After a quick bike ride and visit to Karen’s (she’s doing well! my legs are not!), my afternoon was spent working on this mac n cheese project:
I developed a recipe (and blog post) for the Wisconsin Cheese Council’s 30 Days, 30 Ways blog (I did a bleu cheese + veggie mac last year!) Recipes are my favorite freelance projects ‘cause I get down and dirty.
But guess what – for the FIRST TIME EVER – in 3.25 years of blogging – I deleted my photos!!!!!!!!!!
You see, I use an Eye-Fi card, which automatically uploads my photos for me. But when I take a ton of photos (like the 100+ I took this afternoon) sometimes the order messes up. I filled up my SD card and thought they had all uploaded but it turns out they had not – and I cleared my card. What to do!?
Turns out you can download (and pay for) memory card restorers (I knew this when it happened so I did not panic) and that erasing the photos doesn’t mean they are gone – I believe it just means they are now writable and will be covered up one by one. So my photos were found ($30 later..) and all is well.
Ghost photos risen from the dead.
Look for more info on this recipe in a few weeks when the blog kicks off January 20 on National Cheese Lovers Day!
What was served above was morphed into a casserole for dinner –
And enjoyed with our friends Simmons and Matt
First, a beer. Pumpkin beer!
We chatted for a while (we have so many mutual friends and locations with these guys it’s scary!) and then sat down to dinner
We served the casserole with a side of bacon crumbles, which I would have put inside except I didn’t want to alter the recipe
Simmons + Matt brought a delicious chunky salad
With greens, apples, cranberries, feta, homemade dressing and tons of toasted walnuts (we both used toasted walnuts in our recipes!)
Both of ‘em tasted great – especially with a splash more beer!
For dessert we shared some Peppermint Bark the Monson family gave us for Christmas – mmm!
I’ve been neglecting my book…
Kate (What Kate is Cooking) says
January 20 is my new favorite day 🙂
Jen says
Now you are taking after Karen in your easy ability to make friends! 🙂
Ellen @ Undercover Runner Eats says
Those programs are LIFESAVERS! I accidentally reformated my memory card on the last day of a 2-week European vacation and I was heartbroken because I thought that I had lost them all for ever.
Ashley says
Yum yum yum!! The entire dinner looks awesome. I’ve deleted photos as well, but they weren’t ever for anything too important, so I haven’t had to pay for the memory card restore thing. 🙂
Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says
I never delete photos until my card completely fills up (after 900 some photos) juuuuust incase that happens. Of course that happens in less than a week or so. Glad you got ’em back!
Estela @ Weekly Bite says
That mac & cheese looks amazing! I’ll be looking forward to your post 🙂
goodnight 🙂
Hannah says
Can I have some, please? I’ll pay for the overnight shipping to Australia (is that even possible?) 😛
Jil @ Big City, Lil Kitchen says
Glad you got the pics back! – they’re gorgeous and the mac n cheese looks amazinggg.
Val @ Balancing Val says
I’ve never heard of an Eye-Fi card.
Sounds like I want one though!!
Leila @ Spinach and Skittles says
Glad you got your pictures back – I hate that gut feeling in an oh sh* moment! Can’t wait for January 20th. What cheesy concoction shall I make? Hmmm…
[email protected] says
Good to know about the memory card restoration!
Vanessa says
I’ve deleted photos before.. My heart literally stops. Never used an Eye-Fi card though. Thank God you were able to recover them!! Dinner looked great!
Sara @ myfancytuna.blogspot.com says
Wow, I totally love traditional mac n’ cheese, but your recipe looks SO good! So many fun textures and flavors 🙂 I’m figuring out that textures really make a meal for me – I have to have variety!
Candy (Healthy in Candy Land) says
So glad you recovered your photos! How do you get such great pics in the evenings when it is dark outside? Do you use a flash or ambient lighting?
Kath says
There may be umbrella lights involved 🙂 🙂
Sarah @ See Sarah Graduate says
Ahh! that looks amaaaazing! can’t wait to see the recipe!
Jasmine @ Eat Move Write says
Wow. I think I’d completely freak out if I deleted my pics. That’s a nice safeguard!
Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) says
Omg heart attack with the photos! I have about 20,000 photos on my iphoto on my Mac. I never delete them. And about a year ago I got a backup external drive and I backup my ‘puter every day b/c honestly, if I lost everything from my daughter’s 1st halloween to a blog meetup I had to our vacation photos, I’d die. But that is very cool info about the photo restoring thing…for $30…that is a SMALL price to pay for restoration! yay you got them back! 🙂
J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) says
That mac n cheese looks superb! Funny, I’ve been thinking about walnut crust all day and there it is. YUM!
I could have used that memory card restore last year when my Xmas pictures vanished off of my Eye-Fi card!! As soon as I mentioned it on my blog, Eye-Fi emailed me and offered to restore them for me. I guess the memory card restorer didn’t exist back then?
Heather (Heather's Dish) says
if that’s not a perfect dinner then i don’t know what is…HOLY yum!
rebecca lustig says
i had no idea you could get lost photos restored! i admire the dedication ha!
Amanda (Eating Up) says
That’s so cool–ghost photos! Crazy what technology can do these days!
Namaste Gurl says
I love me a good mac n’ cheese recipes– do let me know when the recipe comes up, looks yummy :)!
Katy (The Singing Runner) says
Ahh! I would have freaked! At least you were able to get them back! 🙂
And my goodness, I can’t wait for the recipe to be published!
Alaina says
There’s a National Cheese Day?? That will be a holiday for me! 🙂
I love the idea of drinking out of a mason jar.
Camille says
Ooh, dinner looks fabulously cheesy and delicious! I can’t wait to hear more about your recipe!
Christine says
I deleted photos once several years ago, of my dad’s surprise 50th birthday party. I was able to find a free tool online to restore them….but $30 isn’t too bad — and now you have it just in case!
MMmm brie. I just had some tonight as an appetizer at a dinner my boss treated us to! It was fab — but not as good as the butternut squash primo (first course)!
You’ve been having some really lovely evenings lately!
carlee says
That chunky salad looks awwesome! I’m so jealous of all the time you have to make yummy foods! Mine are all quick healthy recipes! Lol
Aylin @ Glowkitchen.com says
This has inspired me to make my own mac&cheese rendition. This dinner looks great!
Heidi - apples under my bed says
oooh yum! Looks great. Love the brown rice pasta shells too.
Heidi xo
Maryann says
Thank goodness you were able to restore those pics! Peppermint bark= amazing.
Michelle @ Turning Over a New Leaf says
Eye-Fi card? Never heard of it, but it sounds perfect! I may need to get myself one of those. Sometimes I come home and have 1000+ photos to upload in a single sitting. It’s not pretty!
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
ah, technology! all is not lost – thank goodness!
Nellie says
I had no idea you could recover pictures memory cards. Sometimes I feel like I’ve been living under a rock the past few years! Good to know. Your dinner party looked fun and yummy.
Laura (Starloz) says
oh peppermint bark, holy yums. & that salad looks great, amazing ingredients!
Freya (Brit Chick Runs) says
I’m yet to delete photos, but I just KNOW it will happen and I’m dreading the day it does :'(
The food looks great! And thank you for my blog comment 🙂
Katie says
Having dinner at your house would be awesome! You and Matt always are having something delish!!
Glad to hear Karen is doing good! Sorry your legs are not from all that biking!!! Good exercise!
stacey-healthylife says
Both pasta dishes look really good. Love that salad.
Tessa says
First of all, you inspire me to exercise more frequently. Seriously girl! On another note, that mac looks uhh..how do i say, awwweesome! I might recreate with goat’s cheese (cows milk free here).
Jessie -- TheMessieKitchen.com says
I’m totally biased to Wisconsin though I live in Virginia. I’m pretty sure my extended family is half the population!
Simply Life says
what is an eye-fi card? Glad you were able to figure it out!
Kara says
I love the idea of bacon and mac’n’cheese!
Lauren says
Oh no! I’ve done it before though and almost had a heart attack. It’s similar to that feeling when you realize you delete a big paper that you’ve spent hours on. Glad you recovered them and good thing too, this looks insanely delicious!
Jess says
Ugh. That was probably the worst feeling! Dinner looks amazing, though!
Melomeals: Vegan for $3.33 a Day says
I love your salad bowl! What a bummer about your pics.. uugghhh..
Jennifer says
Hey Kath! In addition to knowing you pre-blog in real life, I also know Simmons in real life from college 🙂 Hope you’re doing well! Enjoy 2011!
Kath says
I thought that might happen!!
alana (at) the food says
simmonds is a great name, non?
that salad is making me drool right now…i feel that my body needs some veg..stat!
Beth @ DiningAndDishing says
Can’t wait to see the recipe – mac and cheese is one of my favorite things to make for a crowd! Who doesn’t like it?? And I love all the unique twists on the dish we’re seeing lately :).
Jen @ keepitsimplefoods.com says
The mac n cheese project sounds great! I love that they feature a different cheese each day.
Amalfi Girl (EatRunHaveFun.blogspot) says
That mac ‘n cheese looks insane. Can’t wait to check out the recipe!
Lisa Fine - lisasfoods says
I love hearing about your fun freelance projects. Would you do a post about freelancing at some point – how people find you, what your favorite projects have been, and how much time they typically take?
Kath says
I suppose I could consider that. Generally though, companies will email me that they are looking for a writing project or recipe development. My deal is that I don’t do sponsored posts ON KERF but I will do them on your blog. I also require a fee for guest posts 😉 They range in time from a few hours to a few days, depending on the planning and/or research that needs to go in.
Jenifer says
OMG.. I am drooling and now craving mac and cheese at 9:30 in the am. I’m on a calorie budget right now of about 1650, just trying to shed some lbs. Any idea of the calorie count in that amazing, yummy, concoction? I think I’d even get up and do the 5 am spinning class at the gym to eat that. Lol. Have a great one and let me know the next time you hit Richmond!
Kath says
To be honest the only thing healthy about it were the veggies inside! The sauce was not low-fat at all. I’m sure it was like 400 calories per portion or so.
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
Yum! I made a mac n cheese the other night too – it was delicious! Perfect comfort food!
Ashley (The Vegetable Life) says
I can’t wait for that Mac N Cheese Recipe it looks awesome! It is the most perfect comfort food, I love a good Mac N Cheese!
Allison K. says
Simmons is a rad (yes, rad) name!
Stephanie says
Everything about this post looks SO delicious! I cant wait for the recipe 😀
Shannon @ A Better Me says
Uh…that looks AMAZING! 😛
Kelly says
Most SD cards come with a teeny tiny recovery disk, but I guess the Eye-Fi doesn’t? That sucks you had to dole out $30 to get your pics back, but I think it’s worth it!
Marilyn says
Do you mean a book you’re writing?? Or reading?? I didn’t know you were writing a book, if that’s what you are referring to. If so, congrats! If not, what book!?
Kath says
Reading “Save Haven” by N. Sparks. Not quite ready to write one!
Anna Menser says
Such a small world!! My mom went to Queens with Karen (Linda Theus) and knows her well…AND I grew up on the same block as Simmons and her family is my 2nd family. I read your blog and had to do a double take when i saw Simmy and Matt 🙂
Kath says
wow!!! I love it when that happens 🙂
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
Oh my gosh, thank goodness you were able to get your pictures restored! I accidentally deleted a school project once and I absolutely freaked!
Lisa says
Peppermint Bark will be the death of me. It’s the one holiday treat I cannot resist!