Instagram Made Me Do It: Macaroni & Cheese By Quinton Washington’s Mom

So, it’s been a minute since something on social media has caused me to run to the store to get the ingredients. But……. I saw a video on BuzzFeedTasty’s (@buzzfeedtasty) Instagram account, and off I went to the store! Quinton Washington shared his mother’s Macaroni & Cheese recipe. Here is my take on it.

Recipe:

• 8 oz. mild yellow cheddar cheese
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese (his was white cheddar, mine was yellow cheddar)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
• 1 T kosher salt
• 1 T sugar
• 1 t black pepper
• 1 (16 oz.) box elbow macaroni
• 3 T butter (his was unsalted, mine was salted) – plus more for greasing the baking dish
• 4 C shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Start a large pot of water heating to boil.
• Cut cheese bricks into ½” cubes.  (I have no idea how big that is, so I just chunked mine.)

• In a medium bowl, add eggs, milk, sugar, salt, and pepper–whisk to combine.

• When water is boiling, add macaroni and cook for 5–8 minutes. (I cooked mine for 8 minutes.) Turn off the heat and let the macaroni sit in the hot water for 3 minutes until tender. (I gauged 3 minutes while I was doing the other prep work.)

• Drain the macaroni and return it to the pot. (Here is where I drained the macaroni and then added the butter to the pan and the cheese. Then I re-read that I was supposed to put the macaroni back in the pan already–so I grabbed the macaroni and put it in the pan.)

• Turn the heat to low, add the butter and the cheese to the macaroni. Stir until butter and cheese are melted.

• Pour the macaroni into the 13 x 9 that you buttered. (Here is where I layered it. I put some macaroni in then added some of the cubed cheese, then added the rest of the macaroni, and then the cubed cheese on top.)

• Add the egg and milk mixture and cubed cheese. (My cheese was already in there, and I just poured the egg and milk mixture over top). Carefully fold into the macaroni until well combined. (All I did was pour it over the top. I didn’t mix anything).

• Bake for 25 – 30 minutes ( I did 30 minutes), or until cheese is bubbling and the top of the macaroni is golden brown.

A final note from me is–try and not eat the whole thing in one sitting. YES, I made this for MYSELF. Yes, it is 8 servings. Well, it is supposed to be 8 servings. I’m guessing my serving size is not the same. Let’s not get into that right now, though.  

Time Marches On

It’s funny how sometimes you are doing something, and it seems like time is dragging. Other times, when you are doing something, it seems like time is flying by. Each of these times, time still goes at the pace it does. It is you that is feeling different.

Time becomes an issue when you begin to state, “I’ll do it tomorrow”, then you realize tomorrow was actually five years ago. What happened there? There is the general thinking that you should be “present” in your life. This means when you are with people, physically and mentally be with them. Don’t spend your time looking at your phone, worrying about something that is happening later, or focusing on the past.

This is a good idea, but for most people, it will take discipline. It is easy to “space out” when you are listening to someone talk about a subject you are not a fan of or discussing some intricate thing in their life that doesn’t really interest you. Being present, though, has many benefits.

One of the benefits of being present is that it increases your ability to focus. You are concentrating on what is happening in front of you, so you are also taking in more information and having a richer experience.

Another benefit is that, at mealtime, you are less likely to overeat. How many times have you sat down with a bag of chips and seemingly two seconds later you are reaching around in the now empty bag wondering what happened to the chips? Certainly, you couldn’t have eaten them ALL?! The other part of that problem is that it takes your food about 20 min to reach your stomach, so you start to feel like Violet from Willy Wonka as you are feeling full, but all of your food hasn’t made it to your stomach yet.

When you are more present in your life, you are also more connected to your surroundings and the people within your circle. This can give you a greater sense of purpose for your life and better relationships. Your sense of happiness can be deeper.

All you need to do to begin is just begin. Notice your breath and your physical body while you are with people. Notice how your clothes feel, what your hands are doing, and what the people around you are saying. If your mind starts to wander, bring it back. Take a deep breath and notice it. It will take time, but you can do this.

An important benefit to being present in your life is that you won’t feel like time is slipping away. You will be mindful of every day that you have, your priorities will align with your time, and you will notice that you are doing more needle-moving activities that take you one step closer to reaching all of your goals.