Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats

This recipe is from Skinnytaste and looked awesome.

Spaghetti Squash Sausage Lasagna Boats

Via Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:

• 3 small to medium spaghetti squash (about 5 cups cooked)
• salt and fresh pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup part skim ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley (or basil)
• 3/4 cup whole milk shredded mozzarella cheese

For the Sauce:

• 1 tsp olive oil 
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 14 oz Italian chicken sausage
• 14 oz (1/2 can) crushed tomatoes (I prefer Tuttorosso)  
• salt and fresh pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped basil

Go to the website for the directions.

*I used organic Gouda cheese instead of Ricotta Cheese and didn't add any Mozzarella and organic ground beef.

But, basically...

Cutting a Spaghetti Squash can be difficult in fact dangerous!

The shell is hard hard hard.

So, I've come to learn to cook it in the oven for abt 15mins in a dish w/ water to let it soften up and then remove it and cut it in half. Much easier! But be careful because it will be hot.

Cook at 400deg. for an hour more or less.
It usually takes 45mins.

You'll know if it's needs to cook longer because the "noodles" are stiff and crunchy.

Spaghetti Squash is actually a beautiful thing once it's cooked and tastes yummy.
It should taste yummy and to me sweet.
Not bitter and gross that you have to spit it out.
Yuck.

For the meat sauce...

Chop up garlic and onions
Infuse in hot pan w/ oil
Then add meat and cook
Add can of diced tomatoes.
Plus, S&P
Dried Basil
& Bay Leaf.

Let it simmer for 20+mins.

I really wanted to add fresh basil, but the grocery store down the road from was closed and the other two stores I went to didn't have it. Darn it!

It still smelled good.

Grate your cheeses and chop up the parsley and mix together to top it all off.

Once you have the squash shells ready...

Mix the "noodles" and meat and put inside
Then add a little more meat sauce on top.
Top it all off with the shredded cheese/parsley mix

Wow, this smelled delicious and of course the Fish Fam enjoyed it :)

And for leftovers I put this over baked potatoes and grated more fresh cheese.

Yum.

Brussel Sprouts & Sausage

While we were food shopping I asked my should we get Brussel Sprouts?

My oldest exclaimed, "YES! I love Brussel Sprouts."

Haha, there was a lady standing next to us that looked over with a surprised look.

I threw together this dish by chopping up...

Fresh Garlic, minced

Onions, diced

Potatoes, peeled and cubed

Brussel Sprouts, bottoms cut off

and cut in half

I started to pre cook the sausage in a pan on the stove, but didn't cook all the way.

I put everything in a big bowl and added sea salt (I like Redmonds), peppercorn (from the pepper grinder), and Italian Herb Seasoning, and then drizzled plenty plenty of oil all over and mixed it all together.

Preheat oven 400 deg or so for 30-40 mins.

While the food was baking I rinsed and washed the quinoa and cooked in on the stovetop.

To get the Quinoa to turn out good I always add 2 cups water to 1 cup quinoa on high heat and bring it to boil, then once it starts boiling, immediately turn it down to med-low, a tiny bit on the low side put a lid on it and set the timer for 15 mins. Take the lid of and stir it around a bit. It should come out really great and fluffy.

I also made some yummy cornbread.

Recipe here. My hubby says it's too moist and to try less liquid.
Instead of butter milk, we cow milk alternative.
Coconut, Rice, or Soy Milk. The coconut and soy are thicker.

I like that this recipe has very little sugar 1T, but I added honey.
We buy this super good kine for many healthy reasons.

My kids like to go and dip their little finger in the jar all the time!

I love that the kitchen is the heart of our home and that...

:) Happy Tummies = A Happy Heart <3 

Chicken Potpie Soup

Taste of Home has some really great recipes and this Potpie soup looked good.

The recipe here was easy to follow.

Instead, of your traditional pot pie in a pie crust, which was my absolute favorite that my mom made, you make these little pie crust disks to dip in your soup. The Fish Fam enjoyed it!

Two days later we had the leftovers and this time my sweetie wanted it over biscuits.

So I found this recipe.

 I just wish mine would come out looking like that. Work in progress!

Both meals turned out great and smelled delicious :)

Very nice fall time comfort foods!

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies!

Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

My kids of course loved the sprinkles we added!

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Instead of chocolate chips I added special Halloween pumpkin spice M&M's.

The fam loved these ones!

I dropped some off to my next door neighbor and she said they were super good.

Last, but certainly not least...

Real-Deal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I got to enjoy these almond flour based cookies w/ Enjoy Life's dairy, nut, & soy free chocolate chips.

I'll tell ya it's been over a year since I've had a cookie, so these were awesome.

But, even one little cookie was too much and I had to just take a bite, but wow they are the real-deal!


I made all these cookies within one weekend and had so much that we froze some for later. Perfect!