why did the tarantula cross the road?

are you aware that september is the annual tarantula migration time in oklahoma? yeah... well, me neither. but, it would explain the three tarantulas we've seen this evening.

daddy caught this one in a box in the front yard for the kiddos to see. cale screamed like a little girl who'd just found a tiny field mouse in her bedroom (that, by the way, is an entirely different story). then, he and daddy had the following conversation...

cale: "i don't like those!"

daddy: "why not?"

cale: "cause they move!!!"

the spider then scurried towards cale. which was funny... in an it-shouldn't-be-so-funny kind of way. really funny.

and apparently, tarantulas can climb trees. i know, seems obvious. however, it's a little different watching that big 'ol spider scamper up the trunk.

hello, creepy.

baked spaghetti

tonight's recipe... baked spaghetti!
it is time now for some honesty... baked spaghetti is not what i made for dinner this evening. no, tonight i made a sort-of breakfast quiche. sounds good, right? i know. so good, that i was gonna blog it. i took lots of pictures. i even made my own pie crust... believe it... i did. the pictures turned out fantastic. the quiche... well, not so much. really. it's been very upsetting for me. i like my cookin' to turn out the way i imagine it should, but occasionally it doesn't. like tonight. it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great. so, it's back to square one with the quiche recipe... more to come when i've worked that one out.
ok, back to the baked spaghetti...

12 oz. spaghetti (use whatever type of pasta you've got on hand or prefer)
1 lb. hamburger
1 onion, chopped (whatever type you've got is just fine)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large can diced tomatoes (i usually use the italian style)
1 can mushrooms, diced
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 c. shredded cheese
1 can cream of mushroom
water
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
ok, here it goes...

brown the hamburger, drain any excess fat... yummy. add onions and bell peppers, saute until soft. add mushrooms and tomatoes. let it simmer for 10 minutes... or until you're ready to get busy.

cook your pasta, but make sure it's not mush. i usually start the water before i start browning the hamburger.
once the meat mixture has simmered and the pasta has been cooked, get ready... it's time for layering! in a 9x13 pan layer pasta, meat, part of the cheese, pasta meat, rest of the cheese. ok, stop. empty the cream of mushroom in a bowl. gradually add milk or water to thin the cream. don't add so much that it gets runny. you just want it to spread easily over the top and seep into the layers. oooohhhhh... it's making me hungry! so, whatcha waiting for? pour it on top. sprinkle parmesan over the cream.

viola! this is what it looks like before you bake it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until it gets all bubbly and gooey.

oh, my heavens... yummy, yummy, YUMMY!!!
a lot of times when i make this recipe, i'll put it in 2 loaf pans and freeze one. get it all ready up to the baking point, then freeze it. just make sure you set it out in enough time that it has ample time to thaw... trust me. thawing in the oven takes way longer than you'd ever think!

enjoy the recipe... you'll thank me later.

mama's meatloaf

someone (who shall remain nameless... right, bri?) has been asking for several months for some of my recipes. and since i am sooooo on top of things, am just now getting around to it... 5 months later. now i've decided we'll be having a little recipe series which means that i'll be cooking... a lot.
tonight's recipe was mama's meatloaf. now, let me take this opportunity to say that i do not like meatloaf. never have... until now. not sure what's so different about this recipe than the rest that i've tried (and didn't like), but this one is good. and another thing... a little "side note" for you... in case i've not mentioned it before, i will make a recipe the way it's supposed to be once and then it's fair game to be jacked with. having said that, i'll give you my mom's recipe and then tell you what i do different. so, here it goes...

mama's meatloaf
1 lb. hamburger
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
4 oz. fresh mushrooms
4 oz. saltine crackers, crushed/smushed/pulverized
2 eggs, beaten
1 pkg. beef onion soup

topping
1 1/2 c. ketchup
2 tbsp. mustard
2 tbsp. brown sugar

preheat oven, 375 degrees. mix all meatloaf ingredients in large bowl. mix ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar for topping in small bowl, set aside. grease 9x13 pan, form meat mixture into loaf. spread topping over meatloaf. bake covered for 30 min. uncover, bake 30 more min.

now we'll have my version...
1 lb. hamburger
however much of a green pepper i feel like chopping
whatever type of onion i have on hand, chopped
1 small can of mushrooms, drained
1/2 c. italian-style breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
a couple of teaspoons of seasoning... sometimes i use garlic salt or steak seasoning

topping... (i taste and add, then add and taste, until i like it)
1 huge squirt of ketchup
1 much smaller squirt of mustard
a couple of spoonfuls of brown sugar

start with hamburger in bowl. chop green peppers and onions.

drink the beer.

just throw it all in and mix it up.

dump it in the pan and make it loaf-like.

bake it at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, covered. then take that cover off, add the topping and bake for at least 30 minutes more... or until you freak because you just remembered the timer went off a little bit ago, but you were in the middle of something and didn't stop to take the meatloaf out of the oven...

put that yumminess on a plate and get busy!

this recipe freezes well, and is easily doubled.