You are the Cheese to my Gnocchi....

Um, what?  Yes I know, doesn't quite have the same ring as Juno's "You are the Cheese to my Macaroni" but let me tell you, it is quite possibly one of the best things I have ever made and definitely one of the best that I have eaten!

I introduce to you Gnocchi Mac & Cheese!

I first discovered this recipe on Pinterest (LOVE Pinterest!) and then followed the links back to the Noble Pig which is the food blog of Noble Pig Vineyard and Winery.  It has some amazing recipes and I will definitely be visiting this site again!!  

This recipe was actually super easy!  I didn't make my own homemade gnocchi (someday!) but it was still amazing with the store bought kind.  I also omitted the basil because I didn't have any on hand but I'm sure it would add a little extra color.  When I took it out of the oven I could hardly wait to bite into the golden, gooey amazingness  - and let me tell you - I was NOT disappointed!  It was seriously good. I ate this as a meal in itself but I think it would make a great side too!  I had it on a cold and blustery day here in Lincoln and with a yummy Chardonnay that I hope to review soon.  

Here's the recipe! Enjoy and let me know if you try it out!!  

Noble Pig Gnocchi Mac & Cheese (originally from Cuisine at Home)

1 pound purchased or homemade gnocchi

2 Tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1/4 cup shredded fontina cheese

Salt and white pepper to taste

1/3 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano

Basil leaves for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 375^o F.  Prepare gnocchi according to package directions.  Drain and place gnocchi in a single-layer in a 1-1/2 quart shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and Dijon.  Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. 

Combine Gruyere and fontina, then add by the handful to milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding the next handful.  Once all cheese is melted, season sauce with salt and pepper.  

Pour sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano over top.  Bake gnocchi until they puff and cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes.  let gnocchi rest for 5 minutes before serving.  

Yesterday you said tomorrow

Well hey there friends.  I don't even know how to begin to apologize for actually taking FOUR months off of blogging (then again maybe nobody actually missed me?? Say it isn't so??!!)

But I am back and have a little something new for you.  A little journey that I hope you all will want to join me on.

You see it's funny, my last post in September was on September 18th and it was about my birthday, which mind you, was August 16th.  But the funny part is that on September 18th I actually did something that I NEVER EVER thought I would do in my lifetime.  That day I ran the Corporate Cup 10K in Omaha for the American Lung Association.  It was my first race and it was amazing not only to run the race and complete it but to see all of my hard work training pay off that day as I crossed the finish line.

So what happened after that?  Well it seems that when there is nothing to train for, I don't always stick with my running routine like I should.  So what does any sane, rational, intelligent person do?

Sign up for the Lincoln Half Marathon of course!!

Yep, that's right, I'm running 13.1 miles on May 6th and to be completely honest, at this point I am terrified.  But I just keep reminding myself that I never thought I would run 6.2 miles at one time and I did that, so now I just have to do that twice and then some...right?  At this point I'm building up my mileage before starting my "official" training program on February 14th - Happy Valentine's Day to me!

So I'm hoping you all will join me on this adventure (I don't mean literally - but by all means, if you'd like my training program, I'd be happy to share it with you).  I'll share the ups and downs of training, lessons learned, and hopefully on May 6th a victory pic of me crossing the finish line at Memorial Stadium!!  There is no better day than today people, so here we go!!

Oh and p.s. - I'm sure there will still be a fair share of wine reviews, restaurant ratings, and cooking challenges that I will share along the way - just with some tough runs and grueling workouts in between!!