Good morning! I hope things are going well so far today in your neck of the woods.
Yesterday, after coaching Girls on the Run, I drove home and hung out with my mom in the kitchen and helped put the finishing touches on dinner.
On the menu: Spaghetti squash topped with parmesan cheese and ground turkey marinara sauce. Plus a small bowl of pepper slaw on the side.
I don’t like coleslaw, but I love pepper slaw. It’s like a vinegary version of coleslaw without all of mayonnaise. So good!
After dinner, my mom, Ryan and I took Sadie on a walk outside and returned home ready for dessert.
Homemade apple crisp!
Unfortunately we didn’t have any ice cream on hand, but the apple crisp was pretty darn delicious on its own. A great autumn dessert!
While we all dug into our bowls of apple crisp, we got sucked into the new show Marry Me that came on right after The Voice. Did anyone else happen to watch it? I was surprised to find myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion!
Breakfast + Workout
My alarm went off nice and early this morning. I wanted to take the 6 a.m. class at my local Pure Barre studio and made it there just in time! I had a hard time really getting in the zone today but still left feeling happy I went.
I made it back home just as the sun was rising and prepared breakfast to enjoy while I caught up on some work on the computer.
I made myself an egg sandwich and topped a toasted English muffin with two eggs and Laughing Cow cheese and served it with a hot mug of peppermint crème coffee topped with a little whipped cream.
And now my mom is up, so I’m off to spend some more quality time with her today.
Happy Wednesday!
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It’s the season for squash! Have you tried acorn squash with brown sugar and butter? YUM!
Yes! So good!! And now I want to make it tonight… 🙂
If you like acorn squash, you have to try sunny squash!!! It’s so good. Sweet and tangy with a hint of cinnamon and a nutty background. And it’s new! Only been around a short while.
I have a great spaghetti squash recipe that I made up the other night! It made my husband’s top 5 list!
medium sized spaghetti squash
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 large green pepper (chopped)
1 large red pepper (chopped)
1/2 large white onion (chopped)
1tsp cajun seasoning
1 large kielbasa sausage (cut into rounds)
1lb precooked shrimp
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
5 cloves of garlic sliced
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups of milk
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp of flour
salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425 and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil onto a cookie sheet. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and sprinkle with garlic powder. Place face down on cookie sheet and bake for 30 min.
In a large bowl combine the shrimp, sausage, and tablespoon of cajun seasoning until coated. Set aside.
Add remaining olive oil to a large pan on medium heat. Add peppers, onion, and 1tsp cajun seasoning to the pan and cook until onions begin to caramelize and peppers soften. When 7 minutes remains on the timer for the squash increase heat to high and add shrimp and sausage stirring constantly to cook.
Pour 1/2 of the cream sauce into the pan and let simmer until squash is ready.
Shred squash into a large bowl and add remaining cream sause. Pour veggetable/sausage/shrip mix over squash and enjoy 🙂
To make the cream sauce:
While vegetables are cooking and squash is in the oven; add the garlic cloves and butter to a medium sized saucepan on med-high heat. Cook the garlic until it begins to brown and starts to smell like heaven. Add the milk, cheese, and flour. Bring to a boil stirring constantly and let boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add salt and pepper to taste, and let sauce cook down to thicken stirring often so the milk does not scorch.
This sounds fantastic!!! Thank you for sharing!
I totally got sucked in, too! The opening fight was hilarious!
So funny!!!!!!! That’s totally what roped us in!
Same here! I loved it. 🙂
My dad made some homemade coleslaw last week which was AMAZING! I’m not a big mayo fan but he made his own and it was fantastic!
I love that I’m seeing eggs in your breakfast! Eggs for energy, I always say. there’s something about them I never get tired of.
I am super excited about Marry Me. I have loved both of the stars for a while know and was super bummed when Happy Endings got cancelled. So happy to see her back on the screen, she’s hilarious!
love spaghetti squash with ground turkey! I think I am making it tonight! 🙂
I am not a fan of mayo based slaws either. They are usually so soggy and saturated. I like vinegar based slaws too. They have a nice kick to them and there are so many different variations. I like to throw a handful of dried cranberries in mine. Something a little different. How did you come up with the name pepper slaw-I’m curious!
The only squash I’ve ever had is just regular yellow squash!! I need to change this!!! I heard Marry Me was good! Will have to check it out!! Have a good day, Julie!!
oooh that spaghetti squash looks amazing. We made it a few times last winter, but I think it’s about time to bring it back for this year! 🙂
I’ve been so into egg sandwiches lately – with jelly! Learned that from you! This morning I actually put cream cheese and jelly on my English muffin with my two eggs – AMAZING!
I just bought a spaghetti squash over the weekend and totally planning on making my stuffed spaghetti squash recipe…it’s been way too long!
I am loving spaghetti squash with marinara meat sauce…yum!!
I recently discovered spaghetti squash and now love cooking dishes that use it! I just bought some apples this morning so I may have to make apple crisp. Have a great day with your mom!
I got sucked into Marry Me too! Surprisingly entertaining! Just realized that’s the same actress who plays Noelle Hawthorne in Gone Girl. I think she’s great in both!
Sounds like a great dinner! Enjoy the day with your mom.
Spaghetti squash is my fave even though I’m a pasta loving girl.
Can we get that pepper slaw recipe? 🙂 I’m not a coleslaw fan either, but that looks great!
Absolutely! Planning to share it on Friday!
Peppers in coleslaw – I don’t know why I’ve never tried that, it sounds great.
Are you considering working as a personal trainer now that you’ve settled in a bit?
I am actually hoping to teach (ideally Pure Barre and possibly PiYo), but my local studio requires instructors to take 100 classes before they can teach, so I’m working on it! 🙂
It’s been way too long since I’ve had spaghetti squash! It’s so versatile and tasty! And I second the above request for the pepper slaw recipe – I don’t like mayo at all, but vinegar-based slaws are great.
That apple crisp looks so good!!!!
I love spaghetti squash! I agree with you on the cole slaw. It is yummy when it is vinegar -y and not made with mayo. Hope you have a great day with your mom!
Yum! What is it about fall that makes me crave these yummy comfort foods like “pasta”? I need to grab a spaghetti squash next time I go grocery hopping!
And apple crisp?! Oh – be still my heart!
I want to see that show! I’ve seen so many previews! I want your dinner- please make it for me?!
Enjoy time with your mom! I love homemade desserts!
I make spaghetti squash all the time and substitute it for pasta. I also made chicken noodle less soup with it last weekend in the crockpot. It was delicious!
Oooh! I will have to try that! Did you share the recipe on your blog?
Not yet, but soon!
I had spaghetti squash for dinner the last two nights, and I always treat it like pasta. Yummy!
I like coleslaw if its more mayo like than vinegar… cant do too much vinegar!
I definitely want to start watching that show! I watch The Biggest Loser and Parenthood on my iPad NBC app, so I’m hoping this shows up so I can watch it as well.
That apple crisp looks surprisingly healthy. No buttery sugar drizzle that always comes with my homemade version. I’d love to know where you got the recipe. Hope you have a great day with your mom!
My mom just made it up! She combined whole wheat flour, butter and brown sugar for the topping and sprinkled it on top of sliced apples that she tossed in a bit of cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. 🙂
i love spaghetti squash! i haven’t had any squash yet this season, but i think your dinner picture just sparked a craving 🙂
glad to hear that marry me was hilarious! i recorded it on my DVR – definitely watching it tonight!
I love spaghetti squash! It’s so yummy and filling, and I love the stringy texture!
I haven’t seen that show Marry Me, but my husband and I have recently been watching Impractical Jokers on TruTV, and it’s quickly become our new favorite show. We can’t get through an episode without literally laughing to the point of tears. It’s a show about 4 guys who have been friends from high school that compete to basically embarrass each other through assigned pranks and tasks, all caught on hidden cameras. So, so funny!
Can you post the recipe for your pepper slaw?
Thank you!
Sure!! It’s super easy! I’ll share it ASAP — likely on Friday’s Things I’m Loving Friday post. 🙂
We made a spaghetti squash yesterday too! Apparently all the cool kids are doing it. yum!
I love spaghetti squash…i made a recipe with fresh mozzarella and basil this summer-so good. I actually reached Marry Me as well, and I also was cracking up at certain parts. I think I’ll be watching again!
Mmm spaghetti squash & apple crisp both sound so delicious & fall-esque!! Perfection
Peppermint cream coffee sounds define! I love peppermint tea, I love coffee..the two together would be awesome…maybe a mocha peppermint!
I have been wanting to make spaghetti squash forever! Thank you for reminding me! Have fun with your mom 🙂
Oooo, I should totally make an apple crisp soon. Sounds fantastic!
Please teach me your Spaghetti Squash ways! I made it once and it was a hot mess.
I just discovered spaghetti squash and I love it! My BF was apprehensive about trying it, but I made him eat it and he ended up bringing the leftovers to work and sharing with his co-workers. 🙂 We bought an acorn squash that we are going to make this weekend!!
Your peppermint coffee looks super awesome by the way!!
Yum! I absolutely love spaghetti squash – I can make enough for almost my entire week (I live alone) with just one. And I’ve never heard of pepper slaw, but it sure sounds tasty.
Alllll about spaghetti squash right now. Such a great comfort food 🙂 and it lasts forever for 1 or 2 people! Apple crisp looks great — did you make it yourself? 🙂
How do you make your pepper slaw? It looks delish! I’m not a mayo fan either.
Apple crisp is my favorite dessert to make in the fall. Yum!
Julie,
Do you eat before your workouts in the morning? If not, do you tend to feel really hungry during your workouts?
Thanks!
Kayla
I’m curious about this pepper slaw! I love coleslaw, but the pepper slaw sounds interesting, and like something I’d enjoy…please share if you can:)
SO ready for spaghetti squash! I’m making mine in my crockpot tomorrow!
You need to try vinegar based Coleslaw — it’s so much better than the creamy kind!