Have You Tried Spaghetti Squash?

I thought spaghetti squash was the strangest thing I had ever heard of, but I have learned to love it.  The squash is a large, yellow vegetable that resembles a melon.  You can cook it anyway you like, boil, bake or microwave.  I use the baking method.  Slice the squash in half and place the cut side down on a shallow baking pan.  Remove the seeds.  Add a cup of water to prevent sticking or burning.  Bake about 45 minutes.  When it is soft, carefully remove the shreds of flesh from the skin.  They are fine like angel hair pasta.  Using the microwave reduces cooking time significantly.

You can use any kind of sauce you like, or you can add spices and butter, or pesto.  I prefer spaghetti sauce with meat.  Italian sausage is good or meatballs work well. The squash is very bland without sauce and adapts to any flavor you want to add.

This is especially good for people who are trying to avoid carbohydrates because the squash is counted like a vegetable and it has no fat except what you add.

I can't give you an accurate estimate of amount of flesh a squash will produce because the sizes vary.  Try a small one and see how it works for your family.  I would guess that a small squash would produce 2 cups of shreds.

Cheese Toast Is Real Comfort Food

I love cheese toast.  Any kind of sliced cheese will do--Cheddar, Swiss, Mozzarella--on a slice of white or whole wheat bread, placed under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the edges of the bread are crunchy, and you have a delicacy for breakfast, lunch, a snack, or a late-night rendevous. 

In addition to the truly satisfying feel and appearance of this magic morsel, it is also quite nutritious.  Cheese has the same calcium content as milk, and the same vitamins and other minerals.  It gets a lot of press about it high fat and cholesterol count, but the white cheeses are less problematic in that area.

Bread sometimes gets a lot of bad press too, but bread is high in the B vitamins and whole grains have a high fiber content.  All in all, it's hard to beat cheese toast!

Easy Cookie Recipe

Someone shared this easy cookie recipe, and I am sharing it with you.  I tasted the cookies and found them delightful.  I can always use an easy light dessert!

Easy Cookies

1 cake mix, any flavor

1 8oz  tub whipped topping

2 eggs

Add-ins--(chopped pecans, coconut, chocolate chips, etc. your choice)

1/3 cup sugar

Mix whipped topping and eggs in a medium size bowl.  Add cake mix.  It will be thick and sticky.  Add any other add-ins you like.  Roll the dough by  teaspoonfuls in sugar and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 8 minutes at about 350 until brown on the bottom and chewey in the middle.

You can use any cake mix you happen to have and any add-ins you like or, even, none.   If you don't happen to have anything you like, try corn flakes or rice cereal.  I loved them with coconut.