A Macaroni Triumph

When I got married, I was cooking (for the most part) dairy-free and gluten-free. It made for some very interesting substitutions, especially with husband's favorite comfort food: homemade macaroni and cheese. My original macaroni and "cheese" recipe used sesame tahini, nutritional yeast, dijon mustard, and balsamic vinegar as the cheese substitute. We have slowly evolved from strict dairy-free and gluten-free to some gluten, and dairy sparingly. During said transition, I have continued to make macaroni and cheese, but with some minor substitutions, like soy milk instead of cow's milk or gluten-free flour rather than regular white flour. Results have been sadly flawed: soupy or curdled cheese sauce (or part soupy and part curdled sauce in the same batch--eek!) or completely bland tasteless paste for cheese sauce. I have finally realized that some things just have to be made perfectly by the book to work. Last week I bought a half gallon of real cow's milk for the first time in almost eight years. I also bought extra sharp cheddar cheese and real butter. I found this recipe http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/04/macaroni-cheese/and followed it exactly. And, after half a dozen attempts in the last several months, I have finally made a good macaroni and cheese. Hallelujah.