good reason. My faster run was at 5:30 AM right after I gotten up and my slower one was about two hours after getting up and lifting weights. A client canceled at the last minute and I took advantage of my spare time to run. Even though I felt pretty good, my lack of fuel and tired legs from lunges, extensions, curls, etc. slowed me down.
Saturday’s run was a little faster, but that was because my friend Angela paced me. I stayed true to my plan and kept it to five miles. When several of our other running friends needed to cancel the night before and morning of our run, I suggested we change where we were meeting so Angela could run to where I’d park and get in some extra mileage on her way to and from meeting me. It actually worked out really well and she was able to get in her planned ten miles.
I tried to take a picture as we ran across Goose Creek, but my GoPro (affiliate link) turned off suddenly. I didn’t feel like messing around with it and fully expected that the 26° air had caused the battery to die. It worked just fine after we finished so I suspect operator error had something to do with the earlier issues. 😂 😂😂
Biking
After my run on Saturday, I hopped on my spin bike (affiliate link) for 14 miles. I didn’t push that hard, just pedaled away while watching ESPN College GameDay.
Strength Training
I completed all three of my weekly goal of three weight lifting workouts. Wednesday’s was on my brand new replacement pads on my workout bench. More on that in Friday’s coffee linkup…
Yoga
I did three of my weekly goal of four yoga sessions.
It’s on the Blog
In case you skipped checking in on my blog this past week, here’s what you missed… And if you missed Tuesdays and Thursday’s recaps, you missed seeing pictures from two gorgeous places!
- Sunday – Pictures: Final Cuts Versus Outtakes
- Tuesday – Visiting Horseshoe Bend, the Darling of Social Media
- Thursday – Lower Antelope Canyon, a Photographer’s Paradise
Coming up this week, I hope to get my final recap completed from the time we spent hiking in Southern Utah. On Thursday I have a little post about being thankful and on Friday I’ll be joining Deborah at Confessions Of A Mother Runner and Coco at Running With Perseverance for the Ultimate Coffee Date linkup.
In addition to the workouts I mentioned above, here’s a complete rundown of my workouts from this past week (completed either outside or in our home gym)…
- Questions:
- • Do you have any non-traditional dishes you make for the holidays? ~ I’ve mentioned before that I serve surf and turf for Easter rather than ham or lamb.
- • If you drink wine, do you prefer red or white ? ~ Pino Noir is my go to when I order out. I rarely drink wine at home unless we’re entertaining.
- • Did you race this weekend?
And that’s my rundown… Have a great week!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a small commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.
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I’m linking up with Deborah at Confessions of a Mother Runner and Kim from Running on the Fly for their Weekly Run Down. Be sure to check out not only the hosts’ posts, but those of the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!
Ooooh, can you share that Mac & cheese recipe? That sounds heavenly! I actually like traditional Thanksgiving food (minus the dressing). I love all the leftovers even more 🙂
Just click on the blue link for the macaroni recipe! I knew people would be interested so I included the link.
Sounds like you hit all your goals this week — & then some! That mac n cheese sounds divine.
When I hosted Thanksgiving, I didn’t make a whole turkey. I did parts: legs, thighs, a breast. I actually just found that to be easier. I’m not super into Thanksgiving food either.
This year we’ll go to my parents & eat with them in their dining room. Sometimes it’s blah, sometimes it’s good, but they usually do a decent job on the holidays. Anyway, it does mean that I’m not cooking at all right now, other than normal meals. 🙂
Yes, the macaroni and cheese is divine, and oh so rich!
Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your time with your parents!
you had a good week! I can imagine your run was slower after a strength session. But all in all seems like your runs were really good this week! And not just running! I don’t know how you all fit everything in in one week ‘s time!
When I actually bothered with holiday cooking, I generally did not make a turkey and stuffing and all of that because I never learned how to make it! I was a vegetarian for years when I left the States and prior to that my mother, aunt or grandmother was preparing holiday meals. I do bring my mother’s green bean casserole if I happen to get invited to an expat’s house for the holidays.
I have wine phases (and beer phases and gin phases) and lately I’ve been having a glass of Pinot Grigio if I’m out and not feeling like beer or gin.
No racing, but got the green light to run!
Hope you have a lovely holiday!
Check out how much sleep I get for a hint at how I fit my workouts in! 😉 Most of my runs and many weight lifting sessions start at 5 AM.
Yay for a green light to run!
That macaroni and cheese sounds heavenly! My family has been cooking the same Thanksgiving foods forever but it works for us since we love Thanksgiving food, lol. The one thing that has changed is that we no longer eat the cranberry sauce from the can. I’ve made it from scratch for the past few years and it’s so much better!
I didn’t race this weekend but I’m doing a Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning.
I make cranberry sauce from fresh berries as well because my husband loves it. He loves the turkey, sweet potato casserole, and other traditional dishes I make. I also make a huge tossed salad and between it, the macaroni, and apple pie, I’m a happy girl! 😉
I’d love to stray from the traditional for holiday foods but my family (my extended family) would protest! My husband and I have had the rare holiday at home with just the boys and we went rogue. It was fun!
I love both red and white wine, but unfortunately, I can’t drink red anymore. It makes me hot flash so badly. It’s not worth it.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Wendy recently posted…Running with the Coyotes
I hear you on the protests! It is fun to start new traditions, though (when family allows it). 😉
Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
That mac and cheese sounds delicious! I think you should post the recipe 🙂
We tend to stick to traditional food for the holidays unless I initiate something new. My family is very tried and true. I’ve been making a beef rib roast for Christmas lately. I only do it for Christmas because it’s about $40 for a small rib roast so its pretty expensive. But it tastes amazing. Worth it for once a year!
The recipe can be found by clicking on the blue link. I knew people would want it!
We do have some non traditional things bc I like to have a veggie main course as well. I am a squash and spinach phyllo dough pie for myself 🙂 Looks like a pretty solid week for you! Thanks for linking up and have a happy Thanksgivingg
Thanks, Deborah! Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
Ooh that mac n’ cheese looks so good. I’m not a fan of turkey so for me Thanksgiving is all about the sides. Surf n’turf Easter sounds delicious. Team Red Wine here.
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie recently posted…Weekly Sweats: Iron Edition
Same here and that’s why I added the special macaroni to our menu several years ago!
I checked out the recipe and it looks yummy! I am not a huge fan of traditional Thanksgiving food. I’d rather have chicken or just about anything else besides turkey. I do like it but it isn’t my favorite. I like both wines but prefer white wine during the summer.
Zenaida Arroyo recently posted…Weekly Run Down: A new running coach and another trip around the sun
Same here, just not a huge fan of turkey; although my guests always tell me it’s delicious! 😀
Not a wine drinker, although I did have a glass of Rosé the other night. Come to think of it, drinking 3x this week has to be a record for me.
We do a lot of non traditional for Thanksgiving – it’s partially the italian influence from mom but also because no one is a big fan of the “normal”. My favorite is when we add in lox.
Cari recently posted…This is 40
I always throw in a few things I like so I don’t work my behind off making the dinner only to not eat anything. I always add a huge salad and the aforementioned macaroni to the traditional dishes. Oh, and I’ll always choose apple over pumpkin pie. 😀
Oh my goodness that mac and cheese! I remember my husband asking what I wanted to eat on my birthday a few years back and I said mac and cheese and he made one very similar…SO good 🙂 A perfect birthday celebration. I’m pinning that one to share with him for future birthdays! Happy Thanksgiving!
Oh yay! I hope you enjoy the mac ‘n’ cheese as much as we do!
Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, Jessie!
That mac n cheese sounds heavenly! I must make. Thanks for sharing the recipe! I’m all about the side dishes for Thanksgiving. I could care less about turkey.
angela @ happy fit mama recently posted…Tips for Running in the Dark
Same here and after what seems like hours of preparing the bird, I take a tiny “token” piece of it just to say I had a bite. If you make the macaroni, let me know what you think!
I love how organised you were in getting those meals done before the big days! That’s a great way to remove a lot of the stress this time of year. Plus looks like you also had a great week of training too! I didn’t race this weekend but my kids had a mountain biking race which they loved. My daughter is 7 but we put her in the 8-12 year category and she managed 10km very well.
Congrats to your daughter for riding up with the older kids and doing well!
My parents come over for Thanksgiving dinner, so it’s a small dinner with 6 of us. But, we do all the “traditional” foods which ends up being a lot. Yeah for leftovers! I’ve never been able to make mac and cheese other than from a box. I should get serious and watch a YouTube video on how to do it because your recipe looks so delicious!
Lisa @ TechChick Adventures recently posted…Weekly workouts – can you predict?
After spending so much time in the kitchen preparing for our Thanksgiving feast, I’m so appreciative of leftovers!
This mac and cheese recipe is very time consuming to make, but just be very careful following the directions and it will turn out great!
I’m so impressed that you can fit in that much yoga in a week! I’m also impressed that I can smell that mac and cheese through my computer!
Two of those yoga sessions are thirty minutes each and the other one (for runners) is only ten minutes! 😀
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