Spaghetti Squash with tomato "meat" sauce

I just finished my dinner. I could not wait to write this post. I have been meaning to make this for a couple of weeks now, but haven't had a chance. However, I was determined to make it this week. (I think I can, I think I can!)

Well, let me tell you how yummy it was. So so...yummy! Alyssa and Logan really enjoyed it. Kat, not so much. She didn't really like the texture of the noodles. Whoever said that Spaghetti Squash tastes just like regular pasta, LIED!! The texture was like tender crisp green beans, so there was still a crunch to the "noodles". I didn't mind it, neither did the little kids. Logan had two bowls of it. :)

Spaghetti squash after I roasted it in the oven and
scrapped the flesh.

Spaghetti squash with tomato "meat" sauce

Update - Quinoa Veggie "Meatballs"

I was so obsessed with my "meatballs" I couldn't sleep the other night. So guess what we had for lunch on Tuesday? Yep, that's right, VEGAN Quinoa Veggie "Meatballs". They were so good. Kat wasn't such a fan, she said she missed the meat, but Alyssa and Logan both enjoyed it. :)

I double my recipe and omitted the egg and used 1/4 cup rice flour. Yum! I didn't even notice the difference, but it did make 33 "meatballs" more then double what I had the night before. Oh well, more yummy-ness for tomorrow. :)

My little "meatballs" before heading into the oven.

Quinoa Vegetarian "Meatballs"

I have been looking for a good quinoa "meatball" recipe. I figured since it is so tasty and filling, quinoa would be a great alternative. I have seen lots of recipes for vegetarian "meatballs" which use chickpea and black beans, but   after all my searches, I have found only one recipe which uses quinoa. I have seen many blogs which reference The Small Boston Kitchen and her Quinoa Veggie "Meatballs". Of course, I had to try it! :)

Dinner - Vegan Food Night

I am really trying to stick to my weekly meal regime, but I'm finding it harder then I first thought. Mainly because I am truly out of ideas for dinner sometimes. My husband really doesn't like having the same thing every night. For example, we had quinoa two nights in a row, that was enough for the week. Even though, I made two different recipes but using quinoa. Oh well, there are other options, I guess. ** After reading my blog, my husband advised me that I was incorrect in my statement about him not liking the same thing two nights in a row. He said that if I made homemade lasagna every day of the week, he would gladly eat it every day. Geez!! Is that a hint and a half or what!!?? :) **

Tonight was Vegan food night. I actually really like vegan night because there are so many great recipes. I truly love finding new and yummy recipes, then making them my own. As a mommy of one teenager, and two rowdy little ones, it's tough sometimes to plan and execute vegan meals. Seeing as today was Sunday, I had a little more time. Yay!

Vegan Butternut Squash Mac 'n Cheese with a side of
Vegan Eggplant and Zucchini Sticks.

Pasta a la Vodka

Today, I was out of ideas for dinner. I decided to make my go to supper, pasta. You might think pasta is pretty boring, everyone makes pasta. Well, yeah. It's cheap, and can feed a crowd in a short period of time. Most of the time...I said it before, I will say it again. I am a total glutton for punishment. *sigh*

Well, I always have to make my "own" pasta sauce, which consists of crushed tomatoes, my own spice blend - some fresh some dry, lots of veggies, a mix of ground beef and sausages. Oh, and at least a couple of hours of simmering too. Tomato sauce is definitely a long process, but well worth the effort. Tonight was sadly not a home made tomato sauce night. I didn't have the time and the hubby was on his way home.

After a quick search and racking my brain for possible sauces, I decided to make my husband's favourite sauce, Vodka sauce. Quick and easy especially because I did have a can of tomato sauce, I was planning on using it in my stuffed peppers.

Quick and easy Pasta a la Vodka

Alfajores with Dulche de Leche

Oh how I love my dulche de leche. I can eat it right out of the jar or can. I have had it on cheesecake and had it dipped with toast. Yum!

I have been trying to find more things to make with dulce de leche. I was going to make cupcakes filled with it, but I just haven't mange to get myself to make them, yet. So I did a short search and came up with Alfajores. They are basically short bread cookies with dulche de leche sandwiched in between. Very popular in South America, specifically Argentina. Alfajores are made differently depending where you go in South America, but it is a traditional Arabic sweet.

Well, I found a recipe from the Martha Stewart website, which is a recipe from fellow blogger Matt Armendariz of mattbites.com, who has been blogging since 2005 and has about 50-60 THOUSAND HITS A DAY!! WOW!! (I'm just happy to see 1 or 2 from people who are not myself, friends or family. LOL!)

Here are my first attempt at Alfajores. They turned out pretty yummy. They looked cute too, but there were way to big to sandwich together. I don't have a mini cookie scoop, so I used my cupcake one. LOL!

Alfajores with Dulche de Leche and Chocolate

Baby Shower Cupcakes

Today, I sold (for actual money) my first batch of cupcakes. It was pretty random. A lady whom I use to work with was having a baby shower and asked if I could make her some cupcakes. Yay! She thought of me. :)  I think know it's because of my many, many pictures of previous cupcakes, I have posted on my Facebook page - which are all posted here too.

She requested chocolate cupcakes with blue and white frosting. Simple, yes. Did I make them simple, no. Yes, I am a total gluten for punishment. *sigh* I worked so hard to make an impression. I think I succeeded. She sent me an e-mail right after her shower to thank me and tell me how wonderful the cupcakes looked.

Well, here are some pictures and you can be the judge. Oh, I also decorated the box with little words and ribbon. Totally over the top! LOL!

Molded little bears - cupcake toppers

A moment to reflect - 9/11

First off, I would like to quote my sister-in-law's Facebook status today:

For the husband who told his wife I love you one last time before his plane went down in a field, for the wife who stopped in the stairs to call her husband to say I will love you forever, for the mothers and fathers who kissed their kids goodbye the morning they died, for the policemen who rushed in with the firemen to help get others out only to die themselves. Today, tomorrow, ten years from now, we will remember!

I cannot believe it's been 10 years since the Twin Towers were destroyed, in an event that changed with world forever. I still remember when it happened. Watching breaking news, while frantic news crews were trying to cover the story of the first plane hitting Tower One. Then, watching helplessly with tears streaming down my face , we watched the second plane hit Tower Two. There were no words, just utter shock.

Many lives were taken, and many more people have lots loved ones. I wanted to take a couple of minutes to thank all the men and women, who risked their lives saving the unsuspecting victims of that day.

Thank you! Thank you!

And I would like to let those who did lose loved ones in the horrible attack; I cannot image losing a loved one as you have, but I cried and mourned for their loss, as if they were my own  husband, mother, father, sister, brother and child. My heart and prayers go out to you especially on this day.

Today, tomorrow, ten years from now, we will remember!

Experiment #1-2: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Cupcake

Well, my second attempt of my everything bad free, but taste yummy was kind of a 50/50. I didn't actually make a frosting for it because I could not figure out how to make sugar free frosting. However, I did find a recipe to substitute powdered sugar, but I didn't have an Stevia on hand. Oh well, next time.  :)

Well, this time I did a mixture of Corn and Coconut Flour, sweetened the muffin with honey and used my usual vegan recipe. Well, it turn out more like a brownie then a muffin. It was dence but not dry - does that make sense? My mother-in-law was here when I took them out of the oven, so she tried one. She has been staying away from high-gluten foods. They have been upsetting her stomach, hence me, trying to score huge "brownie" points for making a dessert she can have.

My husband did take them to work, there are a few diabetics there. There were some pretty good reviews as well, only because there were presented as brownies, not muffins. Like I said, there were 50/50. Yes, yummy, but no, not as muffins or cupcakes.

My Brownie Muffin

Busy Cooking! :)

Well, I haven't posted anything in a couple of weeks, but don't think for a second I haven't been cooking up a storm. Life just gets in the way sometimes.

Today I am preparing to make another everything free cupcake. I'll post a verdict on Experiment 1-2 soon. I'm really excited. Weird, huh?

Oh well, here are some pictures of my latest family meal creations. If you would a recipe for any of my meal, post a comment and I'll post the recipe. There have been too many to keep track.

Slow Roasted Chicken with stuffing and pan gravy