Good or a Bad Habit

Lets talk about how I fell in love with this Gold Tulip Apron from The SSSeamstress, it is gorgeous beyond words! Not to mention navy blue is my favorite color.

So when I stumbled upon this beauty I said OMG!! I want it and I want it now! 

Gold Tulip Apron 

Of course my emotions are speaking to me at this point, BUT then my conscience kicks in and says to me "well how much is it?" So I look at the price and calculate shipping and the scotchgard to protect this lovely apron, the end result was too rich for my blood. I was sad facing while I just clicked the love button. I get it handmade costs more, I should know I have my own shop. Non the less I hesitated.

So this is where my question comes in, I have this urge to save money! I just can not help it, my mom taught me well too well I think. My process when it comes to money is that when I get paid I will calculate freely of course I am no mathematician, how much I need to play and the rest goes into savings. When that time of the month arrives to pay my bills I still save. So when I see something I love I think of what my mom has always told me and my grama well lets just say all the women in my family. Collective women voices in Spanish saying "Esto es algo que te va a durar toda la vida" and "Si te mata compralo" this means "Will it last you a life time" and "If it is to die for just get it". So this is what I hear in my head encouraging that compulsive buyer inside of me but with that price I just would not have it. 

As time went by I would check back for it checking to see if it was available and it was until 2 months later it was gone! I panicked not even a minute later I messaged Dana from The SSSeamstress to see if she could make another. Thank goodness I was in luck! Lesson learned, my family was right I heard it again "Si te mata compralo". I took the plunge and now I am the owner of the Gold Tulip Apron! I was so happy and devastated when I hit process order, like I said I save too much.

Let me just say it is going to very good use! I get to cook in style and it protects my outfit from getting dirty. Let me just say it has seen quite a few dinner parties.

Spaghetti Squash a la Karina

Spaghetti squash!!! OMG why has no one ever shared this amazing squash with me before! Truly loving it, also gets rid of that pasta craving, which in my case is a life saver. 

Lately my cousin ChefNia has been introducing me to the world of Paleo and let me tell you, it's not too shabby. I am actually enjoying the idea of cooking every day, and being more creative. Now lets face it Rome was not built in a day, and neither are were my eating habits. It is an everyday challenge but one I am enjoying along the way.

Main Ingredients

• 1 Spaghetti Squash

Sauce

• Pam or Coconut Cooking Spray
• 1 lb Ground Chicken
• 1 Onion
• 10-15 whole mushrooms
• Heavy Whipping Cream or Coconut Milk
• Light Savory Garlic cooking cream cheese
• 2 pinches of Sea Salt 
• Black Pepper
• 1 tbsp of minced garlic (I love garlic)

Optional 

• Bill Bragg’s amino acids
• Red pepper flakes
• Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

On a plate place Spaghetti Squash in the microwave. Now I put mine in for 20 minutes and this is what happened!

DON'T DO THIS! It still came out perfect but it was just messy. I did it this way because the oven just takes too long. So I recommend if you want to go the lazy way like me, just make sure you know your microwave. Once it exploded, I put it in the fridge to cool down. Do not forget to wear gloves because it will be pipping hot!

Now for the SAUCE! First chop the onions and the mushrooms. I used a slap chop after just to have smaller pieces. As for the mushroom I cut them in two ways, the first was small pieces and the second was just normal slices to have big chunks.

Once the chopping is done, saute each item separately. As I have learned the hard way that they cook at different speeds. I did not season them though, all I used was Pam. Then place them in a small bowl and set aside. 

Next start cooking the ground chicken. This is were I added some seasoning. I just added sea salt and pepper. While that is cooking...grab the spaghetti squash from the fridge and scoop out the spaghetti. Be careful the middle has seeds. I used a spoon to scoop it all out.

Now that you have your "spaghetti" in a big bowl, you can start putting the finishing touches on the sauce.

Once the chicken is done add the heavy whipping cream and garlic cream cheese. Now the  amount you add depends on how much sauce you want. Let that sit for 2 minutes and then add the onions and mushrooms we set aside earlier. Mix it all together for 2 minutes. 

If you haven't noticed this is a pretty low sodium dish and it was done on purpose. Not only is too much sodium bad for us but I also like it when my food doesn't taste all the same. If you have ever had spaghetti squash before, you know it is a tad sweet. Which is why there is no seasoning on it. When you mix the sauce with the "spaghetti" it is a perfect marriage, especially after adding some Parmesan cheese. If you need just a little more salt add Bill Bragg’s amino acids and some pepper flakes for a little kick.