It was in the 50's and sunny today.  We didn't have any wind.  It felt wonderful to be outside in the sunshine.  Willa and I took a walk around the block stroller free.  We both loved it.  Days like today make me feel so blessed and lucky and happy that I get to stay home with Willa.

Bosch

Matt spoiled me big time at Christmas.  He got me a super fancy, super nice Bosch mixer and everything to go along with it...cookie paddles, blender attachment, chopper/shredder attachment, a wheat grinder, loaf pans, wire cooling racks, bags to store homemade bread in, a rolling pin, baking mat, dough slicer, and lots of yeast.  (I think that was everything).  (Wayne and Marcia were part of the gift givers as well - Thank You!)

So now I have all of the equipment any bread maker could possibly desire, but I must admit I am VERY intimidated by all of it.  I've never ever made a loaf of homemade bread before.  I was excited when Matt ordered everything, but when the 2 or 3 giant boxes were delivered to my front door, I got scared.  The boxes sat in my kitchen for a good three weeks partially opened and I didn't touch them.  I swept and mopped around them.  Then when I finally got the courage to empty the boxes and find a home for everything in my kitchen, another few weeks passed before I actually turned the mixer on.

But I did it.  I used my Bosch this week.  No, I didn't bake any fabulous loafs of homemade bread but I used it.  And I loved it.

1 - We used it to shred cheese.  LOVED IT.  One of my least favorite things to do in the kitchen is shred and slice cheese by hand.   I am sooo bad at it.  But NOW we are fancy and have jars of freshly shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses in the fridge and freezer.

2 - We shredded chicken, too.  While we were at it, why not shred some chicken breasts.  Um, I fell in love AGAIN with my Bosch.  I baked the chicken in the oven and then Matt popped the chicken in the Bosch mixer and a few seconds later, ta-da, we had 4 freshly shredded chicken breasts.  It tasted very YUM-O in our baked chicken burritos.  And I am looking forward to it on our BBQ chicken pizza.

3 - And we made smoothies.  Strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry smoothies to be exact.  Matt was the chef behind this treat.  I love that the blender just pops right on the Bosch base...so easy and so much less clutter.  Now I have a blender that actually blends.  Our old blender used to just turn stuff around and smoke a bit, not very useful.

I bought the ingredients to make homemade pizza dough (with yeast) so I'll attempt that this week.  I've read that pizza dough is forgiving.  Keep your fingers crossed that it's true. 

Willa hung out in the cabinet below the mixer while we were at work.  She loves it in there.

easy, healthy, AND tasty

Can't beat that!

We tried a new recipe last night.  Spaghetti Squash with Sautéed Veggies.  I know, it sounds a bit too healthy to actually be good.  But it was good so I thought I'd share...


Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped (orange would work too)
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
spices - salt & pepper, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, etc. (whatever you feel like pulling out)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.  (It reminded me of cleaning out a pumpkin).  Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the baking sheet, and bake 45 minutes, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add bell pepper and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the can of Italian style tomatoes, and cook until tomatoes are warm.

4. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. (It comes out kind of resembling spaghetti, hence the name).  Lightly spice up the squash.  I used salt and pepper, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Toss with the sautéed vegetables.  Serve warm.
 
I served it with yummy, toasted cheesy bread.  And it makes good leftovers.  Bon Appétit! (picture from allrecipes.com)