Why Am I Such A Sucker For Mac

The last Mac vs PC post I did here, just prior to going to Frankfurt, attracted more comments than 99% of the car-related posts here. Such is the depth of feeling about these things. As you know, I ended up purchasing a Toshiba laptop the day before I left and it was a brilliant performer whilst I was away. To be honest, I didn’t even mind Vista that much.

1. Why Am I Such A Sucker For Machine

They always know to come to me to buy the cookie dough or the pizza coupons or something. Damn little girl cuteness, it's making me go broke! At least I'll get some tasty peanut butter cookie dough. Aug 19, 2012  I don't use more than 32gb worth of storage on my iPad 2 now, so why buy last years model (still fine for a I'm such a sucker. - iPhone, iPad, iPod Forums at iMore.com.

Is that past tense I see you using there, Mr blogger? Why yes, it is. Whilst the Toshiba was/is a fantastic piece of kit to use, the one thing it wasn’t was easily portable. I knew it was big when I bought it, but I didn’t realise just how much bigger it would feel when I had to pull it in and out of my carry-on luggage on a regular basis. Want to know something else I knew when I bought it? I knew that my 18 year-old stepson might be interested in taking it off my hands when I got back home. So I’ve sold the Toshiba less than a month into owning it and replaced it with something a little more portable, and I’ve got to admit, something that really is very nice to use.

Yes, I ponied up around $300 or so too much and bought a Macbook Pro. It’s the base 13-inch model but I got them to buck up the RAM to 4-gig. For home use, I also bought an insanely cheap 20-inch HD monitor from Dell, which was $200 delivered.

That’s still on it’s way. As you can see, the Mac is much more compact in all ways, including weight. It really is nicely screwed together. The Toshiba outspecs it in every possible way, however, including a big tick in the price box.

The Toshiba cost me just over $1,500 (I sold it to junior for a bit less than that – it was ‘used’ by that stage) whereas the Mac cost a shade over $2K once you factor in the extra RAM. But the Mac’s got a user interface I’m quite used to now, great utility software and the portability bonus will be especially appreciated. Count me in as one of those Mac suckers. But in my own defence, I didn’t get one because of the marketing and to be honest, the retail experience wasn’t great (Mac sellers are in danger of becoming too smug for their own good).

I bought it because the product is really, really good. Saab want to be the Apple of the car industry.

This is what they need to do – make the product really, really good. Categories Tags Post navigation.

. Classic chili mac, made from scratch, with plenty of cheese and spiced beef crumbles, is ready in about 30 minutes! It’s a big dish of pure comfort food!

Don’t you just love a big bowl of comfort food? This chili Mac bake is perfect for any occasion, is made from scratch, and tastes similar to hamburger helper! Except this version is baked in a casserole with extra gooey cheese! As Fall is looming on the horizon, I’ve already been thinking about great comfort food meals. It’s definitely my favorite season for many reasons, but the food is high on the list! From to slow cooker, I crave comfort food pretty much year round!

For instance, even in the heat of July, we have this baked every 6 weeks or so (and my kids would happily eat it weekly!). Growing up, we didn’t eat Hamburger Helper very often in fact, I can’t really remember a time my Mom fixed it for dinner.

But when I moved out of their house and in with my husband, and could barely boil water, we ate a LOT of it! One of my favorite varieties was the chili Mac. It’s been a while since I’ve had it, but this chili Mac bake tastes similar, except in a family friendly casserole form! Essentially, this meal is a combination of a spicy Mac and cheese and a salsa ground beef mixture. Like most bakes or casseroles, a lot of the prep work can be done ahead (and you know I’m all about working ahead when you can!). Easy ways to prep ahead for this chili Mac bake:. Pre-boil your pasta, drain and toss with a little olive oil (so it doesn’t stick), then keep refrigerated in a resealable bag (just don’t forget to keep the 1/2 cup pasta cooking water in a separate container).

Make ground beef mixture ahead of time (beef, onion, spices and salsa), drain and keep refrigerated in an airtight container. Pre-grate cheeses and keep in resealable bags in the refrigerator If you prep ahead, when it’s time to make this meal, all you have to do is make the cheese sauce and combine things before baking. You can make the cheese sauce while the oven is preheating, and you can have this comforting meal in no-time! Alternatively, you could also skip the baking step and have this be a stovetop chili mac. For the cheesy topping in that version, sprinkle the cheeses over the top, cover the skillet or dish for a few minutes and it will be gooey!

I love how ultra-creamy this dish is and I’m such a sucker for the great flavor combination of the cheese with the spicy meat mixture and the classic pasta. Speaking of pasta, you can use any short-cut pasta you’d like I just like the classic elbow shape, since it fuels the comfort food factor by bringing back childhood Mac and cheese memories! Incidentally, if you’re worried about your kids not wanting to eat this dish because it’s too spicy, in the recipe notes section below the recipe, I’ve given some tips on how to reduce the spiciness. When I follow these tips, my kids gobble this up and ask for seconds! Oh and this chili Mac also is PERFECT for leftovers, since it reheats really well! It’s great for taking to lunch at work the next day, but only if you are prepared for people to constantly be asking you what that amazing smell is as you reheat it 😉 As the weather starts to cool down over the next month or so, and the kids go back to school (making weeknight meals a full on stress-zone), keep this hearty comfort food meal in mind. With my prep ahead tips, it can be on the table in less than 30 minutes!.

1 lb dried elbow pasta. 1 lb ground beef. 16 oz picante sauce or salsa (I like to use a medium heat variety - but use your favorite). 1 tsp chili powder. 1/2 yellow onion, finely minced. 2 1/2 Tbsp butter. 2 1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour.

2 cups whole milk. 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I like to use a medium cheddar). 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese, divided (Monterey Jack could be substituted). 1/2 tsp black pepper. 1/4 tsp dried oregano.

Why Am I Such A Sucker For Machine

pinch of kosher salt. chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, for garnish.