Zucchini and Ham with Mac ‘n Cheese: Simple and Extraordinary

I enjoy walking in the woods here in Vermont.  When I was a little girl, this part of the woods was just pasture, but over the years the trees have grown tall, creating this spectacular setting for a morning stroll.

It’s fun to notice the little patches of moss, lichens on the stones, and ferns that just grow wherever they wish.
These moss-covered roots look like giant snakes, don’t they?
This morning I woke up in time to catch the sunrise through the screened window of the upstairs bedroom. There’s just something about Vermont that allows the most ordinary sights to become extraordinarily beautiful.
We stopped by the Paquet Farm to buy some fresh vegetables at their farm stand,  and I took this photo of their barn with my phone camera.  Just an ordinary barn along the road that I hardly noticed as a child  looks stunningly beautiful to me now.

I transformed that simple photo using  an I-Phone app called Waterlogue to make this watercolor image of the barn.  Magical!

Today  I transformed some ordinary ingredients from the fridge into  a delicious dish for lunch.  Since I’m sharing the beauty of Vermont,  I’ll share this simple recipe for our  extraordinary lunch with you too!

Zucchini and Ham with Mac 'n Cheese   Author: Mimi Holtz Recipe type: Lunch Cuisine: American Prep time:  5 mins Cook time:  10 mins Total time:  15 mins Save Print Use fresh summer squash with bits of ham and leftover mac 'n cheese to make this creamy comfort food! Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
• 5 slices of deli ham, chopped into small pieces
• 2 cups of prepared mac 'n cheese
• ½ cup grated Italian blend cheeses
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the squash and sauté until tender, 3-4 minutes.
3. Stir in the ham and the mac 'n cheese and let them warm up.
4. Season with salt and pepper, and stir.
5. Sprinkle with Italian cheeses.
6. Serve warm.

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