Spaghetti Pie...what?

So, in my house, we have some sort of pasta at least once a week.  Mostly because I love it, but also because my son LOVES it.   Before anyone comments, "Pasta is not healthy" just let me say I try to make it so as best as I can.  When Trey was first starting to eat I loaded the sauce up with lots of veggies, such as zucchini, carrots, and eggplant.  He has figured out the carrots and will now pick those out, but they have been replaced with mushrooms.  But also, I buy the brand with chunky tomatoes in it and added veggies, so he really enjoys eating it.  Also, I either use a whole wheat pasta or enriched pasta so we aren't eating so many bad carbs.   If you still have a problem, sorry.

When I get spaghetti noodles, it never fails that I get too much.  The first time I ever cooked for my husband, Thomas, I made fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and got the one pound box...for two people. It broke my heart to throw so much of it away (we were in college and couldn't keep it).  I still buy too much.  However, Trey and I will eat it throughout the week, either for lunch one day or even for a quick dinner if I forget to lay something out or am too tired to cook a great meal (better than fast food, right?).  So we always have extra in the fridge at any given moment.

Well, last night I decided I wasn't cooking.  Well, I didn't feel like creating a perfectly wonderful from scratch meal.  Alright, I will admit, I didn't want to cook.  However, when I started to get hungry and then Trey started to ask what we are having, I decided old spaghetti or sandwiches just wasn't good enough for a weekend meal (I cook more creative things on the weekend).

I pulled out my recipe for spaghetti pie.  That's right, I have a recipe.  I have been holding on to it for a while now and decided that it was time to try it.  I had a ton of extra pasta left over and lots of eggs, main things required to make it, so I was going to make it. The trick was to try to get Trey to want to eat it.

Me-Trey, want to try something new tonight.

Trey-Like what?

Me-Like something called Spaghetti pie?

Trey-No, that's just gross.  I want regular spaghetti.

Me-I know, but I really want to try this with you and you can help me cook it.  Can we try it and see if we like it?

Trey-Alright.

So I go and cut up some more mushrooms and some sausage to add to it.  I know he will be more willing to eat it with sausage in it (the boy LOVES LOVES LOVES sausage).  So when I have it sauteed in the pan I call him in to help stir in the pasta.  He stirs it well, trying to make sure the noodles and sauce just get heated though before adding it to the pan to bake.  Now, here is where the story gets interesting.  So, I compared some spaghetti recipes on line to make sure I didn't forget to have something or to see if there was a better recipe, and one of those sites said she would use a spring pan the next time she cooked it so it would be easier to get out.  I have a spring pan, I thought I would try it.  I get it out, spray it while Trey stirs the spaghetti in the pan, and then we each pour the noodles in.  The recipe calls for 5 beaten eggs with some milk to pour over to set it.  Trey helps me pour it over the noodles and says, "That looks so good."

Trey stirring the mixture before we attempted to pour it.

And then the egg mixture oozes out of the bottom of my spring pan...and Trey says, "That's because you didn't have us aim mommy."  So I quickly pour the now rather disgusting looking mixture back in the pan, but not before my whole counter is covered in egg and is starting to drip down the counter on the cabinets and the floor.  Great.  I pop the pan in the oven to bake, put Trey in the living room to watch "Chopped" and then start to clean and bleach, thinking, "This sure better be worth the trouble."

The creation right out of the oven.

Thirty five minutes later with lots of checking on Trey's part, its set and ready to eat.  We take it out and cut it just like a pie.  We sit down to start eating it.

Trey-This looks so good.

Me-It sure does.

After a few bites, Trey-Mommy, I don't like this brown stuff (the bottom)

Me-Okay, its just where it cooked closest to the pan.  See if you can pick it off.

Trey-That stuff will make you fruity. (I do not know what he means by that but the boy said it!)

A little while later, after he picks the crunchy noddles of the top-Mommy, I don't like this crunchy stuff.  Its froggy.

Me-Okay, so you just like the inside. 

Trey-Yeah, except I don't like this stuff (as he pulls the egg mixture now baked away from the noodles)

Me-So what do you like about this pie Trey?

Trey-Just the noodles and sausage.

Trey trying his pie.

:/

So here is my verdict.  I thought it was rather good.  I loved the crunchy part on top the best (which should have made me froggy), but should have added some cheese to the top and maybe throughout (most of the recipes on line called for this, mine didn't however).  Very filling, but after we ate and let it sit on the stomach a while, it was really heavy.  Trey just likes the spaghetti part and really did just pick around the noodles and sausage.  So, we probably won't be making this anytime soon, even though Trey told me at the end, "That was delicioius."

Sugar cookies and icing...oh my!

I have been craving the wonderfully delicious sugar cookies with icing that you can buy at any grocery store. You know the ones, the thick and soft cookie with the terribly sweet and thick icing on top with sprinkles.  They are usually always seasonal, and around this time you can find the icing is dyed orange and the sprinkles are Halloween themed.  You know one is enough to cover your fat and calorie intake for a whole meal, but you have to have two or three (or is that just me?). Yes, those lovely things are wonderful, and I decided I wanted to duplicate them as best as I can.

I found that the Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix is the best fast mix out there for cooking sugar cookies.  The recipe I use on the back of the bag is for the drop cookies and its supposed to make about 3 dozen 2 inch cookies.  However, Trey and I do something different.  

Trey likes to mix the ingredients.  He loves to pour the mix, crack the egg (with a little help from mommy so no shells get in) and pour in the milk.  He doesn't like the electric mixer though.  In fact, he sits on the counter to reach the bowl to pour the ingredients in, but jumps off as soon as I turn the beater on to mix and won't come into the kitchen until it is off and unplugged.  So, when that is all done and Trey is back on his stool (or sitting on the counter), we drop the cookies on the pan.  Trey tells me where to put them, and its usually a little too close together.  The first thing we do different is that we don't make small cookies.  We have semi large ones, usually about a dozen and a half with the mix instead of the 3 it says it will make.  These produce cookies that are about the same size as the yummy ones at the bakery, although we don't care if it is perfectly round. They are also soft enough and thick enough to taste about the same as the bakery ones, as well.

When we place them in the oven, I always turn the timer on and remind Trey to tell me when he hears the "beep beep" to let me know.  So, 13 minutes later I hear little feet running through the house and "Mommy! Mommy! Its ready! The cookies are ready!" And we get them out.  He has to step back because "I don't want to get burneded." And all this is usual, except for tonight, we made icing for the first time for these cookies. Remember how I said I wanted some of those yummy bakery sugar cookies with icing?

A search on the Internet and I found a recipe that swears its better than the icing on those delicious cookies.  So I decide to try it.  Trey pours in the confectioner sugar ("Whats that smell?" he says as he pours it in and the powder raises up in a cloud and helps put the butter in the bowl.  Then he helps me stir the milk and egg white ("Will it be yellow?" I assume he is thinking of scrambled eggs here).  While I try to stir this butter and powdered sugar "until mixed" as the recipe calls, Trey runs off, leaving me to the task of mixing the rest.  I don't mind because in my mind I can taste how yummy these things are going to be. So I slowly start to mix the milk mixture and whatever this powdered sugar mixture is, and its too thick.  So I add more milk mixture, and a little more, and then its too runny to be hard. So I add more sugar.  And a little frustrated (and out of that sugar)  I start icing and soon have finished all of them.  The icing is thick enough and looks like the bakery ones! Trey runs in and wants a cookie just about the same time that I decide to try one myself.  I give him one and think, "Oh he will love these like I do!" and he spits it out.  "Eww!" he says.  What?  So I try it, and while the texture is so close, the recipe called for vanilla and almond extract, and that's about all you can taste.  I don't find it bad like Trey, but I definitely don't find it as yummy as those beautiful bakery cookies.

So, Trey doesn't seem to like the cookies.  A flop.  Oh well.  We will just have to try something else for another cooking adventure to share...maybe this time with pictures and more funny sayings.

Introduction to my little experiment here.

So I am a mother of a vicarious four year old boy named Trey.  And like most four year olds, my son can be a very picky eater.  However, he loves to watch cooking shows with me and different shows about food and eating.  He loves the show "Chopped" and "Man verses Food" the most.  He has even started to copy Adam, the guy from "Man versus Food," when he cooks something, saying, "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!" (a phrase that Adam likes to use when he tries some wonderful food). When we watch the shows, he often likes to say, "That looks gross!" or "That looks really good!" So, I thought we would try some interesting and new recipes that he helps me choose, and then blog about them.  

Now, I am not a perfect blogger.  In fact, I have at least three blogs that I haven't updated in YEARS! I couldn't even sign in to them if I wanted to I am afraid.  So I can't promise that I will be doing this all the time, but I would like to document and remember some of our more memorable cooking experiences that we do together.  It won't be long before he thinks the idea of cooking with me is stupid (I do NOT look forward to those teenage years). 

Know that in the future, I might refer to baking as cooking.  My son loves to bake and I don't mean to offend anyone out there with wrong terminology, so I am warning you ahead of time.  To my son, its all one thing, so for those reasons, I keep it simple.  Also know that I am a firm believer of semi-homemade things.  I love Sandra Lee and have tried a lot of her recipes.  Some of which I will probably share here. So I also hope I don't offend anyone if I don't make everything from scratch.  

I am hoping to post some pictures and if the recipe was really good, the recipe for someone else to try.  I will definitely share the funny stories and sayings that my booger bear says during the process.  My goal is to update at least once a week, if not more, but I can't promise anything!  So, here is to the first post and recipe that will follow this one.  I hope you enjoy!