spontaneous (adj.):

1 : done or produced freely or naturally.  2 : acting or taking place without external force or cause. 3 : my word for the summer. However, my summer motto has evolved a bit from simply "spontaneous" to the next definition in my handy dandy dictionary: "spontaneous combustion (n): a bursting into flame of material through heat produced within itself."
No worries, I'm not bursting into flame (yet), but that's how I've felt recently. My schedule went from completely lax to nearly 40 hour weeks working with kids. Not that I'm complaining at all because my busy days have been very rewarding, but 6-8 hours a day in the heat can be exhausting. Juggling that on top of finalizing my schedule for senior year, getting my summer projects done, helping my parents re-do the house, and trying to manage a little time with friends can make it a little bit hard to maintain sanity. But in the midst of all the chaos, here's a little taste of the good life:

**I don't get to spend much time in bed during the day...but  Sophie's pretty good at keepin' it warm for me**

**Ruby Tuesday is amazing in and of itself  (btdubbs those white cheddar mashed potatoes are divine)**

**but it's always better when you have a super gorgeous friend to share it with**

**yum...minus the mischievous little finger.**

**and we ALL know how I feel about chocolate.**

Somewhere in there, I've done a wee bit of cooking...most recently, I've been obsessed with baked Macaroni & Cheese. I got the recipe from Cooks.com, but I revised it to my liking:

Here's what you'll need:

8 oz. Elbow Macaroni

12 oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1/2 c. Butter

1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour

1 & 1/3 c. Milk

2 teaspoons Salt

1 teaspoon Pepper

Here's what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Boil macaroni about 10-15 minutes, or until soft

3. Drain the macaroni and set aside

4. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan. Once the butter is competely melted, gradually add the flour and milk.

5. Pour half of the macaroni into a shallow casserole dish and cover with half of the cheese.

6. Pour half of the sauce over the first layer of cheese, cover with the remaining macaroni, followed by the remaining sauce; top with remaining cheese.

7. Bake 15 minutes, or until cheese is slightly golden brown

Wish me luck in my "week off"...and my behind the wheel portion of drivers' ed. 

Next week, it's back into the fray.