I actually remembered today that I had an early work meeting and got ready a little early for it.
I did make sure to have a nice mug of coffee (freshly ground Larry's beans from Earthfare). These mugs were such a good investment. They make me so happy. I love it when simple things can do that.
For breakfast, I celebrated Bagel Day Friday with a pumpkin bagel with pumpkin schmear. I don't think I'll be wanting that combo after Thanksgiving, so I have to get it while the getting's good!
I worked the second half of the day from today, which meant HOT FOOD! So hard to heat things up at work. I think it's a pain to carry a lot of things, i.e. laptops, bottled water, packed lunches, whatever, all day, too.
I had leftovers from last night's Organic Chicken and White-Wheat dumplings. I don't like the way things taste re-heated in the microwave, so we heated ours on the stove with a tad extra water and covered tightly with a lid.
I followed lunch with a mug of hot Celestial Seasonings tea in Lemon Zinger Green Tea. I tried to capture a picture of the lovely steam for you guys. Tough stuff to capture on camera!
This work week has been more difficult than normal resulting in a rather exhausted me. I felt like napping on the couch (and you guys know I don't like to nap) - NOT working out. But, I told myself I'd feel better if I went to zumba, and you know what...
...I went to zumba and I DID feel better! Here's me right after class with a lovely Aria protein shake. Love that stuff!
When I got home from class, I poked a spaghetti squash and got it cooking in the microwave while I showered up.
Careful when you are poking holes in your squash people! I found my knife often got a bit lodged in and my instinct was to whip the knife back out, which is dangerous. Instead, I patiently and carefully jimmied the knife out with as little pressure as possible. Safety first, please!
These guys are MUCH easier to cut into halves after being cooked. They're hot stuff, though, so you have to watch your fingers.
Seeds and pulp - this stuff's gotta go!
Half prepped
Ready to make "spaghetti".
Dig in with your fork - gently scrape the sides of the squash to get out your "spaghetti".
Mix squash "spaghetti" with marinara sauce.
Stuff squash with mixture.
Top with fresh mozzarella.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Broil to brown cheese once melted (I ran mine for about 2 minutes).
I also toasted our bread under the broiler since we don't have a toaster yet.
Dinner is served - easy stuffed spaghetti squash casserole with Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat toast and real organic butter.
It's not the fastest dinner in the world, but it is darn easy and only requires 3 ingredients! Not bad for a simple vegetarian dinner option.
That's RIGHT - I made the switch from regular butter to organic. Yippee! It was more expensive, but I think it's worth it.
I LOVED mine, but hubby didn't care for it. He prefers meat in his meals.
Dessert = Trader Joe's Truffle Brownie.
Easy Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Casserole
by me
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook spaghetti squash. There are many options available online. Tonight, I poked several holes in my squash with a knife and microwaved it for 9 minutes. I let it sit in the microwave for several minutes to cool.
- Get "spaghetti" out of cooked squash. Half squash and remove seeds and pulp. Use a fork to gently work the spaghetti-like strands out of the squash. I used a spoon to help scoop the squash out. Move "spaghetti" into a separate bowl.
- Mix enough of the marinara sauce with the "spaghetti" to coat the "spaghetti" to your liking (more if you like it saucy, less if you like it drier).
- Place "spaghetti" and sauce mixture back into the spaghetti halves.
- Top squash with thick slices of the fresh mozzarella.
- Bake squash for 10-12 minutes, till cheese is melted.
- Optional, turn broiler on for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese on top. Remove when cheese is cooked to your liking.
- Serve squash with whole wheat toast.
In other randomness, I can't get the new Lady Gaga song out of my head...Bad Romance rocks! What do you think? Are you a Lady Gaga fan?
I love Lady Gaga's songs, but she's a nutcase! Haha ;)
Posted by: VeggieGirl | November 14, 2009 at 07:18 AM
Love how you put the spaghetti BACK into the squash and LOVE the idea of mozzarella on top!!
Posted by: Kath | November 14, 2009 at 09:37 AM
I LOVE Lady Gaga!!! Wheee! I have had Bad Romance stuck in my head all week!
Posted by: Leah @ L4L | November 14, 2009 at 12:12 PM
that's a genius idea for the spaghetti squash!!! got to try it! I love fresh mozzarella cheese...irresistible..
Posted by: Light Delight with Tou Tou | November 14, 2009 at 03:09 PM
I love spaghetti squash and will definitely try making it this way. I also make it with chicken breast, cream of mushroom soup, and broccoli.
Posted by: Kelly | November 15, 2009 at 01:24 PM
omg... I LOVE this recipe... I imagine that it feels so decadent to eat but it's so healthy... next time I pick up a SS this is the first thing I'll make- YUM... thank you :)
Posted by: Rebeca | November 15, 2009 at 11:43 PM
wow! i just love reading your blog! i just made for the first time ever spaghetti squash last night but next time i am defs gonna try your recipe for sure!!!
jenna
Posted by: Jenna | November 30, 2009 at 09:57 PM