The Spaghetti in Squash

Last week I did some pretty intense travelling. First my family and I camped out in a hotel in Vancouver in order for me to get a medical examination (I am in the process of applying for a green card so my husband can work in the States for a few years: Did I mention he got a job at Harvard?). Then I had to fly to Montreal for an immigration interview. For those of you in know, yes there is a consulate in Vancouver and yes that is where I first applied. Go figure, it has to be done that way so that is the way I did it. All the while eating a pretty heavy diet punctuated by some awesome meals.

Tofu hollowed out with shredded carrot, wrapped in 

nori, encrusted with panko crumbs on a bed of red and soy beans in an orange sugar glaze at

Accords In Montreal

First in Vancouver my husband and I went to Vij's with a dear friend, then in Montreal after my interview I found a nice quiet restaurant to dine alone Accords and then again in Vancouver before the tots and I headed back to Pender Island I hit up another quiet spot Gaia.

Roasted Garlic Polenta filled with goat cheese, honey, pear and arugula, served with a side salad of mixed organic greens at Gaia in Vancouver

It is no surprise today that I walked by a Spaghetti Squash and said to myself I must have that. I was in an all veggie mood and inspired by the spaghetti in Spaghetti Squash I decided to make myself a nice vegetarian dish. This can be made vegan by altering the simple tomato sauce recipe (use olive oil instead of butter) and leaving the parmesan cheese garnish off and replace with some crispy mushrooms (do the same, use all neutral oil instead of butter). For the squash I sliced it in half removed the seeds, guts and rubbed a bit of olive on the firm flesh then roasted it in a low oven for an hour. Then scooped out the insides trying to keep the integrity of the spaghetti like strands. I then put the flesh in a bowl covered with tinfoil to steam back in the warm oven*.

When the sauce was done I ladled it over the Spaghetti Squash and garnished with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

The ease and slow cooking of this recipe/method allowed me to undo one weeks of dirty laundry!

photos by me.

*Turn it off or keep on low depending on how long until you use it.

It has been some time since I...

Well that is a pretty bold statement and there are a lot of things that I haven't done in some time but my biggest concern is the family food situation. Since moving to my father's both my husband and myself have just not been making inspiring meals. We thought that our island life would be quaint and quiet. Though nightfall brings absolute stillness and darkness our days have been anything but. I am sewing like a madwoman (working on Kitsch in the Kitchen), children are exploring their new environment and my husband is commuting back and forth between mainland and our island sanctuary, a 5 hr trip door to door.

Tonight is one of those calms before the storm- Tomorrow I have the fall fair where I am going to hawk my sewn wares. Sunday I am driving and literally ferrying my children to the washington coast to spend time with the Aunties and Uncle. Monday heading to the big smoke to have dinner, date, birthday celebration for my husband.... and..... Tuesday going to Prague for a week (baby free vacation). Oh but it doesn't end there, because we have to do most of that in reverse to get back to our island... This is not busy work, most of it (if not all) is self inflicted but when I write it out like this, it appears to be slightly daunting...

So tonight I will cook a quality meal for my children and I!

"growing beans" and a beautiful object

The babies helped me "grow beans" for last night's dinner. Not very interesting I know but they were fascinated by the process none the less. 


Also used in last night dinner was a mortar and pestle that my oldest son had given me from one of his many  travels with grandpa and grandma. I have one that weighs literally 25lb plus and needed something for a tiny amount of kosher salt. It was then I remember this beautiful object. I had been using it as a decorative highlight and had forgotten it was also functional.








photos by me.