Spaghetti Squash with Meat Ragu

Ingredients

(2 servings with tons of left over ragu)

1 spaghetti squash

1 lb lean ground beef

1 lb ground pork 

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion diced

1 celery stalk diced

1 carrot diced 

2 cloves garlic minced

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp Italian seasoning 

1/2 c red wine

1 tbsp butter

grated Parmesan 

Salt

Pepper 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the spaghetti squash down the middle lengthwise.  Discard the seeds then place rind side up on a baking sheet.  Bake for 35-45 minutes until tender and you are able to shred squash meat with a fork. 

While the squash is baking, heat a large saute pan on medium heat and add olive oil.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and heat until softened (about 5 minutes).  

Increase heat to medium high and add the ground beef and ground pork. Brown and season with salt and pepper.  Drain any fat from the meat then add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and wine.  Reduce heat back down to medium and simmer until most of the liquid is gone, (you want a lot of meaty goodness).  Discard the bay leaves.  Add butter to sauce.   Season with additional salt and Pepper as you see fit.  

Once the spaghetti squash is done, remove from oven and shred the innards so they look like spaghetti.  Leave in rind for presentation if you so desire.  Top with ragu and sprinkle with Parmesan.

I have a ton of leftover ragu that is going to be used in some other pasta dish this weekend.  Jealous much??

One year.. We're still Alive!!

I am totally spazzing out because I can't believe that it's been a year since I married the hubs.  Where the hell has the time gone and how have we not killed each other yet?!? It's been a very interesting and difficult year, but we made it.

If getting married and blending two lives together wasn't hard enough, the week after the wedding, we packed up all of my stuff and drove 800 miles to Richmond, VA. Let's just say it was not love at first sight for me... Plus it was effing freezing!  That alone was a huge adjustment for me.  The fluffer face on the other hand LOVES winter and would play in the snow all day if she could... TRAITOR!

The first few months were difficult for us. No one ever tells you about all the adjustments you have to make and the learning curve is steep. All anyone ever talks about is "wedded bliss". What bullshit.  Being married is hard work and compromise.  I can see why there are so many divorces in the first year of marriage. If you're not willing to adjust your lifestyle and work together to build a family, you'll never make it.  And the worst part was combining bank accounts and credit cards.  No more impromptu purse purchases for me! :(

Also the doubt of if you are a good enough spouse is always there.  Let's just say there were a few people who doubted our relationship and didn't think this would work out.  However I'm hardheaded, I know what I like, and all I have to say to the haters who doubted our relationship is, "Bitch you cray cray!

Ok enough of the bad.  There have also been some great things happen in this last year.  First of all The hubs and I went on a spectacular honeymoon to Croatia.  It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.  There was so much food, wine, and fun, and my birthday on that trip that it was hard to come back to reality.  

I started a new job in October in a new field.  The stinker had grown to love the hubs as her second human, though I think she loves him more than me and that's totally unacceptable.  This Christmas we were able to start a new tradition of blending our families together for dinner.  And hubs and I have been able to discover the city of Richmond, and all the craft beer it had to offer, together.   We've even started house hunting so look out suburbs, we're coming for you! 

This last year has been an adventure but I could not think or ask for anyone else to enjoy the ride with. He's the calm to my crazy, the white on my jasmine rice, my missing puzzle piece, etc, etc.  I'm really excited to see what the next year has in store for us. 

For our anniversary, we enjoyed the Champagne brunch at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond.