Fun with Spaghetti Squash...

So I've been cooking with spaghetti squash lately. I don't ever remember eating it as a child, but I have really found to like it! So I have used it in two recipes so far. It's really easy to work with and it can be used in recipes that call for pasta, or just used as squash. I have tried two recipes so far and they are below!

The first one that I have used a few times is from Better Homes and Gardens, via pinterest (Oh how I love pinterest!) I first found this because it is South Beach Phase One-friendly! (For my husband). It is spaghetti squash with chili. 

You will need the following:  

1 spaghetti squash (about 2lbs)
8 oz lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (though I tend to use more)
1 14 oz can corn
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained (I normally just use the tomatoes without chiles because I have a young daughter, but whichever works fine)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce, with no salt added
2 tbsp tomato paste, with no salt added
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano


1. First thing you want to do is preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Then cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes. Then take the halves, cut sides down, on a banking sheet. Bake 45-50 minutes or until tender. Once it is finished and cooled a little, take a fork and shred and separate the squash into strands. 

2. Now, onto the chili! Take a medium saucepan. Add ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook this until the meet is brown and onion is tender. Drain the fat.

3. Stir in the undrained tomatoes, corn, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and dried oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. 

4. Serve the meat with the spaghetti sauce and you have yourself a meal!

The next recipe is Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin. This one was bomb!!! It tasted just like potatoes au gratin but so much better. I love potatoes au gratin..I never knew it could be better. But it really is!!! I got this recipe from Dandy Dishes. 

You will need the following:


1 spaghetti squash
2 tbsp butter
1 small yellow onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (i used a colby jack blend and way more of that. If you are a cheese fan, like me, then you might need more like 1- 1 1/2 cups)


1. First things first. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. This recipe calls to microwave the squash. Doing that or oven baking it like the above recipe work just fine. Cut the squash and remove the seeds and membranes. Place in a covered dish with 1/4 inch of water and microwave 10-12 minutes. 

2. While this is happening, take a medium pan and add the butter, onions, red pepper, thyme, and cook until onions are slightly brown in color. You can add whatever other spices you want (I did some garlic).

3. Once the squash is done, take a fork and scrape out the insides. Transfer them to a bowl. Combine the squash, onions, sour cream, and half the cheese together and mix well. Put the mixture to a greased baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. 

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. 

Enjoy! Both of these dishes were so good! I'm excited to continue using spaghetti squash and see what else I can do with it :)

stay classy :)

Chicken and Orzo Stuffed Tomatoes

Now I love me some tomatoes...I also love pasta....but I have never been a fan of chicken salad. But this recipe was awesome and I have been thinking about it all week! I even made enough to last me throughout this week's lunches so that came in handy. 

I got this recipe from Poor Girl Eats Well. If you haven't checked out her blog, you should. She has a ton of money-saving recipes that are healthy at the same time!

So here goes...

You will need the following:

3-4 medium to large tomatoes (We used beefsteak tomatoes and they were plenty big)
1 cup cooked orzo
1 cup cooked chicken, cubed
1/4 cup herbs of your choice (we used cilantro and basil)
1/4 cup scallions (we used red onion instead)

For Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper

1. Make the vinaigrette. That way the flavors can marinate while everything else is getting ready.
2. If you haven't already, cook the orzo and the chicken. Feel free to put some of those great herbs in with the chicken!
3. In a separate bowl, once cooked, combine the orzo, chicken, herbs, and onion/scallion and mix well. Toss with vinaigrette until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. You want to make sure the flavors get well mixed!
4. While that's happening, slice off the top of each tomato and carefully scoop out the flesh, seeds, and juice. Once the orzo mix is done sitting, take it out and scoop it into the tomatoes. 

And you're done! You can also buy grape tomatoes and just mix it with the salad if you can't find big enough tomatoes to put the salad inside. 

The Joys of Baking Soda :)

Hey there-

I haven't done much DIY stuff this week but I thought I would pass along some beauty tips using baking soda that I heard from friends and family! Here goes :)

Every month, my aunt Carol washes her hair and then puts 1/4 cup of baking soda on her hair. She then rinses it and conditions it. She told me that it strips your hair of the residue from shampoo and styling products! It also doesn't affect color (Not sure about perms though). 

My friend, Andi also mentioned that she mixes baking soda with some cold water. She then rubs that on her face instead of using face wash. She has seen great results! 

I have also found some great tips here and here. It's great because baking soda is so inexpensive! I use it in a ton of other things (Febreze, laundry detergent, and fabric softener). It's about time I started using it in my beauty products!

Stay classy :)