THROWBACK THURSDAY: MY BROCCOLI BOY

Every now and again, I start feeling a little sentimental about how much I miss Jonah's baby and toddler years. Though age 6 is proving to be fantastic in a million ways,  there are moments, like this morning, when I wish I could go back in time... just for a little... The new words he'd use, the developments he'd make, the way he ate... I know this sounds silly, but when a 6 year old eats, let's be honest- it looks, well, like eating and usually just looks like a mess (on the floor). Eating is for survival at this point.  But when a 1, 2, or 3 year old eats... Well, to me it was like watching a rare bird (scratch that, I hate birds. What am I thinking?!)-- it was like watching a rare, baby tiger eat for the first time. It's fascinating, sweet, and produces some special moments that for whatever reason, stick with you forever. (For the record, I'm actually not one of those people that find it fascinating when animals eat. Like, at all. But since the majority of world does care, I used that analogy for them. I do what I can).

Since it's Throwback Thursday, and since I'm feeling particularly mushy this fine 43 degree - SoCal morning, I thought I'd share a clip I found from a few years ago. Jonah was about 3 1/2. Just before this video started, he was asking about how people swallow and to tell him about "Spit," which I explained was called "saliva."  As an expert on saliva, ahem, if you're a fellow parent, you'll find my answer to be quite comforting, if nothing else. And trust me, there's nothing else. I only know what I know people.

Anyway, enjoy and cherish the small moments. And eat your broccoli. xo, JB

THE GO TO: SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH MEAT SAUCE

Is this fancy iPhone work, or what?!

As if life isn’t hectic enough, (and that doesn’t include wedding planning), I’m hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year for 23 people. Thankfully, everyone is bringing a dish, so all I have to do is cook the turkey (hi, mom), and make the table look pretty (hi, Pinterest). Needless to say, this past week has been a little crazy.

In an effort to stay sane (and healthy) during “go, go, go time,” I’ve been leaning on some “go to” recipes that I know I can whip up easily.  Some of my go-tos are meatloaf, crockpot turkey chili, shredded chicken tacos and takeout (hey, if we’re being honest).  Another Fall favorite is Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce.

There are two things, okay, actually three things, I can do well: 1) Roast Squash, 2) Make Turkey Bolognese, and 3) Remember lines from “Friends.” (That has absolutely nothing to do with cooking. But it’s just a great trait that I thought you should know about).

Here’s how to make this super simple, go-to meal.

This serves about 3 (that is 2 adults and 1 child. Make 2 squashes if you’ve got a bigger brood).

-1 Large Spaghetti Squash

-1.25- 1.5 lbs of Lean Ground Turkey

-Your Favorite Tomato Marina Sauce

-Fresh Mushrooms

-Fresh Basil

-Fresh Garlic

-Grated Parmesan Cheese

-Olive Oil

-Salt & Pepper

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2) Slice spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. You can opt to drizzle insides with olive oil, salt andpepper, or just leave plain. (This time, I did the drizzle…)

3) Place squash, cut side down, on an oiled or olive oiled sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes until squash is tender. (For 2 squash, bake 1 – 1 ½ hours).

4) As the squash is cooking, heat two table spoons of olive oil in a sauté pan. Once heated, at crushed fresh garlic.

5) Add mushrooms and sauté until cooked. In a separate pan, brown your ground turkey. Once browned and cooked through, add to the mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and 5-10 pieces of chopped up basil depending on your preference. Add the tomato sauce and simmer.

6) Once squash is done, remove it and let it cool.  Shred the inside of the squash with a fork to create a spaghetti type consistency.  You can add olive oil and Parmesan here... but I did not. Instead I served it with a big heap of the sauce and topped with more fresh basil and Parmesan.

What are your weeknight go-to meals?