Honoring the Fallen.....

Last week was National Police Week. In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls, as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week is dedicated to honoring law enforcement officers and pays special recognition to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of others. ~ NLEOMF

It is a time to honor the law enforcement officers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Many citizens choose this week to express their gratitude to the police officers in their own community.

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way police departments all over the country honored their fallen. My own police department hosted a 'virtual' service and live-streamed it. I typically attend this service each year in-person, but as I watched from the comfort of my own home, there was no doubt that much thought and preparation went into making the service meaningful and just as special as if we had all gathered in the church. Because of the ‘stay at home order’ still in effect, I think the live-streamed service gave many citizens a first-time opportunity to watch.

In 2019, 135* officers in the United States were killed in the line of duty. Rest in peace officers.... time will not diminish our respect for you.

This video honors 32 officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, as well as  surrounding agencies: Cornelius Police Department, Davidson Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Huntersville Police Department, Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, NC Department of Motor Vehicles (Enforcement).

* Number as reported by the NLEOMF

♥

Cheesy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

When I hosted my 10th Annual Christmas Lunch for CMPD in December, I tried a new macaroni and cheese recipe. Trying out a new recipe for a table full of police officers is never a good idea, but after watching the video from 'Jehan Can Cook' on YouTube, I felt pretty good about it. And I was right....it was delicious!

I modified it a little though -- like Jehan's recipe called for Gruyere cheese and I wasn't exactly sure what Gruyere cheese was made of or how it tasted. I'm sure a mac/cheese I've ordered at some restaurants have used it, but it was kind of on the pricey side, so I decided to use more cheddar instead. And like many mac/cheese recipes, it also called for mustard, and I always leave that out. I just have never used it, and again, trying something new when feeding others is no time to test things out. 

Since I'm not a pro-chef by any stretch of the imagination, after searching the internet for a good mac/cheese recipe, I learned that shredding your own cheese is key to making great macaroni and cheese (it melts more smoothly), but there is nothing easy by the trade-off. Shredding your own cheese is very time-consuming and take it from this inexperienced cook, shred it a few days ahead of time if you don't want to have a nervous breakdown. In the end, it will be a huge time-saver. As much as you can do ahead of time, do it!

My hand-held cheese grater is quite old (it doesn't even have the gripper at the bottom like the new ones), and grating 3 lbs. of cheese can take some time. When I hosted another dinner two months later (February 2020), my Christmas macaroni and cheese came up in conversation and how long it takes to shred cheese, and one of the sergeants said..."you need a food processor!"  

Well, I wouldn't exactly call it divine intervention, but it was a wonderful coincidence -- the very next day while I was trying to wake up, I was thinking about my visit with everyone the night before. I made a pot of coffee and started scanning TV channels and QVC had a 9-cup Kitchen Aid food processor as their 'Today's Special Value w/ free shipping'. It was perfect and I knew I had to have it! It's too big; not too small. 

This is Jehan's YouTube tutorial on this recipe:

Cheesy Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Macaroni cooked according to directions on the package
• 2 lb. Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 8 oz Gruyere cheese ** or smoked gouda, grated   
• 8 oz White cheddar, grated
• 4 cups whole milk
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 tsp Dijon or yellow mustard (optional)
• ¼ tsp black pepper or pepper sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 egg beaten

** I substituted Gruyere with 8 oz. Mild Cheddar since I wasn't sure what it tasted like -- I already had 2 lbs. of Sharp cheddar. A friend of mine made this Christmas day and used Gruyere and she loved it! I'll try it next time. 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 baking dish then set aside.
• In a large heavy bottom sauce pot over low heat melt butter. Add flour and stir until smooth.
• Add milk and cook until milk is warm and sauce has thickened a bit. Set 1 1/2 cup of grated cheese aside, this will be for the top.
• Add reminder of cheeses, black pepper, Dijon mustard, salt and egg then stir until smooth. Add macaroni to the cheese sauce, stir making sure the macaroni is well coated.
• Pour into a large baking dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Place into oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.
• Remove from oven. Allow to cool before serving.

For Jehan's website recipe, click here.

Christmas Mac/Cheese Photo