Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

True story.

I just ate spaghetti squash for the first time last weekend.

My lovely sister-in-law made it for me.

It was a party in my mouth.

So now I'm obsessed and I think its the coolest veggie ever.

During my nightly Pinterest session I stumbled upon this recipe and had to try it.

I use to LOVE me some Fettuccine Alfredo but stopped eating it because I always felt so guilty afterwards.

Not anymore folks.

Ingredients:

- 1 Spaghetti Squash

- 1 tablespoon of butter

- 2 1/2 tablespoons of flour

- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic

- 1 tablespoon cream cheese (room temp)

- 1 1/2 cups milk

- 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

- Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Poke a few holes deep into the squash with a large knife. Place squash on baking sheet and bake for 60 minutes. Let squash cool for 10-20 minutes after baking. Cut in half length wise then scoop out the seedy inside leaving the "spaghetti strands." Use a fork to gently scrape the "spaghetti strands" into the middle. 

2. Melt the butter in a sauce pan. When melted add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Stir in the cream cheese then the milk. Bring mixture to a simmer and the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan Cheese and season with salt and pepper.

3. Pour Alfredo sauce over each squash half and gently stir. Sprinkle with a little more Parmesan Cheese and place under the broiler for 2-4 minutes until golden and bubbly. 

*I used low-fat cream cheese and milk to make it lighter.

*One spaghetti squash is plenty for two people but this recipe can easily be doubled if preparing two squash.

Breakfast Casserole with Herb Seasoned Stuffing

When you have a baby things don't always go as planned. 

Okay they like never go as planned.

So when I invited friends over for breakfast last week I knew I needed a dish that I could make in advance.

I could just see the baby throwing a fit or having a diaper blowout while I was trying to get breakfast ready.

Then my friends would walk in on a hot mess, both me and baby and immediately regret saying yes to breakfast at my house with a screaming poop covered baby and a disheveled mom.

You get the picture?

Not pretty. 

So a breakfast casserole that you make the night before (when baby is sleeping) was the obvious route to take.

This dish is easy to make and the herb stuffing adds such a nice flavor.

Give it a try this weekend!

Ingredients:
- 1 roll of breakfast sausage, regular or hot
- 1 package of Pepperidge Farm herb seasoned stuffing

- 1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1 cup pepper jack, shredded
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Start by cooking the sausage and onion, crumbling, until browned. Drain and set aside.

2. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread herb seasoned stuffing on the bottom. Top with the cheddar and pepper jack cheese. Sprinkle cooked sausage and onion mixture over the cheeses.

3. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the half and half and milk. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Pour egg mixture over sausage. Cover and refrigerate over night.

5. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Anyone else weird about their chicken wings?

It took me awhile to fully embrace eating chicken right off the bone.

Sometimes it still freaks me out. 

Like when the hubby orders chicken wings from Domino's.

Yuck!

I love all the flavors that go along with chicken wings. 

 When I saw this recipe from skinnytaste I knew I would like it.

 It cooks in the crock pot which is awesome news because I can put it on while the babe is napping. 

That is IF he naps. Sometimes he likes to go on a nap strike. That makes for a really fun day. 

Anyways, you should totally make this dish. 

 Ingredients:
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 clove of minced garlic
- 16oz chicken broth, low-sodium and fat free
- 1/3 cup Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing

Directions:
1. Put the chicken, diced onion, celery, and garlic in the crock pot  Pour in the chicken stock. It should cover the chicken breast, if not, add water. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
2. After 4 hours, remove the chicken. Keep 1/3 cup of the cooking broth and discard the rest. Shred chicken and return to crock pot. Add the 1/3 cup of cooking broth as well as 1/3 cup hot sauce. Cook on high for 30 minutes.
3. Place shredded chicken in a lettuce leaf and top with your choice of condiments (blue cheese crumbles, blue cheese dressings, ranch dressing, celery, carrots, etc...) Roll it up and enjoy!

We used the leftover chicken in a salad the next day.
Yum!

Is It Really March?

So long February.

Atlas enjoyed his first Super Bowl.
He is a big 49ers fan.

I made Cowgirl Cookies again.
I will use any excuse really.
These were for Valentines Day.

I found a new favorite wine.
It's called The Count and I want a case of it immediately!

Marley is still...Marley
Sleeping a good 15-20 hours a day.
When he is awake he is either eating or licking Atlas' feet.
Weird.

Atlas turned 4 months old.
How is that possible?
I feel like I should start planning his first birthday.
Okay who am I kidding, I've already been brainstorming themes.

*All photo from Instagram. Follow me @leanneinwonderland1

Nutella Banana Bread

Nutella + Banana Bread

In the words of Barefoot Contessa, "how bad could that be?"

It wasn't bad at all. In fact it was delicious.

Especially when it is warm with a nice cold glass of milk!

Ingredients:
- 5 tablespoons of Nutella
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 medium ripe bananas, sliced
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup buttermilk *

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine Nutella and 1 teaspoon canola oil in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave at 30 second intervals until melted, stirring every time.
3. Combine 3 tablespoons canola oil, butter, brown sugar, and bananas in a large bowl. Beat at medium-high speed until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well.
4. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beating at low speed, add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
5. Pour half of the batter into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan. Top with the melted Nutella mixture. Pour remaining batter over Nutella. Using a toothpick, swirl batter.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

* If you don't have buttermilk on hand you can always make your own by pouring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup then add enough milk to bring the liquid measurement  to 1 cup. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Then just use whatever amount the recipe calls for and discard the remaining.

*Adapted from Cooking Light