Jeanne Backofen Craig

I'm a wife, mother, pianist, and runner living in Central Virginia.
You can learn more about me at wecraig.org/jeanne.
My videos can be found on my YouTube channel.

Friday, October 7, 2016

Create. Don't Consume.

The other day as I was sitting around with the TV on (not paying attention), and generally feeling kind of bored, this thought popped into my head.

"Create.  Don't consume."

Now, in the past, I have been the kind of person who fills her schedule as full as possible.  I rarely had "down time."  So I've been making a concerted effort to just relax and do NOTHING at times.  Rest is important.

However, I have found that resting and watching TV that doesn't really interest you is kind of boring.  

That's when I got the idea to start blogging.  I have no idea if anyone will ever read these entries, but it's a way to organize my thoughts, my recipes, or whatever I want.  And I can rest while I do it.  Right now I'm in the recliner with my feet up.  There's no deadline to publish this.  No one will care if I even do.  It's restful and not boring.

So... maybe I'll take up crocheting next.  :p

Create!

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Staying at Home

I was purely a stay-at-home mother from 1996 to about 2000.  I loved it.  I had a little schedule that I stuck to - doing certain chores on certain days.  I took care of my little sons.  It was all I ever wanted to do in life. 

I started working part-time in late 2000, and my daughter was born the following year.  I never did go back to work full-time, even when my kids were all in school.

The main reason is that there is a LOT to be done at home.  My favorite days are the ones where I am home all day long.  I can clean, cook, and have everything ready and done when people get home from school and work.  There's no asking others to do the laundry, unload the dishwasher, vacuum the house, etc. in their spare moments.  Everyone can relax, instead.  There is a lot value in that.

Not everyone can afford to do this, and it makes me wonder about our country and how things have changed.  There was a time when most families got by with one income.  Work policies now are so unfriendly toward the worker and the family.  America, more than any other country, is so driven by schedules.  We're all overworked and stressed.  Taking sick leave or vacation is frowned upon.  When did our society become so work-driven and detrimental toward our personal and family lives?

I wouldn't want to go back to 1950, as a lot of progress has been made in other areas.  But in terms of school and work, I wish our society could go back to a better balance, where people have the option to work less and recreate and relax more.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Recipe - Easy Macaroni and Cheese

I took a Crock-Pot recipe and modified it slightly.  I make it on the stovetop, as I found it all mixes together better.  Sometimes I'll make it ahead and put it in Crock-Pot to keep warm.

INGREDIENTS
32 ounces dry macaroni, or some other kind of pasta.  Shells, rotini, whatever.
1/4 cup butter (I use unsalted)
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1+ tsp. ground dry mustard
1/4 tsp. paprika
16 ounces shredded cheddar

Directions
Make the pasta in a very large pot as directed on package.  While it's draining, melt the butter in the pot you just used to cook the pasta.  Add the soup, milk, cream, ground dry mustard, and paprika.  Mix it up so the mustard & paprika are not in clumps.  Add the cheese.  Mix until the cheese is melted.  Add the pasta back in and stir it up well.

You can put this in a Crock-Pot afterward and put it on the "Warm" setting if you need to make it ahead.

My kids like to sprinkle a little garlic powder and dried tarragon on their individual servings.

This recipe has been very popular with the high school marching band at their annual bonfire.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Recipe - Black Bean & Corn Burritos (or Enchilada Filling)

This is one of my "go-to" recipes that I created based on an old Lentil Taco recipe.  It feeds my grown-up family of 5, with a little left over for lunches the next day.  The only things that require chopping are the onion and the jalapeños.  (I suppose you could buy a can of chopped chilies and use that if you want.)  It is super quick and easy!

INGREDIENTS
olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can yellow corn, drained (or frozen corn, unthawed is fine)
1 can no-salt diced tomatoes, UNdrained
2 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
8-12 slices of jalapeños (from a jar is what I use), chopped

Optional (for serving):
tortillas
shredded cheddar or Monterey-Jack cheese
shredded lettuce or spinach
salsa
enchilada sauce (red or green) - 2 cans per 9x13 pan
rice

Directions
Sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until soft.  Add beans and corn to the pan.  Sprinkle spices all over and stir to coat everything with the spices.  Add the can of tomatoes and mix in well.  Add the jalapeños and stir well, so they're not clumped together.

Turn heat to low and simmer a little while (although you can eat this right away if you want.)

This filling can be served in soft tortillas as burritos, or you can roll it up in soft tortillas and make it into enchiladas.  You can also serve it over rice in a bowl.

If you have a little extra time and want enchiladas...
Put about 1/4 cup of filling in each enchilada.  Sprinkle in some shredded cheddar, if desired.  Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray or misted oil.  Put about 7-8 rolled-up enchiladas in the pan and cover with 2 small cans of enchilada sauce.  Cover dish with foil and bake at 350* for 40 minutes.

Monday, October 3, 2016

Us and Them - on Social Media

Last Sunday, my husband preached a homily - "Us and Them."  It was about our failure to recognize everyone as brothers and sisters.  We classify people - by race, religion, political affiliation, and so on.  First and foremost, we see the differences.  

I know none of this is new.  Division and discord between human beings has been well-documented since ancient times, and they say the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Lately I have not enjoyed reading Facebook.  It makes me sad or angry.  I'm starting to see too many people I know as "them."  The things they say make me wonder how we can be friends at all.  Are we friends?

Then I realized two things.
It's easier to like people you don't know well.  
It's easier to like people when you don't know what they are thinking all the time.  

I'm called to love all people and see them as my brothers and sisters.  I'm not sure what the answer is.  Temporarily, I have unfollowed a whole lot of people.  I hope in time I can forget the things I have read.  Right now, I'm just not feeling the love.  And that makes me sad.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Recipe Review - The Happier Homemaker's Swirled Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread

I have no idea how I subscribed to the Happier Homemaker, but every day I get some new tip or recipe from her.  This one for Swirled Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread caught my eye.

I made the pumpkin part in my Kitchen Aid Mixer (using the regular mixing paddle) and the Cream Cheese portion in my 1-quart Pampered Chef Batter Bowl (using a large whisk by hand).  The cream cheese/sugar/egg/vanilla clumped up inside the whisk at first, and I had to use a butter knife to get it unstuck and back in the bowl.  This broke it up a bit, and afterward it whisked very nicely into a liquid.

I followed the directions and put half the pumpkin mixture in the loaf pan and topped it with the cream cheese mixture.  The next part of the recipe says to put the second half of the pumpkin mixture on top, so I was surprised when most of it sank.  I guess in looking at it, that the pumpkin mixture is more dense than the cream cheese part.  Anyway, I swirled with a knife, like the recipe called for.

After baking, it looked beautiful!


It was a little on the dense side, but sliced beautifully, and my family declared it delicious.  Definitely a keeper recipe!