Spaghetti Fantastic-O

Growing up my mom made supper pretty much every night. She worked all day, came home, and cooked for the family. (Don't be mislead- Dad cooked too, and still does!)

This was always one of my favorite things about growing up. Not just a good home cooked meal, but the ritual. See, we helped our mom make supper. 

Let me backtrack for just a moment. I enjoy routine. Structure makes me happy because I like to know what to expect. So from kindergarten through my senior year of high school I was not sad that I knew what was going to happen from 7am-5:30pm M-F. I was woken up by alarm - either my radio clicking on or my dad singing to me. Showered, ate breakfast, waited for the bus and went to school. At 3:10 I rode the bus home for almost an hour. Go in the house, get a snack (You can have a Little Debbie or a bagel with cheese, or if Dad made cookies, you can have 2 cookies.) then do homework. By the time homework was done, it was time to make supper. 

Mom would tell us what we were making and we would get the ingredients out, measure, chop, stir etc. Then, here's the best part. Mom asked us about our day. Everyday. So we got to talk and tell her what was great, what we felt needed improvement, and of course tell her the latest drama. 

Then, we'd set the table and plate up supper. We sat together as a family. We prayed for God's blessing on our food and our lives. And we talked. This, to me, is still the best way to grow together and support one another. 

What we made for supper changed over the years, but the central theme never did: Good food, fellowship, and family. 

I have an entire cookbook of favorite recipes from my childhood. Things Mom made, things Dad made, my friend's parent's recipes for dishes I loved. My mom hooked me up when I moved out!

Now, I have 2-3 more cookbooks I've filled in with new favorites from family suppers. One of my mom's favorites is Spaghetti Fantastic. I call it Fantastic-o because it's fun to say LOL. Mom said she could eat this everyday. I believe her! It's very easy, quick, and versatile. You can easily swap out any of the veggies for what you have on hand or what's in season. 

Whatever you cook, do it with love. And share it with someone you care about. <3 div="">

Spaghetti Fanastic-O

Serves 2

4oz chicken breast

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

4oz spaghetti (NOT angel hair), DRY

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes 

1 tsp dried oregano, crushed

1 large sprig fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms

1 large tomato, chopped OR 7oz canned diced tomatoes

1/2 cup zucchini or green beans, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS Parmesan Cheese

Dice chicken breast. Brown in a large skillet. 

Add all ingredients except zucchini and Parmesan cheese into the pot. (If using green beans instead of zucchini, add them in now with all other ingredients) COVER and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 10 minutes. 

Uncover and continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add zucchini last five minutes of cook time. 

Season with salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan cheese. Serve.