Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Tomato Sauce

My cousin Leah's wedding is next Friday!!! I am so excited to get back to Dallas and celebrate with her and her new husband-to-be Luke :)  BUT I have to be in a strapless dress that ALMOST fits.  haha
SO I'm on the Sacred Heart Diet aka Veggie Soup Cleanse.  It's pretty terrible and I'm only on day 3!  Anyways you have to eat the soup plus different things everyday.  Today it was Soup and all the cooked, raw, or canned veggies you want.  I HAD to have real food so I realized I had a spaghetti squash and decided to go with it!  This is the sauce I use for all spaghetti, lasagna, penne, etc.  It. Is. Amazing.  And so easy to make!
So here is my Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Tomato Sauce
(sorry I don't have many pictures!)

INGREDIENTS:

1 Large Spaghetti Squash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
1 Large can of crushed tomatoes (I love the Contadina brand)
2 yellow onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1tsp sugar
2 tbsp of butter
Goat cheese
1 tbsp of garlic/rosemary seasoning

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees

Start with cutting your spaghetti squash in half.  It's a little hard so make sure you have a large VERY sharp knife.  Make sure you take out all the seeds and such.  Its a little gross, kind of like a pumpkin, so scrape it all out into the trash.

Rub the squash with your EVOO, a pinch of salt and pepper on each half.  Place them cut side down in a roasting pan and roast for 45 min and then flip them over and roast for another 10 min.

While the squash is cooking, chop your 2 onions and cloves of garlic and put them in a sauce pan.  Saute the onions and garlic in a little olive oil with salt and pepper.

After they have become fragrant, put in your spices (basil, oregano, red pepper and sugar) and the butter and saute for a few min longer. 

Pour in your tomatoes, stir together, bring to a slight boil, cover and turn down the heat to a low temperature.   Let it simmer for about 40 mins

After your squash is done cooking, use a fork and scrape the "spaghetti" into the sauce pan.  Stir all together.  You can use a little bit of water to thin your sauce if you think it needs it.  

Stir together the goat cheese an garlic/rosemary seasoning and spoon a little on top of the "spaghetti"  I promise its SO worth it!!

12 in 2012

As I look back on my post last year on 11 in 2011, I only accomplished 2 things.  I became an active person and went an entire year without shattering an iPhone screen (only because mine was already shattered and I just kept that phone).
SO! My theme for 2012 is reasonable, attainable goals.

1. Live on an actual budget.
2. Read a book a month.
3. BUY A NEW COUCH.
4. Go to the BEACH.  Never again will I not let my feet hit the sand and water with my friends.
5. Start playing the piano again.
6. Lose 20 lbs by my birthday, April 6, and maintain it all year.
7. Spend more time with friends that live elsewhere.
8. Actually watch ALL the movies nominated for Best Picture before the Oscars.
9. Go to a Bulls game.
10. Buy my DREAM Michael Kors watch.
11. Decorate my apartment EXACTLY like I've been picturing and keep it CLEAN!!
12. Cook 4 nights a week.

Favorites of 2011

As 2011 comes to a close, I really just cant believe it.  So much has happened to Michael and I this year!  It's very hard to believe this time last year we still lived in Shreveport!  2011 was a year of change for my friends and I and most of us are just ready for a new year.  But I thought I would make a list, before I get into my 12 for 2012 tomorrow, of my favorite things from this past year.

Favorite Event: 
Rhapsody 2011 was by far my favorite event, memory, trip, etc.  Seeing ALL of my friends together again, eating a Taco Mania, I mean... what is better?!

Best Family Moment:
My brother Austin graduated from high school and now goes to The University of Texas.  It makes me want to vomit how old he is.

Favorite Movie:
I saw a goodly amount of movies this year and BY FAR my fave has to be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.  I cannot believe it's over!!

Favorite Book: 
I'm probably behind but One Day was a great book.  Even though it made me want to kill myself it was the book that sparked my interest in reading again!!

Favorite Music:
It's hard to choose with Beyonce, Lady GaGa and Adele coming out with new albums and I overplayed all of them.  But Beyonce's 4 was by far the most overplayed in my household so I choose her :)

Favorite Resturant:
This year it HAS to go to Taco Diner.  For. Real.  Mambo Taxis for. the. win.

In between all of this I celebrated my first year of marriage, moved to Chicago, got a new job, roadtripped to Milwaukee twice and Shreveport, lived by a beach, my car got totaled by a firetruck, moved apartments twice, got a fabulous roommate and became obsessed with Friday Night Lights.  All in all, 2011 was a hard but good year.  BUT I'm so ready for 2012.  Bring. It.

good friends come once in a lifetime

This past weekend changed me. 

Michael, Emma, Whitney and I traveled to Shreveport for last past 5 days for a weekend of reunion with my friends and for the 70th anniversary of the Centenary College Choir and Rhapsody.  Michael, Emma and I hadn't been back there since January!  We had a tour of food itinerary and an abundance of friends waiting!!!  I expected to leave there missing my friends and family, but I really am surprised at how I feel back in Chicago.  

Our weekend was AMAZING!  Filled with mexican food, booze, concerts, late night happy hour, late night round-the-fire chats, celebrating Amelia's first birthday, telling stories we've already told thousands of times and laughing at them like it was the first time we heard them, and my very best friends.  Introducing Shreveport to Whitney was a lot of fun as well.  Love that city and never knew I would be homesick for sweet Shrevegas that I swore I hated.  We left with lots of memories and with probably an extra 5 lbs each. haha  AND we started wondering why this can't be our lives all. the. time.

I talked to my mom on the phone while we were there and she said "Lesley, I haven't heard you this happy in a very long time.  I hope you can find a way to be this happy for the years Michael is in school in Chicago."  Whitney looked at Emma while we were driving and just said "I generally had a great time.  You guys are so lucky you found each other."  After we got back Emma and I looked at each other and just couldn't believe that, what, we will NEVER have as much fun as we did this weekend since we will never live near each other again!?  I really don't enjoy that and seriously not a good time.

When I moved to Shreveport 4 years ago, I never knew I was gaining a family.  I never knew that I could have friends that feel like I couldn't live without them.  I genuinely am in love with my friends I met in Shreveport. 

If I learned anything from this past weekend is that we have all tried to live apart for, like, 3 years now.  No one has even come close to having friends that equal what we all have.  I know that it's a long shot, but we all should live near each other.  How?  Not sure.  But all I know is that I haven't had as much fun in probably a year like I did this past weekend.  Probably since the last time we were all together. 

So I guess in truth, my friends changed me.  This past weekend just changed my mind.

To Whom it May Concern: You owe me $500. Hugs and Kisses- Lesley (I'm looking at YOU City of Evanston)

September 1, 2011. 8:20 am. I was sound asleep in my comfy bed. My husband got up and left for his 2nd day of orientation for grad school. At 8:25 am, I get awoken from my slumber by my hubs to come outside and take a look at something. That something happened to be our sweet, brand-new, LEASED, 2010 Toyota Corolla S, from the headlight to the taillight on the drivers side, COMPLETELY smashed in. There is a sweet little note from the City of Evanston saying "Your car has been hit by a city vehicle. Call this number and mention this case number."
(Can I Leslie Knope and side bar for a hot min?? I'm thinking, if you have to be hit, being hit by the city HAS to be the best option. You. Are. Mistaken.)
We call. And call. and FINALLY get ahold of someone, who tells us to call our insurance company. Now, if I have learned anything through this, it's that Progressive Insurance is where it's at. They have been amaze. Anyways, they get a tow, get us a rental (mind you, only for 30 days) and start working with the City so we don't have to. Turns out, our neighbor heard the crash and told us what happened!
(Luckily my husband is apparently a god to the people he serves coffee to and they recognize him HEY! PEETS GUY! HEAR WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR CAR?!)
A FIRETRUCK was turning down our street and the ladder fell off and hit my car. $14,000 worth of damage. But it's all fine!!! The city will take care of everything!!
(Bitches)
5 days later, we get a call from Progressive saying that their lawyers have done all they can (never a good sign) and apparently in Illinois, there is a law stating that if an emergency vehicle is on its way to an emergency, they aren't liable for anything that it harms in it's way.
(Really cool, Illinois. Way to have your citizens backs.)
So anyways, long story short, our insurance is covering most of it. Our car has taken 6 weeks to fix. We only had a rental for 4 weeks. It is ready this Monday, and we have to have our $500 deductible to pick up our car. $14,000 worth of damage that happened in OUR SLEEP and we STILL have to take the hit.
(This isn't points in your column, Chicago. Love ya babe, but Dallas is taking you on this one)
If you have been reading my blog posts before, you know that my fabulous hubs and I are already pretty poor. Seriously, I'm feeding my dog rice. I started buying lottery tickets.
(The Lesley with more money was so much more fun.)

Moral of the story: If you are ever anywhere NEAR Illinois, beware of government funded vehicles. They may just run into you without abandon just because they can!
It really hip and cool of you Evanston. You really owe me $14,000 and I'll take another $5,000 for the surgery I will inevitably have to have from all the wrinkle lines I'm creating. BUT, I'll be a nice southern gal and settle for just my $500 deductible so this mess doesn't actually cost US money. Thanks and have a good damn day.

(Just one more side bar. If anyone feels Jesus himself telling you to help a poor, seminary student and his hardworking hairstylist wife, I will never stop the Spirit from moving. Let me know, gurrll)
(Okay I lied. One more. Open your netflix instant stream and start watching Parks and Rec immediately. And then send me $500. The order isn't important, just that you do both. I'm kidding!)
(No. I'm Not.)

New Shows in Fall 2011, is anything better than Modern Family?

So- It comes to no surprise to anyone that knows me how much I am OBSESSED with TV. Seriously. My DVR is practically at capacity for the amount I can record a week. SO when it came to all the new shows coming on this fall, Emma and I took it into our own hands to see what is worth watching.
Here is what we started with:
::New Shows::
Ringer
Up All Night
Revenge
Hart of Dixie
New Girl
Pan Am
Whitney
::Returning Shows::
The Sing-Off
Parks and Recreation

And of course the shows I regularly watch: Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, The Office, Sister Wives, SVU, Modern Family, and Glee.

So, out of all the shows we started with, we kicked Ringer and Whitney to the side. They were both not funny, trying to hard, and hard to follow. Over it.
My shows that I regularly watch are bringing it so far. Modern Family and Glee are the standouts for sure, SVU is not the same AT ALL without Stabler, Gossip Girl is as terrible as usual, and this SHOULD be Grey's last season. Come on now.

I had never watched Parks and Rec before, and I have to tell you. It. Is. Amazing. Stop what you're doing and watch last weeks episode, Ron and Tammys. IMMEDIATELY.

I will continue to watch all the shows left, but if you have to watch any make it
New Girl, Up All Night and Revenge.

Zooey Deschanel is everything. New Girl is just so funny and amaze. Up All Night is, hands down, one of the funniest shows I've seen in awhile. Christina Applegate, Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph are a great team. Seriously, hilarious.
If you love horrible TV, i.e. Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, 90201, etc. You will be OBSESSED with Revenge. Seriously? Murder Mystery? Can't. Get. Better.

All in all, I was afraid this fall wasn't going to be up there with my summer shows (The Closer, Shedding for the Wedding, Pretty Little Liars) But my 3 new shows tots made up for it.

Has anyone else watched any new TV shows? What did you think?
Are you PISSED 30 Rock isn't coming back till January? I. Am.

xx Lesley

Emmy's Fashion

So-
Everyone knows how obsessed I am with TV, so it should come as no surprise that the Emmy's are like my Super Bowl. My Modern Family won!!! And now what really matters, the Fashion :)

Best Dressed: Kate Winslet, Nina Debrov of Vampire Diaries, Christina Hendricks of Mad Men (who is EVERYTHING), bombshell Sofia Vergara of Modern Family and Minka Kelly, all looking GORGEOUS!

How red HOT are these ladies!? Loving the curves and great fit of ALL these dresses but I have to give it to my girl, Christina Hendricks for Best Dressed for looking AMAZE.

Worst Dressed: Zooey Deschanel of New Girl, Paula Abdul, Juilianna Margulies of The Good Wife, Katie Holmes, and Gwyneth Paltrow.


I mean do I even have to say it?? What is going on with the Malibu Barbie look, the CROOKED dress, space age/dog collar dress, swimsuit top and a muffin top!?? Come on people. PLEASE. But I have to give it to Juilianna Margulies for really fugging it up in that weird space dress. Not. Cute. You're a winner girl... Lets get it together.

What do you guys think?!

Lesley
xoxo