Recipe: Alfredo Macaroni

I like to try out new recipes with my little sister, Molli. Today I experimented a little bit, swaying from our usual Alfredo Ravioli. This dish came out great, according to our standards. I'm thinking it would be an easy and simple recipe to make on a lazy night in or for lunch in a college dorm. Here's my recipe:

Alfredo Macaroni
(beginner level: eat in 10-15 minutes, tops)

You'll Need:

1 large pot

1 small pot (or sauce pot)

1 strainer

2 spoons

1 bag of large elbow macaroni pasta

1 tub of Buitoni Alfredo sauce

water

olive oil

salt

pepper

Tony Chacere's Seasoning

butter

Steps:

1) Fill the large pot halfway with water. Add 1 shot of olive oil (eyeball it). Boil.

2) Pour in half of the bag of pasta (or more, or less, depending on your personal preference). Boil for 8 minutes to al dente. (Stir at intervals to prevent sticking).

3) While the pasta is boiling, take half of the tub of Alfredo sauce and pour it into the sauce pot. Heat on simmer. Add salt, pepper, and Tony's (personal preference).

4) Once the pasta is done, strain it. Transfer the strained pasta into your serving container.

5) Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir thoroughly. Top with Tony's, if desired. Serve.

(**Sidenote: When I made it in this way ^, it served 4 people.**)

Book Review: THE CHOSEN

For my senior year (in preparation for Humanities Honors), four books are required reads for during the summer. In my new attempt to not get overwhelmingly stressed, I decided I would try as hard as I could to actually get into the books. Through a month's worth of effort, I finally finished The Chosen by Chaim Potok.

I absolutely loved this book. Without spoiling anything, I will now attempt to summarize the book.
The story is centered around the lives of two Jewish boys and their fathers. Reuven Malter is the main dynamic character but Daniel Saunders is a bit dynamic as well, though the story is told from Reuven's point of view. They become unlikely friends and change each other's lives in ways that they would have never thought possible if not for the accident that brought them together. It talks about their journey to becoming men, growing in relationship with their father, deciding their relationship with their faith, and choosing a life path that satisfies their internal need with the external need of their world. It is set in New York City during the 1940's.

**SPOILER ALERT: If anyone is interested in reading or currently reading, keep in mind that this is a book about faith and, therefore, must have some recurring theme. I recommend defining as many of the Yiddish terms as possible as they come up in the book to form a clearer understanding and picture, especially if you are not familiar with the faith. The entire time I was reading, I thought of the musical I was in 2 years ago, Fiddler on the Roof. Reb Saunders most likely symbolizes God or some godly entity. If you think of him that way, he makes a lot more sense. Also, Reb Malter and Reuven symbolize prophets, each in their own way. It seems for a while that the plot is not progressing quickly enough for my interests but if this would have clicked earlier than chapter 17, the book would've gone a lot smoother for me. Anyway, Reuven is a stereotypical prohet, a vessel through which God speaks to his people (or son) and Reb Malter is more of an advisor or messenger than Reuven**

Remember kids, silence speaks if you only learn to listen ;)