Pumpkin Cravings!

Delicious pumpkin waffles to satisfy my prego pumpkin cravings 🙂 Served with maple syrup and cream cheese-yum!!

Falling into Autumn

There are so many things in life I love, but as I’ve grown older, I’ve grown to love fall more and more. I love fall weather, with its crisp, sunshiny days. I love fall leaves and the colors they make on the trees. I love fall days with trips to apple orchards and pumpkin patches. And most of all, I love fall foods. Fall means soups, and squash, and snuggling in with a cup of spiced cider before bedtime-what’s not to love?

We have tried to make the most of our fall, even though it took awhile to show up in Chicago. Here area few pictures from an adventure to County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana.

Making the most of fall means new fall recipes, too! Our produce box has been full of hearty fall deliciousness, including all kinds of squash varieties, one of which was a lovely little spaghetti squash. Believe it or not, I’d actually never made a spaghetti squash before, but some time on Pinterest looking over a few recipes, and I was prepared to make something yummy. The creation below was warm, filling, and delicious – everything fall is all about.

Baked Spaghetti Squash “Mac” and Cheese

1 small-medium sized spaghetti squash, cut in half and “gutted”
3-4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups milk or cream (I combined 1 cup half and half with 1 cup of almond milk)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cover each squash half in aluminum foil. Place squash skin-side down in a baking dish with a small amount of water in the bottom (1/4-1/2 inch, covering dish). Bake until squash is cooked through, 45 minutes to one hour.

While the squash is baking, combine milk and flour in a small sauce pan. Whisk thoroughly. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently; add garlic salt, basil, and pepper while stirring. One mixture has boiled, allow to boil while stirring for one minute, then reduce heat. Simmer while stirring in 2 1/2 to 3 cups of cheese, depending on how rich you want your cheese sauce to be. Add cheese a handful at a time, stirring to melt after each handful is added.

Take the squash out of the oven and remove the foil. Allow to cool just enough to handle, and using a fork, remove the “noodles” from the sides of the squash. Then, add enough of the cheese sauce to each half to cover the “noodles” entirely. Top with extra Parmesan and bread crumbs, then bake another 20 minutes or so. If the topping doesn’t get brown and bubbly, turn up under the broiler for a few minutes before serving. Let it cool and set for a few minutes before enjoying!

(Just a note- the cheese mixture becomes very thick, but baking in the squash is does water down and thin out a bit, so don’t be afraid to load it up!)