Cheesy Corn

     Cate has been in her "office" for several hours now...redesigning and re-configuring it...we are not allowed in until it is finished.  At the beginning of the pandemic, we organized it as a sort of hangout space for her - buying a TV and a futon, etc.  But several weeks ago, Dickinson College indicated that the Fall semester would be fully remote - so now we redesign the room as a sort of dorm room substitute.  Cate has completely reconfigured the room and we gave her a second monitor to help with the Zoom sessions and school work.  She is handling the situation well and several other friends are also stuck here for the Fall semester.  It is not ideal...at all.  As much as she wanted to head off to college....we, her parents, wanted her to head off as well.  That is not to say that we would not have missed her...but we were ready to have a bit of space,and no doubt, she was as well.  So for now, we are determining boundaries, rules of the house with three adults acting as roommates.  I have moved my home office out of the dining room and into the spare bedroom next to a window which will help me.  Jamie has purchased a stand up rolling desk so he can maneuver throughout the house.  Whatever it takes...Every 6 weeks or so, we have been trying to head to a non-hotspot to work from a different area.  That helps as well...

     If I am at home, I still make a simple lunch for Jamie and myself. I leave Cate to fend for herself.  Some weeks, I am at the office Monday - Friday so I make prepare things in advance for Jamie to eat instead of his normal tuna.  Cate normally heads downstairs around 3pm looking for lunch.  Since she won't eat a simple sandwich, this is always a bit of a struggle.  Sometimes, she makes an incredible creation - other times - crackers with goat cheese.  So for dinner, I still try to make something special - using the fresh vegetables we get from the CSA.  I gave my second CSA shipment to our cat sitter who has been out of work and loves vegetables.

I made this recipe last night and it appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette this week. It is incredibly easy and delicious.  I served it as the main course but the family thought that in the future, it would make for a really good side dish to bbq.

Kansas City Cheesy Corn - from Cook's Country and published in the Post Gazette

2 slices bacon, chopped

2 cups corn kernels

4 oz ham steak. cut into 1/2" slices

1 cup whole milk - I used 1/2 c cream and 1/2 c milk

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 tsp salt and pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne

6 oz cheddar, shredded

Cook bacon in large saucepan over medium heat until crisp.  Add corn, ham, milk, cream cheese, salt, pepper and cayenne   - breaking up cream cheese with a spatula.

Cook stirring occasionally until cream cheese is melted and mixture begins to bubble at the edges.

Turn off heat and stir in 1 cup cheddar until melted.

Transfer to an oven proof pan. Scatter remaining cheese over the top and broil until cheese is spotty brown.