This is what the coffee cake was supposed to look like -
And when you cut into it? A bit of cinnamon marble heaven!
Whew! I'm so glad it turned out right this time!
We've been having a bit of a January thaw in the Black Hills, so before Old Man Winter headed our way again, we scooted up into the Hills to enjoy some of our favorite sights.
It's an addiction.
A thirst that needs to be quenched.
Everyone was out enjoying the sun!
And the deer were enjoying the salt on the road.
Our time there was much too short.
But we came home refreshed, ready to face another several weeks of cold weather.
I have another spaghetti squash recipe to share with you.
If you remember, I told you about finding a great deal on spaghetti squash a few weeks ago.
This isn't only quick and easy, it's also super healthy! A low-carb kind of meal that's gentle on both your budget and your calories.
Jan's Delicious Spaghetti Squash Casserole
ingredients:
one spaghetti squash, cooked and removed from shell
1 pound ground beef
2 Tablespoons onion, minced
8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or one clove fresh garlic)
optional - fresh or frozen chopped spinach or other greens
Parmesan cheese - freshly grated, if you have it
If you aren't sure how to cook a spaghetti squash, there are plenty of instructional videos on YouTube. Or you can follow my easy directions here: how to cook spaghetti squash.
Put the cooked squash in a large mixing bowl while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Preheat your oven to 375° and prepare an 8"x8" baking dish (you can also double the recipe and put it in a 9"x13" pan).
Brown the ground beef and drain it. Return it to the pan and add the onion, thyme, basil and garlic powder, and the optional greens. Cook and stir until the onion is translucent - about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and combine well.
Add the ground beef mixture to the spaghetti squash and stir well, making sure there are no clumps of spaghetti squash strings.
Pour into your prepared baking dish and top with Parmesan cheese - as much as you like. :)
Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.
Even my pickiest eaters liked this casserole! (At least they did when I left out the greens, lol!)
We will be making this recipe again - I still have two squash left!
One more thing! In March, Love Inspired is re-releasing "A Mother for His Children" in a two-for-one deal with Emma Miller's "Hannah's Courtship." It's Amish romance delight!
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| You can pre-order here! |
So, let's chat. Have you been enjoying a January thaw, or are you still in the midst of winter?
Jan Drexler loves her family, her home, cooking and just about anything made by hand. But she loves her Lord most of all.
Stop by Jan's website to learn more about her books: www.JanDrexler.com
I had a crazy busy weekend and never got over to see Mary Jane's clementine post, so must check it out... but I can't wait to try this spaghetti squash recipe! We're growing spaghetti squash for next season (customer requests) and I need to practice with it! I will grab one this week and play, Jan!!!
ReplyDeleteAND THOSE PICTURES!!!! OH MY STARS!!! Where the deer and the antelope play! Where seldom is heard a discouraging word.... Oh be still my country-lovin' heart!
SIGH..............
And this cake looks much better. :) So funny!!!!
Now I want cake.
The Hills were beautiful this weekend. There was enough snow left from our last storm that the trees were highlighted against the white background, but at the same time, the roads were clear and made for easy driving. The temperatures were in the low-40's and the sun even brought out the prairie dogs. But it's still winter! We're supposed to get more snow today and the temps are going down. :)
DeleteI'm not surprised customers are requesting spaghetti squash! It has become a staple at our grocery stores.
Good morning, Jan. My daughter just made spaghetti squash this weekend, but this is the vegan so her recipe was nothing like yours. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing the gorgeous photos.
The great thing about spaghetti squash is that it's so versatile! One of my favorite ways to have it is as a side dish, stir fried in a little butter with onion and garlic.
DeleteThose photos...they make me want to forget about working today and head back up into the Hills!
When I look at those pictures with all those strange critters I think we live on different planets. LOL Gorgeous landscape! I surprised at the lack of snow though. I thought you'd be buried it in. Even when we get thawing temperatures our snow sticks around until April.
ReplyDeleteWe've been in a kind of thaw -- temperature wise -- but way more percip than normally alternating between snow and freezing rain. So, not a fun January. I'm looking forward to spring! Or at least sunshine.
Congrats on the new book release -- I've read both of those stories and they are a perfect partnership. Reading Emma Miller's newest LI right now.
We've lived here long enough that we're getting used to seeing different animals from what we were used to farther east. A small herd of Mule Deer lives in our neighborhood, and are often in our yard. The bison are restricted to the parks - but with 71,000 acres to roam in at Custer State Park, and 28,000 acres at Wind Cave, the two herds have plenty of space to roam. :)
DeleteAnd the reason why our snow melts is because it's so arid here. A sunny day is normal, and the snow melts quickly, even in freezing temperatures. But with last week's highs in the upper 40's, the snow has almost all disappeared. Until tonight's storm rolls in.
I grew up in Michigan, and the snow there sticks around all winter. I remember how exciting the first glimpse of the grass was! Here, it's the first glimpse of greengrass - the new spring growth.