Spaghetti Squash Delight

A delicious, healthy, all-veggie dinner...it's available right in your garden or your local Farmer's Market.

Boil one small to medium spaghetti squash until tender to the touch (about 45 minutes). Note: I do not recommend the crockpot...the texture disintegrates in the crockpot!

Split open, scrape out the seeds, and then use a fork to scrape out the seed-free tender, buttery strands of spaghetti squash. 

Toss it with a little butter and olive oil to taste, blanched broccoli, fresh tomato, mushrooms, Parmesan, and little chunks of cheddar cheese. What a treat--you'll love it!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Grow

Garden Bliss

Taking care of your garden is like taking care of yourself. Sometimes you're kinda low-maintenance (like when the balance of rain and sunshine is perfect!) and sometimes you require quite a bit more attention to keep yourself green, growing, and giving. There may be more weeding and watering to do when the world around you is out of balance--but there's always the beautiful harvest. It sustains you.

See? A lot like the garden.

My garden seems to give back to me all summer long. It starts with the early crops, like the herbs, lettuces, and radishes, and keeps on going with flowers for the table, constant cherry tomatoes to snack on, basil for pastas, pestos and bruschetta, and spaghetti squash any night of the week.

Tip: always grow basil and tomato together, they are companion plants.

Spaghetti squash is easy--just boil it until slightly fork tender on the outside, then slice in half, discard the seeds, and use a fork to shred out the beautiful golden strands of yummy squash and toss it with olive oil, garlic and Parmesan--top with basil. Delicious and low-carb too.

Spaghetti squash

 Sometimes I get busy--tired--lazy and don't want to deal with the heat and the bugs...but my garden has not let me down. I make it out there, and I'm always happy and I actually get more energy from it too. Until the other day, I didn't really know why. I thought it was just the fresh air and sunshine.

Then I found out about "earthing."

"Earthing" is the practice of staying in contact with the earth's energy that nature freely provides us--a natural form of anti-aging medicine. I love to just kick off my shoes and feel the warm earth and grass in my toes, so I guess I've been earthing and didn't even know it! I've read that a good thirty minutes of earthing is all you need. Seriously, this info is out there, so you can look it up, but it is interesting, no? When I was little we ran barefoot outside almost every day. We just called it, "playing outside."

I'm "earthing" in the garden!

I'm celebrating the last days of August because I'm starting to realize that time is going to be limited on the goodies from the garden. My bento box lunches always have something fresh lately.

 And what could be easier for dinner than just tossing together some pasta, olive oil, splash of Italian dressing, fresh basil and cherry tomatoes!

 My garden has also given me some HUGE sunflowers! When their beautiful heads start to dip down, it's time to harvest sunflower seeds and dry them. I'm excited.

 
I have some beautiful leeks growing and these can stay in the garden even when there's snow on the ground. So I'll be making my leek and potato soup to warm us up this winter. Our whole squash patch has become squash planet...we have zukes, cukes, eggplant and pumpkins! At least one of the pumpkins is going to be a Halloween decoration.

Take care. Keep your life weeded, watered and sunny, and you'll keep growing and blooming.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Grow

A Perfect Day to Use the Slow Cooker - Herb Themed Dinner

Easy Slow Cooker Roast Chicken - click here

Roast chicken stuffed with herbs is a great summer meal--but you don't want the oven heating up the kitchen for two hours. So I am reposting a favorite slow cooker recipe--and the biscuits take very little time in the oven, so it's all good. 

Dessert -- Lemon Squares
Whether you grow your own fresh herbs, or gather some at your farmer's market, chicken and bread dishes are some of the best ways to use them, but don't forget dessert! To keep the herb theme going, of course, I recommend the Lemon-Lemon Thyme Squares (make them early in the day), they are perfect with iced coffee!
Lemon-Lemon Thyme Squares - click here
Iced Coffee recipe - click here - from one of my fave cooking shows

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Bento Box Lunches

Years ago, I purchased a couple of Tupperware containers from my friend's son for his fundraiser. Now, mind you, Tupperware is not cheap stuff. But it was a fundraiser. I didn't realize I was actually purchasing a Bento-style box. Over the years, these things have held up well, and I love them for bringing breakfast on the go or lunch...hey, they'd even work for dinner. Just depends on what you bring. And we all know the huge savings of bringing vs. buying.

 I snapped pics of these box lunches during a busy week when I didn't have that much variety in the fridge or the pantry--but somehow, pulled some Bento lunches together for both my daughter and I. 

So here they are...and watch for part two. Cause I'm so crazy about bringing a box lunch like this, that I've already found and purchased some more  Bento boxes in some cute styles and forms! Sadly, I can't seem to find these very boxes in the Tupperware catalog anymore--but there are websites that specialize in the Bento box, and I have found plenty of styles at various stores. Now that we are getting into summer--I hope my Bento lunches are packed with fresh fruits and veggies and much more interesting salads. This was a week where we were just getting into spring--so that's what I had to work with. But I love fresh veggies, and this makes lunch easy and fun. Happy lunching!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Bento

Cheesy Rich Italian Roni Mac

This is a perfect potluck casserole-for-a-crowd...it makes a big ole dish of rich, yummy, lasagne-like pasta.

Plus, it is easy to make and goes together quickly for a layered pasta.

Total cook time: 45 minutes


CHEESY RICH ITALIAN RONI MAC

INGREDIENT LIST
16 ounces roni mac noodles (could also use pasta shells or penne)
1 24-ounce jar pasta red sauce (I used Ragu roasted garlic)
1 lb. pork or turkey sausage
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 stick butter
8 ounces low-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
8 ounces low-fat small curd cottage cheese
2 cups shredded colby cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

DIRECTIONS
Spray a 9X13 casserole dish with non-stick spray, slice up two tablespoons of the butter and place on the bottom of the dish. Cook the noodles, and place half of the noodles in the casserole dish. Cook the sausage, add in onion, toss with the jar of red sauce. In a mixer, blend cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese, and spread the white cheese mix over the noodles. Top with remaining cooked noodles, slice up the remaining butter and place around on top of the noodles, then top the whole dish with the sausage/sauce mix. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees, top with the shredded cheese, and bake for 15 more minutes.

Leftovers heat up well!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

SIMPLE HUMMUS RECIPE

Hummus is one of my family's favorite dips...just add some tasty flat bread and it's so good. However, it is expensive--so we consider it a treat. I started reading labels and realized that hummus should be easy to make. It's garbanzo beans and olive oil.

I'm sharing my first hummus-making experience with you. Here's the ingredient list I used:
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1/2 cup olive oil (use a good, extra virgin olive oil)
1 can garbanzo beans (drained and peeled)
Scallions, chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced
Salt to taste
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First, I peeled the garbanzo beans to make for a smoother dip--this takes a few minutes, but it's no big deal. After that, I say add the amount of onion and salt that you prefer. It's fun to experiment and you really can't go too wrong!

Garbanzo beans, drained and peeled

Extra virgin olive oil - first cold press

Process until smooth - very quick!

Process all the ingredients in your food processor until it's a smooth, but maybe just a little bit chunky dip, and it's ready to serve and enjoy.

EAT WELL, WRITE OFTEN, DREAM DAILY, STITCH HAPPY

Cheesy Golden Potato Bake

Also known as "scalloped potatoes" this golden cheesy variety is my family's favorite. We always have them at holiday dinners, and sometimes, like the other day when I was home all day, I whipped up a small dish for a simple family meal. Winter food of the gods!!

Cheesy Golden Potato Bake
4 yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
cracked black pepper to taste
1 cup milk
1 to 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Slice the potatoes in very thin rounds--you really need a food processor with this attachment, or a mandolin slicer, or what I use--my Saladmaster! (a tool that I'm pretty sure hardly anyone else on the planet has) Melt the butter in a small to medium size sauce pan and saute the onions and garlic for just under a minute or until onion is transparent. Stir in flour, salt and pepper and slowly pour in the milk, stirring and stirring until the mixture thickens, over medium high heat (you do not want to burn the milk!). Stir in the cheese until melted. This is your sauce.

I got my Saladmaster with all its different slicing cones many years ago.

Layer half the sliced potatoes on the bottom of a greased casserole, and pour over half the sauce. Layer on the rest of the sliced potatoes and pour on the rest of the sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake at least another 20 minutes until golden, edged in brown, and bubbly. Enjoy!

I had to have a cookware party to get this thing almost 25 years ago! Still works great.

Ready to go in the oven!

I almost forgot to take a picture before they started digging in!

Eat well, write often, dream daily, stitch happy.

Slow Cooker Mushroom Chicken Linguine

 This one is for mushroom lovers! You'll easily have these ingredients on hand--I love cooking from the pantry. You can go do your errands while the sauce is cooking, come back, and toss in the pasta!

SLOW COOKER MUSHROOM CHICKEN LINGUINE
Two boneless skinless chicken breasts chunked up
One can roasted garlic mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups sliced baby portobella mushrooms
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
12 ounces dried linguine or spaghetti
2 tablespoons butter
a splash of olive oil
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Place the chicken, soup, water, onion, and mushrooms in the slow cooker and let the sauce cook 4 to 6 hours on low, until the chicken is cooked through. Cook the linguine according to package directions. Drain and toss with butter and olive oil. Toss the linguine and fresh parsley in the slow cooker with the mushroom chicken sauce. Top with parmesan to taste. Easy and delish!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, and make it slow.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken and Veggies

Five ingredients make this one easy meal--Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken and Veggies! This really began as an experiment to see how my homemade salsa would hold up in the slow cooker. I love the results. Everything is flavorful, and when it's done, you can enjoy it as is with some crusty bread--and feel free to top it with sour cream or cheese.

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SLOW COOKER SALSA CHICKEN & VEGGIES
(serves 4)
Three skinless boneless chicken breasts, chunked up
4 potatoes, peeled and diced into large chunks
2 to 4 cups of frozen green beans
1 jar of chunky salsa (home-canned, or store bought)
Garlic salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Make sure the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Enjoy! (Get my salsa recipe right here.)
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Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, and use your slow cooker to make life easier!

A Slow Cooker Shells and Cheese Story

Once upon a time, a girl named Sandy lost her favorite crockpot mac and cheese recipe. She looked everywhere for it. In the kitchen, in her recipe box with the angels on the lid, in her recipe drawer, in her recipe scrapbook her sister gave her years ago and she started and never finished it...and finally in her whole recipe book shelf! Gone. It was simply gone. And when she thought about it, the recipe used some ingredients she didn't even have in the pantry anyway (like a can of evaporated milk). It was snowing outside and very cold--she did not want to go to the store! So, she decided to create a new recipe, with fresher ingredients, and more flavor.

Melting the cheese and butter.

Adding the last of the ingredients.

We smelled it cooking!

This cooked on low for 2-1/2 hours--it's a taste of heaven.

Lauren coats boneless skinless chicken nuggets in flour with garlic sea salt, fresh rosemary, cracked black pepper and dried parsley.

Fry the pieces for about 12 to 15 minutes. Yum!

It worked! It was amazing and delicious with the homemade chicken nuggets her daughter Lauren made, and Sandy, her family and her slow cooker lived happily ever after! (now if only the fairies would flitter in and do the dishes while she sleeps!)

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, and cook it slow.