Posts by Rachel Schultz

A HUMBLY REVOLUTIONARY WAY TO MAKE MACARONI & CHEESE

September 9, 2022

I discovered this one pot, homemade macaroni and cheese that I added some stuff to. What makes it noteworthy? The aforementioned one pot, the lack of needing to make a roux, that is has the thicker, desirable consistency of oven baked macaroni while being made on the stovetop in much less time, and finally, it does not even require butter, but I do toss some in for taste.

It yields the hearty, baked mac texture I love it so much more than the thin, liquid-y type of mac and cheese.

In short, the pasta is cooked in the milk! And, there is a surprise addition of mustard powder and nutmeg to elevate it.

A HUMBLY REVOLUTIONARY WAY TO MAKE MACARONI & CHEESE
Serves eight souls

1 pound pasta
3 cups water
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter (optional)
12 ounces cheddar, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup green peas (optional)
1/2 red onion, minced (optional)
1/4 cup parsley, chopped (optional)
Black pepper (optional)
Parmesan, grated (optional)

Bring pasta and water to simmer in a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Once simmering, add milk and return to simmer.

Once simmering again, move heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add butter, cheddar, mustard powder, salt, and nutmeg to skillet. Stir until cheese is melted. Stop here if you’re that kind of person. Top with green peas, red onion, parsley, black pepper, and parmesan if you’re that kind of person.

A HUMBLY REVOLUTIONARY WAY TO MAKE MACARONI & CHEESE
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 pound pasta
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter (optional)
  • 12 ounces cheddar, grated
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¾ cup green peas (optional)
  • ½ red onion, minced (optional)
  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped (optional)
  • Black pepper (optional)
  • Parmesan, grated (optional)
Instructions
  1. Bring pasta and water to simmer in a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Once simmering, add milk and return to simmer.
  2. Once simmering again, move heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add butter, cheddar, mustard powder, salt, and nutmeg to skillet. Stir until cheese is melted. Stop here if you're that kind of person. Top with green peas, red onion, parsley, black pepper, and parmesan if you're that kind of person.

Adapted from Todd and Diane.

I discovered this one pot, homemade macaroni and cheese that I added some stuff to. What makes it noteworthy? The aforementioned one pot, the lack of needing to make a roux, that is has the thicker, desirable consistency of oven baked macaroni while being made on the stovetop in much less time,

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THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EARLY AUTUMN (APPLES!) CHILDREN’S BOOKS

September 4, 2022

Welcome, welcome AND I’M EXCITED. Many hours, over years, have gone into the creation of a new series, of which this post is the first. I love managing our home library, but also I think one of the most central, beautiful, and important parts of being a librarian is the preserving and passing on of information. So I know I’m getting a tad grand here at the start, but I love curating book collections (and I don’t discriminate against “lower” art mediums so movies too) that are beautiful or good in some way to share with others. And I am highly selective!

I love maintaining and collecting a home library and I like passing on lists and curations to my friends and readers. In general what I look for in children’s literature (and all art forms) is a piece that somehow captures some of whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of any virtue, praiseworthy – meditate on these things. (That list is from Philippians 4.)

Autumn has three distinct phases to me. First is September, which is all about apples and back to school. October is peak, pure, bright, classic autumn. And then November is Thanksgiving, along with the more overcast, moody autumn, which I love. ALL THREE ARE INCREDIBLE. For organization, this post is children’s books for early autumn (September and back to school) only.

Books that come out into the house annually for a season are going to be powerful for family culture so I want to find good ones. I consider this work to be refining a child’s palette. I am helping shape an appetite for what is good, as defined by God.

  1. Applesauce Day by Lisa J. Amstrutz
  2. How to Grow an Apple Pie by Beth Charles
  3. The Apple Seed by Tamar Cohen
  4. Autumn is for Apple Pie by Wendy Dunham
  5. Apples by Gail Gibbons
  6. The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons
  7. How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro
  8. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman
  9. Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington

All of these on amazon (at time of posting) would be $112 to get the whole slate. If you wanted just a few, I’d say the shortlist of the very, very best are Autumn is for Apple Pie, Applesauce Day, and How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World – in that order. But, all of these are strong and over a long time I have sifted MANY ugly or poor ones, even just within the early autumn niche!

If it’s helpful, I put all these as amazon links, so you can source them easily there! If from this list you know of one I’ve missed that sounds like I’d like please tell me!

This post is a part of my very selective curations series of books and movies.

Welcome, welcome AND I’M EXCITED. Many hours, over years, have gone into the creation of a new series, of which this post is the first. I love managing our home library, but also I think one of the most central, beautiful, and important parts of being a librarian is the preserving and passing on of information.

READ MORE

DOING A BACK TO SCHOOL DINNER FOR YOUR FAMILY

August 25, 2022

There are all kinds of back to school events, but it is very cozy and special to have a big meal together at home for the start of the school. The seasonal elements I most like to use for early fall are apples, school supplies, and some light sunflower presence (for the appropriate late summer essence.) A really classic menu is great for this back to school occasion.

You could do perhaps lasagna (with homemade noodles), a green salad, garlic bread, milk, apple crisp, and vanilla ice cream.

Below I have a few more ideas to add to the table to make this meal even more distinctive.

PATTERNED APPLE PAPER TABLECLOTH

Roll out a big roll of white paper (available at hobby lobby, and lots of places) across your tablescape. Mark an “x” in pencil where each apple goes. Children paint red circles. Add a small green leaf with paint. Draw on stem with brown colored pencil. This tablecloth turns out so charming. I love small scale patterns.

CRAYON NAME PLACECARDS

You’re seven crayons and a hot glue gun away from these. Glue crayons together in a two by three by two structure. Keep these for next year! Use trimmed notecards to write names.

GRAPH PAPER MENU CARD

(1) Name cards and (2) a printed menu are two, I think, highly underutilized features to include on your home table for slightly special days. They are very simple to put together but add so much. For a back to school menu card, just slice some grid paper, draw on a bright yellow border and write out your dishes. Cute children’s handwritten cursive is as appropriate for this meal’s menu card as ever! (But I love it all the time.)

CENTERPIECES

A perfect low cost centerpiece is a few stacks of some children’s literature – The Hobbit, The Boxcar Children, Anne of Green Gables, Stuart Little, The Magician’s Nephew and late summer sunflowers in simple vessels.

PLACE SETTINGS

Everyone likes a fresh notebook and I love the pattern of the iconic composition notebook. Place one under each table setting for a little back to school dinner favor, and a layered pattern for the tablescape. I add a folded light blue napkin underneath the menu card because light blue looks good with everything and feels like a part of the back to school color palette the spread needed.

— —

A lot of building family culture (so important) is simply marking things out to be a little special, more than just going through the motions of life. And then doing the same things again next year! Now it’s a tradition.

There are more posts on motherhood here.

There are all kinds of back to school events, but it is very cozy and special to have a big meal together at home for the start of the school. The seasonal elements I most like to use for early fall are apples, school supplies, and some light sunflower presence (for the appropriate late summer essence.) A really classic menu is great for this back to school occasion.

READ MORE

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