Laughter Please…

Yesterday I made macaroni and cheese for our supper. My recipe called for layering, first the macaroni, then the cheese, next the chopped butter, then the salt and spice mixture, and next combined milk and egg. After the milk and egg, lastly, bread crumbs and melted butter were to be spread over the top. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

First challenge: I didn’t have bread crumbs. I really wish I’d have omitted this step. BUT, I  had some fancy bread that I sliced, chopped, and put into the food processor. As I scooped up the chopped bread, I threw some on the floor. Not to worry. I went on and processed the rest of it. Then, as I tossed it from the processor bowl into the pan of melted butter, I lost more, spilling it on the stove top and again on the floor. I gathered as much as possible off the stove top and put it in the pan, and swept the rest from the floor and put it in the trash. My few salvaged bread crumbs were swimming in too much butter. With a prayer for blessing, I continued undaunted.

Next it was time to pop the layers into the baking dish. I went right along quickly spreading each layer, bread crumbs and butter last, thinking all was well. BUT, the bowl of milk and eggs was still sitting on the counter top. Oh well. I poured the milk and egg over the top of my pitiful layer of home-made bread crumbs. Was my macaroni and cheese doomed to failure? Good question.

Yes, it was doomed to failure. (Laugh here. I did.) The bread crumb layer with the milk and eggs made a glaze (a glaze from the bottomless pit, I might add), which became hard as it baked. HARD! After removing the top layer of beautifully browned bread crumbs and butter, the underside was delicious. Okay. Edible.

My husband, speechless, watched curiously as I separated the attractive top layer from the rest, placing spoonfuls of the soft underside on his plate. Silently, I looked toward Heaven as though to ask, Lord, where were you tonight? I think He laughed. He was there alright. As always. Faithful and true. Laughing with us.

One more thing you should know, if you want to fully appreciate this story. I made a double batch!