Spaghetti Squash

Walking around the farmer's market yesterday, the beautiful fall squashes are out. I love how many different varieties of squash exist - wonderful colors and shapes!

I picked up a spaghetti squash for dinner, hoping I could fool the kids into thinking their vegetables weren't really vegetables, but pasta! Very tricky huh! Addison didn't buy it for one minute - probably because she saw me scooping the squash out of the shell before putting the marinara sauce over it.

She even asked skeptically, "Did you cook the pasta inside the squash?" Her father said yes and I just bit my tongue.

Dinner Tonight cont. - A Success Story?!

I had an evening tonight where I felt like I had gotten down this whole mothering with 3 kids while making dinner thing! The baby sat in his car seat where he could hear the noise and see his brother. Elias was strapped into his chair with play do. And Addison was at the kitchen table doing homework. In the meantime, I threw together a yummy vegetarian chili that I like. Instead of the normal witching hour (you know, between 5 and 6 when everyone falls apart), we had a quiet hour. Addison finished her homework and violin practice while dinner cooked!

Now that is the success part. The secret here is that I also kept them quiet with yesterday's cornbread, reheated in the microwave. Elias had strawberries and yogurt. And Addison made everyone chocolate milk. So when it comes to actually eating the chili, I may be the only one who is hungry. Douglas will eat it later when he gets home, but he will not eat the leftovers. So, I got to make something I liked, kept the kids quiet and happy, but still did not achieve the goal of making ONE dish for everyone.

SIGH. I guess peace and quiet is a good goal too.

For anyone interested, here is the chili recipe:


Quick Vegetarian Chili with Avacado Salsa

3 t canola oil
1 C chopped onion
1 C chopped red bell pepper
2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
2/3 C uncooked barley
1/4 C water
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14.5 oz) can vegetable or chicken broth

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven, saute onion and pepper 3 mins. Add next 5 ingredients, cook 1 min. Stir in barley and next 4 ingredients, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins or until barley is tender.

Serve with any of the following: cilantro, lime wedges, chips and avacado salsa.

Dinner Tonight

Well, I think we've just about tapped out our neighbors and friends when it comes to free meals. Our last rotisserie chicken was dropped off about 30 minutes ago. (Can I just say that I love rotisserie chicken.) So now I have to start thinking about feeding my family solo. Yikes! The more people there are to feed the harder it seems to get. I need dinners that are easy, but they must be something Douglas, Addison and Elias will eat because I don't have time to make 3 separate meals!

You wouldn't think that Douglas would be so picky - after all, beggars can't be choosers! But I have to admit I dread his call when he is coming home from work. "Hi honey, I'm on my way home. Is there anything to eat?" Yes, I reply, but I never give the details because I'm usually still coming up with them! Then the question - "What is there?" And somehow, I know that whatever I answer will determine exactly how long it will take him to actually get home. If the answer is acceptable, he'll see me in 20 minutes. If it is not, he has pressing errands to do before coming home. Or, the worst scenario, is the silent pause and the, "I'm just going to pick something up on my way home." Oh the horror! Oh the pressure! We can't have Brie appetizers and Pasta with shrimp and scallops every night! Sometimes you just have to settle for homemade Mac n' Cheese. And yes, Douglas - you must eat your vegetables too!

I don't mean to be too hard on my better half, perhaps I'm just cracking under the "What's for dinner tonight" pressure. Anyone who has to make 3 meals a day everyday will understand.

So my question to anyone who may be listening - What are you FAVORITE standby meals - the meal you turn to when you want something easy that everyone likes. I think mine would have to be spaghetti.