follow up on the spagetti squash recipe

I honestly cannot give this a true judegement... I screwed up on multiple levels and had to "wing it".
However.. my dad gave it a "not bad" rating.. which is almost a compliment coming from him. My fiance gave it a "I just ate a halls and can't smell anything, so I can't say one way or the other" rating.
As for me.. once I remembered to put the garnish of the basil... I thought it was pretty decent.
I will tell you I used sangria instead of red wine. Sangria tastes really good with it when you make it with sangria lol. I'm guessing red wine would taste really good with it too.

overall verdict.. gonna try another day :)

Crockpot apple butter

I just got another delicious sounding recipe from my friend Angie! I cannot wait to try this one. I LOVE apple butter, and this sounds so easy that I simply have to try it! thanks again angie!

crockpot apple butter makes 6 to 10pts.
4 quarts finely chopped apples
23/4 cups sugar
2 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
...1/8 teaspoon salt
pour apples in to slow cooker and combine the other ingredients and drizzle over apples. cook on high for 3 hours stir once an hour, then put on low and cook for 12 hours using a wisk once an hour to get the lumps out.

easy rhubarb jam-frozen or canned

4 cups sugar
5 cups Rhubarb
boil for 15 minutes
add 1 pack strawberry jello


I'm always looking for easy recipes, and this one certainly fills the bill. I think I'm going to add some fresh strawberries to it and make it strawberry rhubarb jam :)
Thanks Angie for sharing this recipe!

spaghetti squash recipe

I have a spaghetti squash sitting on my counter and I had no idea what to do with it. I've NEVER cooked with one before. Afriend gave it to us thinking I knew what to do with it. nope. lol. Luckily for me, my cousin was looking for something 'different' to make for dinner..and a friend of her's posted this recipe.. Which looks soooo goood! I am looking forward to trying it soon. I'll update on how good it is vs how complicated it is, since it looks a lil on the complicated side lol

1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
•6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
•Salt and ground black pepper
•1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for topping, if desired
•1/4 pound thickly sl...iced pancetta, chopped
•1-1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
•1 carrot, peeled and cut into small dice or shredded
•1 medium onion, cut into small dice
•3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
•1/4 cup tomato paste
•1/2 cup red wine
•1/2 cup beef stock
•1/2 cup fresh basil (about a handful), chopped
•1/2 cup fresh parsley (about a handful), chopped

PreparationPre-heat the oven to 400ºF.

Place the spaghetti squash halves, cut-side up, onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of EVOO, salt and pepper. Turn the squash over so they're cut-side down and roast until the flesh is tender, about 45 minutes to an hour. Once cooked, use a fork to loosen the squash strands up. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons EVOO, ground black pepper, and a sprinkle of cheese. Reserve squash in the shells.

While the squash is roasting, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with two turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the pancetta to the pan and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the sirloin to the pan and cook until golden brown, 6-7 minutes. Add the carrots, onion and garlic to the pan and cook until the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.

Season everything with salt and pepper, then add the tomato paste, cooking it until golden brown and aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the red wine and beef stock, scraping the bottom for any bits that may be stuck, and cook the sauce until thickened and slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

To serve, ladle the meat sauce on top of each squash half and garnish each with fresh basil, parsley and additional Pecorino Romano cheese.