10/27/12 - Spaghetti Casserole

Today was a great day!

Olivia slept with me last night. Since we had such a late night, I wanted to make sure they could sleep in a little. They were up and at it around 8:30, so pretty good! Christian had to work today, so it was just me and the girls. We played for a while, had some breakfast and just spent the morning goofing off around the house. The animals basked in the warm sun all morning, and everybody seemed pretty content. Of course, that only lasts so long...the girls started getting pretty crabby and fighting with each other a lot, so I put them down for their nap a little early.

While they napped, I did a little picking up in the kitchen, played on the computer for a while and relaxed. Much needed down time! As soon as they woke up, I got them dressed and we left on a quick run to the store. Both of the girls fit into their Halloween shirts from last year, and Amelia can wear another of Olivia’s old shirts, so I wanted to get Olivia one more to wear this weekend. So, we stopped into Walmart to see if they had anything cheap. They did, and it’s super cute. They also had some other toddler clothes for really cheap, so I got her a couple more regular, long-sleeved shirts. I think if we get her a few more things for Christmas/her Birthday, she’ll be good for the winter. Now, I just need to figure out who needs boots, snow pants and winter coats! Ugh, it’s never ending!

Christian arrived home while we were heading out, so he showered and cleaned up a little. Then, we got to work on today’s Halloween fun. First up, we made some Halloween Cookies. Pumpkin Spice cookies with whipped frosting and sprinkles. OMG, they were to die for. Definitely taking those to work to get rid of them before I eat them all! Next, we built our spooky gingerbread house. Olivia was SUPER into it this year, it was really fun, and turned out really cute! We had dinner, followed up by some hot apple cider and pumpkin ice cream. Such a perfect day!

We gave the girls their baths and sent them off to bed,  then settled in for a couple of movies and some popcorn. We watched “Think Like a Man”. I wasn’t sure what to expect – but it was REALLY funny, and had some really sweet moments. I liked it a lot. We figured, it’s Halloween, so we should follow it up with a scary movie. We watched “Paranormal Activity 2” (for some reason, we don’t have 1 or 3…). It was definitely creepy. Not scary per se, but it really felt like you were watching real people, on real cameras and seemed so real. Crazy. I was creeped out sufficiently when it was over. I really want to see the other movies now though!

It was late, and it was a long, exhausting day at that point, so we made our way to bed. Love this time of year!

Rico’s Update for the Day – He’s doing well. He’s still not eating a ton, but seems to be getting more energy and personality every day. We’re continuing to mix his prescription food with some fancy feast. He’s still not really too interested in it. We’ve also continued to let him eat some dry food to make sure he gets some nourishment. We’ll have to cut that out soon though.

Tonight's dinner was a Spaghetti Casserole.

Ingredients:

• 8 ozs of Angel Hair Pasta
• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 13 oz Spaghetti Sauce
• 1 8oz can of Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 4 ozs Sour Cream
• 1 cup Shredded Colby-Monterey Jack Cheese

Sides:

• Frozen Garlic Bread - baked according to the package
• Frozen Corn - heated according to the package

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350.
2. Cook pasta, according to the package. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain. Stir in the spaghetti and tomato sauces and remove from heat.
3. Drain the pasta. Combine the soup and sour cream. In an 8" baking dish, layer the meat sauce, the pasta, the soup mixture and the cheese.
4. Cover, and cook for 55-65 minutes, until cheese is melted.

This one was just a pretty standard spaghetti casserole, just what you would think. Though, using the angel hair pasta gave it a little different texture, which we really liked.