Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

This is definitely now of my top 5 favorite Pinterest recipe I've found! It's 100% hubs approved too! Even though it doesn't have a single potato, bread, or pasta involved!

I found a pin and followed the recipe to Lexi's Clean Kitchen! I was SUPER skeptical! And SUPER surprised with the outcome!

Ingredients

1. 1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
2. 2 cloves garlic, crushed
3. 1/2 red onion, chopped (Noticed after the fact the original recipe shows the red onion in bigger strips. I would not dice next time, or would use the strips)
4. 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped (I omitted because the hubs hates)
5. 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
6. 1/2 cup sprouts (I found canned in the Asian food section)
7. 1/2 cup scallions, chopped (Chop bigger, not diced)
8. 10-20 large shrimps (Omitted, just didn't feel like shrimp)
9. 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I used a rotisserie chicken)
10. 2-3 organic eggs (3 regular eggs)

Sauce

1. 2 tbsp coconut aminos (I used soy sauce)
2. Optional: 2 tbsp oyster sauce (YES)
3. 3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
4. 1 tsp red pepper flakes
5. 1 tsp ground garlic (Out, I used onion powder)

1. Instructions

   1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
   2. 2. Roast spaghetti squash and set aside  (I cooked mine in the microwave to save time.)
   3. 3. In a bowl mix together sauce ingredients and set aside
   4. 4. In a large pan, sauté 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil with 2 garlic cloves crushed, half of a red onion chopped, chopped mushrooms, carrots, sprouts, and scallions (and any other veggies you like) (Omitted mushrooms, added broccoli. Would add bell peppers in the future. Sauteed for probably 8 minutes)
   5. 5. Once cooked down, add shrimp and chicken (uncooked or slow cooker chicken) and cook for 5-8 minutes, until protein is cooked (Just chicken, already cooked so only 5 minutes to heat through)
   6. 6. Add in spaghetti squash (approx. 3 cups) and sauce mixture, mix well to combine
   7. 7. Make a space in the center of your pan and add in 2 (or 3) eggs (Was unclear what exactly to do here. I scrambled the eggs prior to putting them in. I let them cook for about 3-5 minutes and then stirred through. It didn't look cooked and I was nervous about stirring through, but I went ahead and it worked.)
   8. 8. Let cook and mix well throughout the mixture. (Probably another 5 minutes) 
   9. 9. Taste and adjust spices to desired liking
   10. Optional: Top with extra scallions and finely chopped peanuts on top (I would absolutely not put peanuts on. I love kung pao, but this is not the place for it in my opinion.)
   Notes

   1. If you like more of a saucy Pad Thai, taste and add more sauce as desired (I doubled the sauce. In the future I would 1.5 the soy sauce and double the rest.)

   

   
   

Butternut Squash and Chicken Apple Sausage Sautee Thing! :)

So I LOVE LOVE LOVE Aidell's sausages. I usually just use them in a sausage and potato sautee or my sausage and brussel sprout invention. The other day I noticed a recipe inside the wrapper of my chicken apple sausage. I had a butternut squash in the fridge, so I thought I would try it! Here is the recipe link.
I am not eating rice, so I skipped that part.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: 60 minutes

Description

Ingredients

		7-8 cups chicken stock (I only used 1 can)
2	T	unsalted butter (I used 1 T)
2	T	olive oil (I used coconut oil)
1		medium onion, chopped
4		Aidells Chicken Apple Sausage links, chopped (I only had 2 left)
3	clv	garlic, chopped
2	c	arborio rice (Omitted completely)
1/2	c	white wine (Omitted, I drink red :)
2	c	roasted butternut squash (Didn't measure, just used a whole squash)
1	t	fresh thyme
		salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2	c	grated Parmesan (Didn't need)

Instructions

Place the stock in a large pot on the stove and bring to a simmer.

In a large heavy skillet, over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil. Stir in the onion and sauté until fragrant. Add the sausage and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, until the sausage begins to brown slightly. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter and olive oil. Stir in the wine and one ladle of the stock. Stir until the liquid is almost absorbed. Add the squash and another 2 ladles of stock. Cook, stirring, until almost absorbed. Continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is plump and tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add the thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Garnish with Parmesan.

Here are my instructions

Cut squash in half, brush with oil and roast in oven at 450 for 45 min.  When able to handle scoop out squash with a spoon. 

In a skillet, over med heat, melt 1 tblsp butter and the coconut oil. Stir in onion and sautee 2-3 minutes. Add the sausage and garlic and cook until sausage begins to brown, 2-3 minutes. Pour in half the chicken broth can and cook until liquid is almost absorbed. Add the squash and rest of chicken broth, cook 5-10 minutes until most broth is absorbed. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper.

This has AWESOME flavor! Definitely will be in my rotation!

Chicken Sausage, sweet pepper, roasted tomato over spaghetti squash

If I EVER tell myself I can't have something, try to diet or deprive myself in ANY way, I plummet the other direction. I am the epitome of failure. For instance, last night I ate lucky charms, pickle juice popcorn, and ice cream for dinner. No, I am not pregnant, I am seriously just a dieting failure!

So, in an attempt to just do a little better I came up with tonights dinner. I know I am cheating, this isn't a pin, but it was yummy and I felt like you deserved to read about it!

You know how much I love measuring, NOT AT ALL, so take my measurements with a grain of salt! :)

Recipe
1 package Aidell's garlic gruyere chicken sausage sliced
1 spaghetti squash
1 tsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
12 small sweet bell peppers juilanned
1/2 onion diced
1 garlic clove minced
1 can italian style stewed tomatoes

Directions
cook spaghetti squash to directions, I do mine on 2 minute increments in the microwave. Start it first because it needs time to cool to touch to cut anyway. Poke all around with fork or knife. Microwave for 2 minutes at a time turning between increments. When cool to touch slice lengthwise, scoop out seeds, shred insides to spaghetti and serve.

Heat butter in dutch oven, or heavy stock pot. When melted add onions, garlic, and peppers and salt and pepper to taste.

 Sauté until soft 3-5 minutes over medium heat. Add sausage.  Heat until starting to brown and
and caramelize 4-8 minutes.

Add can of stewed tomatoes and heat through.

Serve over spaghetti squash.

Seriously easy right? Super yummy too!

Thanksgiving desserts!

I was only going to make one dessert this year. There were only four adults and two kids at my house for Thanksgiving :( but then Brody made a request and I couldn't say no.

I chose Pumpkin Pecan Skillet Cake with a Salted Caramel Drizzle.
Brody chose Pumpkin Cream Pie with homemade Whipped Cream.

They were both amazing!

So I found this pin, and I HAD to make it.
Only substitutions I made were I only used white flour and I used caramel sauce.
The original post says the pecans are optional, and they are, but I would definitely include them!
I am planning on making this again over Christmas for my dad!

For my pumpkin cream pie I use this Paula Deen recipe. If your pie crack on top it's either been over mixed or over baked. I have learned from my mistakes!

I top it with this yummy and super easy Whipped Cream!

Needless to say, I ate some sort of pumpkin dessert everyday for a week!  And I enjoyed every second of it!

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Yesterday was a no good terrible day.

So many emotions brought back to the surface just like 15 years ago.

My prayers are with every parent and child who was affected by the shooting at Arapahoe High School yesterday, and I am so thankful it wasn't worse!

So in an effort to love on my kids and just have some time together we decided to make cookies!
I have had the ingredients for these cookies for a while and hadn't gotten to them yet. We really aren't that big of sweet eaters, so we don't make sweets all that often. I am a huge apple cider fan and caramel is my favorite ice cream topping. These delicious little nuggets combine the two and are just about perfect!

I found a pin that lead me to this blog.

I followed the recipe, I often do when baking! I didn't have a cookie scoop so I just used a spoon. I only got 20 cookies, so I made mine too big, but I don't know how I would have covered the caramel with much less. They taste divine anyway! Slightly tart with apple, slightly spiced for the cider, and gooey caramel center! Yum!

Grilled Bacon Ranch Potatoes

Steak, potatoes, and asparagus were on the menu last night. I have tried and like many potato recipes, but felt like something new, so I hit up Pinterest!
I found this pin. It's always nice when you find a recipe you actually have the ingredients for! Granted, there aren't many in this recipe, and that's one of the things that so great about it!

This is an easy prep, throw on the grill, ENJOY recipe!

Basic idea

foil
potatoes (I used yellow)
Cooked bacon pieces
1 packet ranch dressing mix
salt and pepper
3 tbsp butter

Place all ingredients in a large foil packet. I layered mine potatoes, seasonings, bacon, then butter. Close up foil packet and place on grill for 20-30 minutes. Mine were on for right about 30.

Super yummy, super easy, supper for sure going into the regular potato side dish recipe box.

To make camping friendly just make small individual size packets and cook over campfire. Eat out of foil.

Beer Cheese Soup with a Twist

I am so ready for fall this year. Fall is always one of my favorite times of the year. Unfortunately I feel like here in sunny Colorado fall turns into winter way too fast.
There was a chilly day and I totally took advantage of it!

Yes, that is a whiskey and apple cider to help my fall cooking along!

So when I found a pin for beer cheese soup, I knew I had to have it!
She put hers in a bread bowl, I decided to make it too late for the bread bowl so I made my 1 hour skillet foccacia to go with it.
Then I had a genius idea! Next time I am making it in a pretzel bread bowl! Yes, like I said, GENIUS!

The soup itself is so easy! One of the easiest soups I have ever made!
In the end it was full of gooey cheesy beer flavor! This soup definitely tastes like beer. If you don't like beer you won't like this soup.

She says she used a light wheat beer, I used Alaskan white wheat.

I used a half an onion and a whole red bell pepper.

It's almost ready!

The only other thing I did different was I added a link of polish kielbasa with the bacon in the beginning. I sauteed it in the bacon grease before adding the onion and peppers. Then I left it with the bacon and added it back in at the end. It was perfect!

Honestly, I just ate some leftovers for breakfast while I typed this. And once again, this one got a huge 2 thumbs up approval from the ever picky hubs!!!