Spaghetti Squash with Jalapeno Cream

Last week I purchased my Bountiful Basket and spaghetti squash was in it.  The rest of the basket was pretty good too, but this one was the only one we weren't sure what to do with.  My work spouse and her sister both tried this and loved it, so we decided to give it a whirl.  Verdict: 4.5 likes in this house.  Mom, Dad, and I really liked it.  B liked the taste but not the texture.  My friend's husband thought they were cheesy mashed potatoes and that would be a pretty apt description, but they were more like scalloped potatoes.

1 spaghetti squash
2 cups milk
2 to 3 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for pans
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded jack cheese

*We used jalapenos from a jar (about 3 tablespoons worth and that was plenty) and colby jack cheese.  Kassie said the next time she would use only 1 whole jalapeno, 2 was too many for her husband.  She also ate this for breakfast for two days, it was that good.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Cut squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon or melon baller to remove seeds and surrounding fiber.  Put squash, cut side down on a lightly buttered baking sheet and bake until tender when flesh is pierced with a fork, 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm milk and jalapenos until bubbles form along the edge of the pan.  Remove mixture from heat and let sit 15 minutes.  Strain and discard jalapenos.  (My dad added them back to the dish at the end).

When squash is cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scrape the strands out of the skin and into a large bowl.

In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter.  Whisk in flour and salt adn cook, whisking until flour smells cooked (like pie crust).  Slowly pour in jalapeno-infused milk while whisking.  Reduce heat to medium adn continue whisking until mixture thickens slightly.  Pour mixture over squash and stir to combine.  Transfer mixture to a buttered 2 quart baking dish.  Sprinkle with cheese and bake until bubbling and brown on top, 20-30 minutes.


The recipe came from www.myrecipes.com and was featured on the bountiful basket blog.

Coming Home

I was auditing out of town this week and arrived home this afternoon.  I was hoping the cleaning fairy would have made a stop while I was gone, but was pleasantly surprised to find that B had replaced the toilet in Willa's bathroom.  Glamorous, right?

We had made a stop at Home Depot before we went to see the Avengers last week and picked on out.  I had figured we would get to it when my parents were here in a few weeks, but he is checking stuff off the list.  No prob there.  He also did a tiling project in the kitchen which I wasn't expecting and now I want to do the whole wall, the tile is gorgeous.

I went to pick up Willa and I it seems in just 4 short days she has gotten more articulate and just cracks me up.  She told me all about their week on the way home.  We got home, and in an effort to slow down a little we didn't turn on the TV at all.  Just did puzzles, laundry and cleaned up the living room.  We had so much fun and as I was organizing she found some flashcards and her homemade ABC magnet game, so she was in heaven.

I also sold some things on the FB yard sale page today.  Nothing real exciting and not big dollars, but cents add up and things are going out.  But speaking of selling things....The Duck Hunter found a new home last week.  We bought the boat when I was pregnant with Willa and used it several times that summer, a few times the next, and not at all last year.  B decided it was time to part with it, and before he could change his mind, I listed it on FB.  We took the first offer thinking we wouldn't get any better and then of course had two more shortly after.  It went to a good home and we used the money to buy our Christmas flights home.  Plus, now the backyard looks even bigger without the boat in the corner.

The Farmer's Market starts tomorrow and I found a gal that is selling fresh eggs for $1.50 a dozen.  We have been trying to eat better and you can't beat fresh I say.  Crossing our fingers the weather stays nice over the weekend so we can get some yard work done.  Last weekends rain/snow storms really put a damper on the three day weekend.