Summertime “Spaghetti”

I’m combining a few different recipes (as I like to do every once in a while) to create what I will henceforth call summertime “spaghetti”. I’m taking part of a meal that my grandmother cooks, combining it with another meal she cooks, and then adding an element I found on pinterest. I dare say it turned out amazing!

Summertime “Spaghetti”

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 med. zucchini
• 2 small yellow squashes
• 1/2 vidalia onion
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1lb hamburg
• 2-3 c spaghetti sauce
• italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt.

Start by cooking the spaghetti squash. I’ve never cooked one before so I’m trying it the way my mother cooks butternut squash: cut it in half lengthwise, place it face down on a cookie sheet with just enough water to cover the bottom, pierce the skin a few times, and bake it in the oven at 350 for about 45 minutes, until it is tender enough to separate from the skin.

While the spaghetti squash is baking, slice the onion, zucchini, and yellow squash and saute in olive oil until tender. Set aside.

Brown the hamburg, drain, then add spaghetti sauce and sauteed squash.

Discard the seeds in the middle of the spaghetti squash, then pull it apart using two forks and place it in a pan. Drizzle with olive oil, season with italian seasonings, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt to taste, and saute until it’s just barely starting to brown.

Serve the spaghetti sauce mix over the spaghetti squash and ENJOY!

Secret to my Smoothie

Green smoothies seem to be all the rage right now so why not give it a try? I was already making smoothies for myself with avocado in them so I decided to try one with spinach.

Green Smoothie

• 1 Frozen Banana (I learned the hard way that it’s better to peal them BEFORE freezing them…)
• 1/4c Peanut Butter
• 1/2c Cooked Spinach (or a couple hand fulls of fresh baby spinach)
• 1 Scoop Whey Protein Powder
• 1 TBSP Honey
• 1/4c Baby Oatmeal (my secret ingredient!)
• Enough Vanilla Almond Milk (or any Milk you prefer) to almost cover the mixture)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

The thing I like about using baby oatmeal as opposed to regular oatmeal is how it affects the consistency. Every time I used regular oatmeal, it ended up all grainy. I had all this extra baby oatmeal lying around so I gave that a go and it was sooo much better! It thickens the smoothie while maintaining a perfectly smooth consistency. You still get the benefits of adding oatmeal without the graininess! Win!

Pizza with Spinach and Ricotta

I had some left over spinach and ricotta cheese that I needed to use so I decided that for pizza night, I would try something new. I used my Dad’s secret pizza recipe for the sauce and dough which, unfortunately, I have been denied permission to share, leaving you to either seek your own recipes or use store-bought, both of which are perfectly fine.

Preheat the oven to 425. I rolled out the pizza dough, attempted to form a circle, and placed on a greased pizza pan. I spread sauce over it, leaving about 1/2 an inch bare for the crust. On my half, I put a few dollops of ricotta cheese on top of the sauce.

I then spread shredded cheddar cheese over the entire pizza, being sure to coat the crust too, and sprinkled my side with spinach.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese and crust start to brown. The final product was amazing and left me wanting more!

Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork

I am thoroughly enjoying having a kitchen again! This past weekend was C’s first birthday and we had an intimate party for him. As host, I was going to provide the main course and have our guests bring sides. I decided to try a bbq pulled pork recipe that my grandmother shared with me. I was skeptical but it was so unbelievably easy and it turned out amazing! I felt like superwoman because I was able to cook while I slept.

Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Port

• 1 Pork Roast
• 1 Can of Root Beer Soda (any brand)
• 1 Bottle of BBQ Sauce (any brand)

Put the pork roast in the crock pot and pour the can of root beer soda over it. Turn the crock pot to low and let it cook for about 8 hours. When it is done, take the pork roast out of the crock pot, discard the  soda, and shred the roast. Return the shredded meat to the crock pot and drown it in a bottle of bbq sauce. It can be served right away or kept warm on low.

Pregnant Wife (& Pot Roast)

This cold is going to be the end of me! In my professional opinion, it has progressed from a cold to an upper respiratory infection. My OB/GYN wants to try over-the-counter cold meds before jumping my system with antibiotics. So far, no good.

So, I haven’t been having the “normal” pregnancy symptoms that you hear about. Here are my symptoms: horrible upper respiratory cold, vivid dreams (every time I fall asleep – even naps!) sore breasts, fatigue. The nausea started up today but I cannot tell if it is caused by the baby or the cold.

I’ve fallen in love with my slow cooker today *dreamy sigh*! Can cooking get any easier?! I’m making a pot roast today and it looks good (I think it smells good too but I’m stuffy and nauseous). The receipe is as easy as cooking it!

Items needed:
1 roast
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 onion diced
6 small red potatoes, cut in quarters
3 cups choped carrots
3 cups mushrooms, chopped

Set slow cooker to low.  Chop onions. add roast, water, soup, herbs, spices, and onions to slow cooker.  Let simmer 4-6 hours.  Add veggies after 3-5 hours.  Let simmer 1-2 hours and serve

Looks good, doesn’t it: