WIAW: Meal time

Okay this week is dragging.  Maybe it’s because one week from today will mark the last day before maternity leave.  Wheeeeeee  

And if you haven’t already, I highly encourage you to check out the giveaway for the glass pendant necklace.  If not for you, then as a gift for your fave fab friend for Christmas

Oh and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sweet comments on yesterday’s maternity shoot post.  If you’re interested I’m happy to post more, just let me know. 

Today, is of course, What I Ate Wednesday (see here to join the party) and my focus is on meals – sounds obvious huh, but I’m much more a snacker than a meal person so here are a few ‘meals’ I’ve been snarfin’ down.

Tis the season of the spaghetti squash – one of my favorite gourds to eat.  I tend to go with a marinara sauce or even a Mexi salsa mixture, but this time around, I went with pesto, and baked tofu (smothered in garlic powder and ground black peppa)

Seeing how I’m still trying to eat as much protein as possible, I do make an effort to actually eat some meat now and then.  We made this dish up on Sunday night: hickory smoked pork tenderloin, purple & green asparagus, and sweet potato.  Not too shabby eh?

Okay okay this may not constitute a meal per se, but while the hubby is away, I go for convenience: blueberry chobani, 1 scoop protein powder, spash of skim milk, and 1/3 cup Raisin Bran Crunch.  Oh and you see that popcorn on the side..yeah that came later

And not to be left  out: PIZZA!  I’m obsessed with pizza lately.   We’ve ordered from Pizza Hut twice in two weeks and are in love with the pan crust and extra sauce.  So freakin’ good.  I think Zach is loving my pregnant food habits. 

Are you more of a snacker or a meal person?

What’s your favorite pizza delivery place?

Mexi Spaghetti Squash and Candy Corn Cookies

Guess where I went last night?  Sweet Tomatoes!!!  Yes it is deserving of 3 exclamation points because I never get the hubby to go to buffet-like places even if they are really healthy like ST.  Verdict –> Meh   Some parts were good, but it sort of was just another buffet like place where you are free to eat too much mediocre food.  You live, you learn right?

And moving on to some recent eats…

Do you ever get bored of the same creations?  Yeah, me too.  But I’m a sucker for being able to easily mix things together and have a delicious meal or treat result. 

Enter Mexi Spaghetti Squash:

How to make spaghetti squash (Shanna-style): wash outside of squash (so when you cut it, bacteria doesn’t get in); stab it multiple times (maybe 12) all around using large knife and going in 1/2”.  Pop in microwave and cook in 4 minute increments rotating lengthwise after each increment.  When you can push the flesh in with your thumb, it’s done!  A large squash will take about 14 minutes.  After about 10 minutes of cooling, I cut in half, remove the seeds/gunk and spaghetti away. EASY!

As for the Mexi flair, any ol’ mixings will do.  I used 2 green bell peppers, one small yellow onion, a can of roasted diced tomatoes, a can of (rinsed) black beans, some fajita seasoning and the salsa of your choice.

Saute the green peppers and onions in 1+ tbsp EVOO along with your fajita seasoning for 10 minutes.  Add your tomatoes and beans, followed by your salsa.  Let simmer at low heat (while your squash is cooking).

Serve with tapatio sauce and some chips!

And for a treat, Candy Corn Cookies:

And because I’ve been wanting an excuse to dig into my 2nd bag of candy corns of the season, I figured I could bake with them.  I used the original Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe as my base – minor changes, like adding in a dash of cinnamon, omitting the nuts, and halving the chocolate chips.

The special ingredient was 1 cup of candy corns cut in half.

The result is a tasty classic recipe jazzed up with a bit of Fall-lovin’

How do you jazz up your recipes?

What do you top your spaghetti squash with?

Do you love candy corn as much as I do?

Worms in my squash

I love spaghetti squash.  Every time I go to the grocery store, I pick one up knowing it will be put to good use.  And, like all my produce, I feel a self-induced pressure to eat them within a week or so.  However due to Thanksgiving, we had to save the squash for this past weekend. 

I had high hopes of teaching the hubby how to master the preparing of spaghetti squash since I adore it so.  I told him to rinse it and make several ‘stabs’ like you would a potato pre-baking.  He took the stab very literally and sliced that sucker through.  Argh.  No worries, we just kept poking other parts and it was still very much in tact.

After micro-ing it until the outside was soft, we removed it and I had Zach cut it in half. 

He  did.  And asked “are there supposed to be worms in here?”  I was thinking that the stringy meat or seeds was what he was talking about.  Nope.

Gourd worms are gross

This is what we found.  And honestly I almost threw up in my mouth a bit.  The squash seeds started to sprout within.  Sooo disgusting. I’m sure we could have removed them and ate the good stuff, but I was pretty scarred at that point.  I’m wondering what the heck caused this???  Overripe?  Too long in front of a window?  Zach’s stab wounds?

On to another topic while I have your attention.

Last night some friends were in the country that we hadn’t seen for quite some time.  So I did what I never do and actually went out on a work night.  I was very concerned as to what time I was going to eat dinner since I have strict 8p cutoff that I never ever disobey. 

As 7p came upon on with no food in sight, I got anxious.  Even more so at 720p.  Then finally after 730p, we opted to go next store to a cafe to get food.  My order was in by 745p.  I had 15 minutes to receive and gobble my food.

My food (vegetable and black bean soup) arrived at 8p.  EEEEEEeeeeep.  What do I do?  You may think I’m silly but I seriously never break my 8p rule unless it is a holiday or I’m on vacation. 

What did I do?  I ate it.  And it was good.  And I felt guilty as hell. 

I tried to stay up an extra 15 minutes as if that would combat it.  Oh the little mind tricks we play.

Well you know what?  I gained a 1lb since yesterday.  Hurumph.  That tells me I should never eat past 8p again (yes I’m being a wee bit sarcastic).  The 1lb could be water weight, natural fluctuations, etc.  But I’m still bummed. 

Okay that’s all I have to share

Have you seen “worms” in your squash?

How can I release my hold on my 8p-rule???