Working, whisking, and creamy mac-and-cheese.

Overwhelming doesn't have to mean intimidating, and I'm learning this more and more every day. Like today, my first at the new job, when I got just a glimpse of how much my working life is going to change, and how busy I'm going to be, and how much I have to learn...yes, you could say it was a little overwhelming.

But overwhelming in a way that's normal, I think, because change certainly isn't easy, and I suppose I better get used to that now, given the many changes to take place in the next year. If you're wondering exactly how the first day went, well, it went really well. Great people who really know what they're doing, in an office that I know I'll get used to. It just takes time.

And that's kind of the frustrating part: the time. I'd much rather fast-forward to a few months from now, when I'm feeling more comfortable with the office and my new responsibilities, and I might still be the new girl but not so much that I feel almost clueless. That's where the patience comes in, though -- another thing I'm constantly learning to grasp, whether waiting for a roll of film to develop or whisking a thick paste into a creamy sauce.



This macaroni and cheese recipe was a bit overwhelming, and 8 to 12 minutes of constant whisking might have intimidated me had the recipe not been perfect to serve when my sister and her fiance came over for dinner a couple of weekends ago. It is Martha Stewart's Perfect Macaroni and Cheese, after all, so I told myself I could do this and went out and bought the expensive cheeses and everything.



Of course, in perfect moral-of-the-story form, the confidence and patience paid off. Served alongside roasted veggies and salad, this mac-and-cheese is bound together with a sauce that is rich and creamy in a way that's actually not overwhelming at all.

So I guess what it all comes down to is that I'm still just in the whisking stage of this new job, and a lot of things, actually. Like wedding planning or learning to take good pictures or simply living each day. Just keep whisking.



The original recipe can be found here, but I ended up following the version at Smitten Kitchen, instead.