Spaghetti Nests and Zucchini Balls

My kids love spaghetti. Like, Lily loses her mind when I tell her we are having spaghetti for dinner. Anytime I see an opportunity to get creative with a meal that I already know they will like, I jump on it! So, when I saw Zucchini Balls on a blog that I follow and Spaghetti Nests on Tasty...I immediately took notice and added it to the plan! These dishes aren't hard but they do require a bit more preparation than most weekly dinners, so we did this during holiday to ensure it was done properly! This will be a future fun weekend dish! Just keep that in mind if you want to add this to your rotation! Enjoy!

Zucchini Balls Ingredients

Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium zucchinis
1 cup Italian-Seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of dried basil
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 jar of quick marinara sauce
Salt and Pepper
Cooking Spray

Spaghetti Nests Ingredients

Cooked Spaghetti Noodles
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup of Parmesan cheese
1/4 quick marinara sauce

Directions

First, start on your zucchini balls by preheating your oven to 375 degrees and grating your zucchinis (skin on). Go ahead and spraying a baking sheet with your cooking spray.

Next, heat your olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and toss in your garlic. Saute until golden (about 30 seconds) and then toss in your zucchini with a dash of salt and pepper. You want to cook out as much of the water in the zucchini as possible for about 5-7 minutes. Then toss in a colander and attempt to squeeze out more.

Once you have squeezed and pressed, toss your zucchini into a large bowl with the breadcrumbs, cheese, egg, and basil. 

Mix well!

Now, it's time to get your hands dirty! Mold the mixture into little one inch balls and place on the baking sheet. Spray the top with the cooking spray once more and then toss in the oven to bake until firm and brown, approximately 20-25 minutes.

Heat your sauce in a deep skillet and place your cooked balls in the sauce to simmer until ready to serve!

Now, let's move over to your Spaghetti Nests! First, whipped your egg in a large bowl.

Next, toss in your cooked spaghetti, cheese, and some of the sauce from your zucchini balls. Mix well! I cooked an entire package of spaghetti noodles and only tossed in half. 

Spray a  large muffin tin with cooking spray and fill each section with your spaghetti mixture.

Take a rounded spoon (I used a tablespoon) and press the center of each to create a little indention.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Once cooled, they are easy to remove for plating!

Place one of your zucchini balls into each spaghetti nest and then sprinkle extra sauce and a little cheese over each.

So pretty on the plate! Am I right!?!?!?! Served with a little salad, it's a gorgeous plate!

And seriously tasty!

Chris and I tore these up! And the kids...well, the kids LOVED it! They were a big hit! And, they tasted great the next day for lunch! Look at Lily's sweet little spaghetti filled grin! Harrison was too busy eating to smile! ;)

Vegetarian Taco Stuffed Peppers

I recently started following "Tasty" on Facebook. For some reason, the videos both intrigue and relax me. Weird, I know...but I love them. I saw a recipe the other day that I knew would be a hit in my home. The Henrys love tacos...in fact, we have a weekly taco night. So, I was fairly confident that Taco Stuffed Peppers would kill. So I took notes and made some vegetarian tweaks. Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 bell peppers *you'll definitely have enough filling for more if necessary

1 package of tofu (chopped)

1 onion (chopped)

1 clove of garlic (minced)

1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 cup of rice (cooked)

1 cup of Mexican shredded cheese (plus more for garnish)

Taco Seasoning

Olive Oil

Guacamole (for garnish)

Sour Cream (for garnish)

Directions

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees while you remove the tops and insides of your bell peppers. Rinse the peppers, place in a baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes.

While those bake, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil over medium heat for your tofu. I like to squish mine a little while is cooks so it isn't so perfectly cubed.

Toss in your taco seasoning and let cook for a few more minutes. My kiddos don't like things too spicy, so I didn't use a ton of taco seasoning. Be your own judge!

Move your tofu to the perimeter of your pan and toss in your onion and garlic. 

Once your onions begin to look translucent and nicely sauted, toss in your black beans.

Let your beans get thoroughly heated and then toss in your rice.

After a few more minutes, toss in your diced tomatoes.

Lastly, toss in one cup of your shredded cheese.

Once your cheese has fully melted, remove from heat and remove your bell peppers from the oven. Stuff your peppers with the deliciously smelling mixture and top with more cheese!

Bake for another 15 minutes. Remove and let cool before plating it up!

I topped with a spoonful each of guacamole and sour cream...then sprinkled on even more cheese!

This dish was delicious and will be added to our list of regulars! Chris and I both tore it up....while Harrison and Lily picked at it. Lily said she liked it "a little" and basically ate the black beans and cheese! I tried to get a picture of her trying it but they were all blurry and she had her eyes closed in all of them! ;)

*The original recipe called for a pound of ground beef and a can of corn. I bet the corn was delicious...we just didn't have any in our pantry!

On the Road Again {5K Prep}

So...nothing says self-loathing louder than signing up for a 5K a year in advance and doing absolutely no training for it until a few weeks beforehand. And this is the exact situation that I currently find myself. Joy.

I have the desire to be a runner...truly. However, I cannot find a reasonable way to add that activity into my daily schedule. I know...this sounds all too familiar...what an excuse! Am I right?!?!? But I'm serious...between working, weddings, and general mom/wife/person activities, I generally can't find the time. We leave the house at 7:15am (cough) and don't get home until after 6:00pm. By the time the kids are down, the house is cleaned, and the preparations for the following day take place, it's after 10pm. The only solution is to wake up earlier...and I just can't fathom how I will function on less sleep. So...unfortunately, the deliberations continue. Since I'm currently on holiday, I've decided that is future Rachel's problem.

In the meantime, I've picked the habit back up and with gusto...or enthusiasm...maybe focus? I'm not sure what the right word is...but I'm excited!

Yesterday was, what I'm considering, day one. I "ran" one mile...in 13:25 minutes. Not stellar but I didn't pass out or vomit...so success! Today, I "ran" that same mile in 12:08 minutes. Already making progress! ;)

Blogging and social media are a way to hold myself accountable...lame, I'm aware...but it oddly works for me. So that is exactly what I am about to do. I'm going to track my little 5K prep adventure...the good, the bad, and the ugly. Oh Lord, help me! We'll see if it continues past January 16th...hopefully it does, but one goal at a time! ;)

With that being said, here I am...checking in at a 12:08 mile, 138 lbs, and already exhausted!

#ignorethemess #mirrorselfienewbie

The goal this week is to just jog continuously for one mile. Here we go!

May The Christmas Spirit Be With You!

Each year we grab on to a theme for our Christmas. This theme could pop up in our Christmas card, wrapping paper, decor, Christmas Eve pajamas, and maybe even the gifts from Santa. It started innocent with a few super hero pajamas on Christmas Eve a couple years ago...and then last year our love for Harry Potter influenced the card and gifts. Well, this year...this year we had a lot of fun.

For those not as familiar with the Star Wars universe, we are embracing Darth Vader, Queen Amidala, with Luke and Leia. The Skywalker Christmas card that could of been...possibly. 

Don't worry, for you purists, we added some "normal" pictures to the back!

Each year we also add a little insert to review our past year. Chris typically writes it while I design it. Enjoy!

The Chenry Show

Episode V

Year in Review

It is a period of stability in the Henry galaxy. Two-thousand and fifteen has come and gone with many exciting events taking place for the family of four.

Young Harrison is growing fast. Now at 20 months of age, his mastery of creating chaos in the home is developing swiftly. His rebellious streak has lead to incidents of crayon on the walls, peas thrown at dinner, and pulled cat tails. Fear is growing he may turn to the dark side, but hope remains strong his happy, fun-loving nature will keep him in the light.

Princess Lily seeks to restore the balance caused by her brother’s commotion. The lady has taken her first steps into the world of team sports with forays into tee-ball and soccer. Both were had with mixed success, but we can be sure that trophies are the greatest reward in the galaxy. Little does she know that Kindergarten waits around the corner and the family eagerly awaits decisions on applications to learn of young Lily’s educational fate.

Turmoil has engulfed the Louisiana republic. Hoping to resolve the matter, Chris was dispatched from his job at Louisiana State University and has joined the state’s House of Representatives Fiscal Team to help settle the conflict.  The capital has proven to be an exciting place of employment full of characters that could fill the cantina at Mos Eisley. What spare time he has left is spent obsessing over fantasy football and enjoying time at Costco.

To everyone’s surprise, Rachel had an uneventful year. She continues to juggle weddings and LSU while attempting to maintain some semblance of organization for The Chenry Show. In a stunning move, she did embrace the technology of the FitBit and even ran her first 5k. Deliberations continue over the fate of her hair length. 

Gentle Oliver underwent two surgeries this fall to help curb his chronic ear infections. Outside of repressing memories of wearing his cone of protection, he is currently recovering well. The cats continue to be cats. All in all, the creatures of the Henry house continue to persevere.

We hope your year has been equally full of danger and excitement. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year,

and May the Force be with You!

Love,

Chris, Rachel, Lily, Harrison,

Mr. Kitty, Lola, and Oliver

We are now off to enjoy one of my favorite days of the year...Christmas Eve! On our agenda today includes service at Healing Place Church, last minute grocery shopping, some baking, and our traditional "Favorite Things Dinner"! Oh, I love it! Each of us picks our favorite food item and then we just enjoy a meal of all our favorites! For tonight, I think our menu will consist of Guacamole and Chips, Sushi, Olive Pizza, and Mac and Cheese! Then we'll slip into our Star Wars pajamas and wait for Santa to visit!

In the mean time, we hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Holiday Specials {Beauty Society}

I recently became a rep for Beauty Society...and, of course, I'm loving it! I've used the products for about a year and have been an Elite customer from the beginning. Everything I've used, I'm 100% comfortable sharing with others so it was a no brainer to sign up as a rep! Every other month new specials are released and today was the announcement of the "Holiday Specials" and they are killer! Enjoy!!

The first includes the Crystal Ball, Baby Clam Down, Liquid Luxury and a free Lip Glisten!

Crystal Ball is an at-home micro-dermabrasion treatment that buffs away signs of sun-damage, discoloration, enlarged pores, and acne scars. I use this product once a week and I'm obsessed with how my skin feels after using it! In fact, I use it every Sunday and might try to film a little video to show it off...hmmm....maybe! ;)

Baby Calm Down is a calming and hydrating gel masque that alleviates skin irritations, inflammation, and puffy eyes. I use this after Crystal Ball and might have to add this to the video! I use this one to two times a week and again, love it!

Liquid Luxury is a lipid repair oil that leaves skin soft, diminishes wrinkles and restores dry, irritated skin back to its youthful glow! Admittedly, I've never used this on my face but I have used it on my elbows, hands, and heels with great results!

Lip Glisten is a fabulous, long wearing lip gloss that comes with a mirror on the tube AND a light in the cap for easy application. It's really too cool! I've used three different colors with compliments every time! (insert sassy girl emoji!)

The second includes Photo Shoot, Spot Light, Blending Bombs, and a free Lip Glisten!

Photo Shoot is a facial primer that I'm obsessed with...seriously. I never saw the value in using a primer before and only bought Photo Shoot the first time because I needed one more item in my cart...and I'm so glad I did. I can't leave the house without it on now. Even when I don't wear make up, I'll use Photo Shoot alone. It gives this clean, vibrant glow that I just love. Seriously...a must!

Spot Light is a highlighting cream that just gives that extra pop of radiance. I use this on my cheek bones, down my nose, a touch on my chin and a touch on my center forehead...the T zone basically. Love it!

The Blending Bombs are basically make up sponges on crack. I was completely skeptical before using them but I'm totally sold now. They really do create this streak-free, almost airbrushed effect. I use mine damp and basically dab and roll my make up on.., and I love the results! This might have to be a second video!

And then the awesome Lip Glisten!

This set includes a classic black eye pencil, Enormous Mascara, Success perfume and a free Lip Glisten.

The classic black eye pencil is brand new and exactly when I need. I tried the liquid eyeliner and it just wasn't for me. I looked completely ridiculous! The pencil is just more my application style! Plus, it truly glides on easily and has a built in sharpener!

I haven't tried the Enormous Mascara yet, but it's on my to-do list! It has the Enormous Lash ingredients in it that work to increase the length and thickness of your eyelashes...I can't wait!

Success is a roll-on perfume that smells amazing! I've been wearing it about a week and I can't stop smelling myself! It isn't too strong but it lasts all day...I'm a big fan!

And then again, an awesome Lip Glisten!

This set includes Clean Shave and Bank cologne.

Clean Shave is a face-wash and shave gel combo for men. Chris has tried it a couple times and seems to like it. It has eucalyptus and tea tree so it leaves that awesome clean tingly feeling!

Bank cologne smells of sandalwood and bourbon..and I like it...a lot. Like a lot, a lot!

I can't believe we are already in "holiday" mode but tis the season! ;) 

If you have any questions or want to try any of the products out, just give me a ring!

Check out more at rachelhenry.beautysociety.com!

Weekend Wrap Up {October 4}

What a fabulous first weekend of October! We rocked the windows open all weekend and it has been so enjoyable! With a break from weddings, we were able to really enjoy each other this weekend and it has been fabulous!

The weekend was really kicked off in a festive way with Friday being LSU Fall Fest. Who can't get in the spirit at that event? It's just so much fun and the weather was really perfect! I volunteered to help and ended up passing out burgers. How funny is that...the vegetarian passing out burgers! Now that is LSU love! ;)

...........................................

A low key evening was Friday night due to Saturday being such a big deal...Lily's first soccer game! Oh, how excited I was to get her ready for her first game! Frozen themed shin-guards...check! Frozen themed cleats...check! Superheros (her team name!) uniform...check! We were off! Little did we realize how chilly it was actually going to be on the field...so Daddy dropped the girls off to head back to the house to get jackets!

As expected...the first game was hilarious! A bunch of 4 year olds running around chasing after a ball...with no strategy, no communication, and basically no idea what they are doing. It was amazing! Lily was really into it for about five minutes...and then she was done. She was the best combination of Charlie Brown and Daria. You'll notice in the photos to follow that she (number 7) isn't really in a lot of the action shots...

Lily throwing it in!!!

I know I'm not supposed to be keeping score...but thanks to the adorable little blonde brothers on the team, we won 16-2! Go Superheros indeed! ;) I think after a couple more games, she'll get pretty into it. Until then, I'll keep cheering from the sideline to "Pay attention! Stay with the ball! No hands! Go Lily  Go!" Also, how cute are these two:

We spent the remainder of the afternoon grocery shopping and puttering around the house! Little man had a hard time keeping up...

...........................................

As with every first weekend of October, I finally start decorating for Fall! I didn't go crazy over the weekend, but I did put out a few of our fall decor!

Brand new flag pole finally hung! Yay!

Yes...we are inflatable people. Sigh...

Hard to see, but we have little trio of yarn candy corn, a candy corn themed H, and a little pumpkin! Hoping to add some real pumpkins and maybe some mini-hay bails this week!

I don't do a lot of decorating inside...but I added a couple spices to our entry table.

I'll add a little here and a little there throughout the month. But out main focus will be costumes...that is where we tend to shine this time of year! I think we have narrowed down our various costumes so stay tuned! They should be fun!

...........................................

Probably the most difficult thing we finally tackled this weekend was saying adios to the nighttime bottle for Harrison. Yes...you read that right. Even though that child is 19 months, I've still be rocking that sweet boy to sleep each night with a little bottle. I know, awful and selfish...but I loved it and wanted to keep him a baby as long as I could! It has been long overdue, but we finally ditched it. The transition has been a little rough, but I know it's so overdue and necessary. Now, we will just have to cuddle and rock as we read his night-time story. Don't mind me...I'll just be over her sobbing into my pillow.

...........................................

OH! I almost forgot! One crazy little thing I did do this weekend was sign up to be a rep for Beauty Society! Random, I know...but, I've been using the skincare and make up products for about a year now and really enjoy them! So, I took the plunge and I'm really excited! Don't worry, I'm not going to spam your social media or constantly invite you to parties...but I'll share my journey here and if you want to know more, just ask!

...........................................

All in all, it was another amazing weekend. This time of year is just so tough because there is so much going on between football season, now soccer season, and, of course, wedding season. I love, love, love weddings...but sometimes a weekend off is just the perfect thing! I did a couple bridal meetings and had a lovely visit at Houma's House, but all in all, it was a gorgeous weekend at home loved up on my sweet family! There is just nothing better!

My goals for the week ahead are to love on my family, be a positive person at work, gear up for an awesome Truly Haute wedding, catch up on my readings, blog an amazing meal, and wake up each morning for a quick run! We'll see...