Score One for the Family

Week one of the Eat at Home Project has drawn to a close and we didn't spend any money on eating out. As little as two weeks ago I would not have believed my family could make it through seven days without stopping for coffee or hitting a fast food drive-thru on the way home from work. To celebrate - you guessed it - we're going out! Ah, the irony.

Actually, tonight we have tickets to see a local production of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. Traditionally, we would go out to dinner before hitting the theater, and then stop for dessert and coffee afterward, giving us something to munch while we pick apart the show. This time will be different, but only slightly. We have all agreed - yes, even the teenage son - to eat dinner at home. But, we will still head out for an after-theater treat. This seemed to be a good compromise since dessert and coffee won't be nearly as expensive as dinner PLUS dessert and coffee. Perhaps we are beginning to see the error of our ways (but I'm not holding my breath).

Having reached an entire week without spending the $20 we allotted last Saturday, we had to discuss what happens to that money. Does it roll over into the next week giving us an available balance of $40? Does it go into a separate fund that we can split three ways at the end of the year? Does it stay in the bank account giving me the pleasure of seeing a higher balance every time I check it? Needless to say there were differing opinions on this subject. Ultimately, though, we agreed to roll the money over from week to week so that we could (in theory) plan ahead for larger outings, special occasions, or day trips around the area. What happens if there is any money left at the end of the year? That remains to be seen.

Friday is normally pizza night for us. But, alas, we ate our cheesy frozen pies earlier in the week, so the stove was calling my name. My husband requested pasta and sauce, but I could not leave it alone. There are, of course, many variations of this dish, and generally the more "stuff" added, the better I like it. We called the resulting dish Spaghetti Western. Of course, any vegetables you like can be added or substituted. I just happened to have squash and zucchini left in the crisper at the end of the week. Some Roma tomatoes and bell peppers would make a nice addition. (I especially like the concentrated sweetness of tomatoes after baking them in chunks.) Similarly, whatever kind of cheese you have will work, but go for a combination of flavors.

Spaghetti Western
3 cups yellow squash cut into bite-size pieces
3.5 cups zucchini cut into bite-size pieces
1.5 cups roughly chopped onions
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 packet of fajita seasoning
12 ounces tri-color corkscrew pasta
1 jar pasta sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheddar (divided)
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella (divided)
Chipotle pepper sauce to taste

Toss the squash, zucchini, and onions with the olive oil and fajita seasoning. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.

Combine the drained pasta with the vegetable mixture, pasta sauce and 1/2 cup of each cheese. Add chipotle sauce to taste. (I like mine spunky!)

Put mixture into a large baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup of each cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Enjoy!