Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

"I don't like food that's too carefully arranged; it makes me think that the chef is spending too much time arranging and not enough time cooking. If I wanted a picture, I'd buy a painting"

 - Andy Rooney

As I sat down tonight, I wondered what's been going on in my life that I could write about. I've come up with nothing. Basically my life has come down to school work. I did play a squash game with a friend the other day, but because he basically demolished me. That's not really something fun and exciting to write about... 

I did do a presentation the other day is school about the affect of video games on students. Video games kinda get a bad rap. They get blamed for violence in teens and youth. Every time a school shooting occurs, blame gets placed upon media, movies and video games. I went into my research with the idea that violence would definitely play a role in how these students behave. 

Surprisingly, they didn't. Some of the studies I read showed that students that played video games actually had increased sympathy and cooperation than those who didn't. There were several other positives that came out of video game playing as well. There were definitely some negatives, but most of them had to do with self-regulation... such as getting enough sleep, being active and involved in social groups.

I think the biggest thing once again comes down to parent responsibility. I was surprised to discover that the average age for video gamers is 33. This means that the majority of video games are developed for people around that age range. So if your child is 16... and they're playing a video game meant for someone that is 30... they will be exposed to some adult themes, language and violence that may otherwise not be appropriate for them. Just something to keep in mind...

I made this recipe for my mother-in-law when she came down to visit a week ago. I owed her something after she helped sweep our floors and make fresh bread! It's definitely a great way to use a spaghetti squash and change up your meals a bit. It's more of a side dish than the main attraction, but it also makes for a great weeknight meal when you need something relatively painless. The one thing I do suggest when you make it, is lots of fresh ground black pepper. Really makes it pop! 

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Spaghetti Squash - 1

Butter - 1 tbsp
Flour - 2 1/2 tbsps
Garlic - 3 cloves, minced
Cream Cheese - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1 1/2 cups
Parmesan Cheese - 1 cup, loosely packed
Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Start with preparing the spaghetti squash. Cut the squash in half, and discard the seeds on the inside. Place the squash face down into a large casserole dish and half about an inch worth of water on the inside. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the shell has softened a bit. Set aside for about 5-10 minutes to cool.

Near the end of cooking time, in a small sauce pot melt the butter at low-medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the flour and whisk into the butter, cooking for another minute. Add the Cream Cheese and continue to whisk. Add the milk as well, stirring gently until well combined. Bring up to a simmer, then remove from heat.

Add the Parmesan cheese and salt and stir until melted and combined.

Take a fork and shred the inside of the spaghetti squash, separating the flesh from the shell. Once clearly scooped, add half the parmesan mix to the spaghetti strands and stir together. Smooth out inside of the shell, grate some fresh parmesan over top, and a healthy amount of black pepper. Place back in the oven for about 2-3 minutes, close to the broiler. Once the cheese is golden and the mixture is bubbling, remove and serve.