Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash 

1 pound ground sausage - I use mild

2 small bags of frozen mixed vegetables - I use the one with zucchini, lima beans, green beans, carrots, and stuff in it

1 jar or can of spaghetti sauce

few cloves of fresh garlic minced or pressed

pepper - to taste

kosher salt - to taste

1 tsp. rosemary

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 medium onion

1 medium green pepper

I would like to say this is all an estimate as I don't actually measure but the family loves this. 

Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds.  Place in a pan with about 1/2 inch of water in bottom.  I put the squash in sliced side down.  Cook until it can be easily poked with a fork.  Let cool till you can handle it. Use fork to scrap out squash.

In a 2 quart pot. Brown the sausage with the onion and green pepper.  Drain any grease.  Reduce heat and add frozen veggies.  When veggies have heated through add spaghetti sauce and seasonings.  Let simmer on low for a bit.  Add cheese and squash.  Let simmer some more.  Serve hot.

Money Saver

Today I want to share a tip that I found on Pinterest.  I must say it has changed my attitude about those stupid plastic hangers the store is always shoving in my bag when I purchase clothing. LOL  Turn that hanger into a chip clip.  It works great!  I used to use clothes pins and some chip clips I had purchased, but now I use these.  They stay on so much better than the others.

When Joe is home I hand them to him and ask him to cut off the ends.  That's how I convert them. LOL  He uses a hacksaw and cuts off the ends and gives it a slight filing.  He files it because he feels it is a little sharp and he doesn't want anybody getting hurt.  Isn't he sweet!  I have a pile waiting for him when he comes back home.

I use them for way more than just chips.  I use them to close all kinds of bags in the kitchen.  They work great for those "resealable" freezer bag items.  You know the ones that you supposedly can just open and take what you need and then just close the bag again.  Yeah right.  Very rarely do those things close that easy.  So instead of fighting with the seal, I just fold it over and pop one of these on.  They stay on and have a good grip.

If you haven't tried this you should.

Teaching Rounding

I thought it would be fun to share one of the ways I teach rounding to my children and there is no better way than with pictures.

This is the pocket chart I use.  I know the glare is bad in the pictures but bare with me.  I use colored index cards to make my numbers.  The green are for changing the number to a rounded number and the yellow are what I use to make up the numbers.  Across the top I have the place value cards.  Right now we are just doing hundreds, tens, and ones.  The white cards towards the bottom are greater than, less than cards.  I sometimes throw that in there for practice.

Here I have set up two numbers using my yellow cards.  We are practicing rounding to the tens place.

Here you can see the rounded numbers.  The child comes up and places the green cards over the yellow cards that should change when rounded.

This is such a simple activity but it has proven effective.  I used this same method when I was teaching 5th & 6th grade math at the Christian school.