they laughed when i said, “i want you to get used to the camera gear around here more.”  when don’t they see camera gear around?

sometimes they duck when they see me coming, memory card loaded and lens aimed with precision.

but these are the minutes that tick into hours that become distant memories and then puff into “lost.”  and they’re the minutes that matter.  when we gather ’round the table and tell our day’s stories and dare to share our dreams and poke fun in love and make funny faces and tickle bare-chested little brothers who think they’re exempt from the “shirts-at-the-dinner-table” rule.

 

and most importantly, we talk about what matters.  about the Great Truths our Papa has spoken, and how much He loves us, and about our fears and our misunderstandings and with that we challenge each other to really live.

and if there’s good food to thank Him for, all the sweeter.

this dish is a great hearty weeknight meal.  a couple tips:

use the Johnsonville Ground Sausage instead of the Italian Sausage links to avoid unwanted additives.  definitely use fresh fennel – it is delicious and really makes the dish.  (i meant to save fronds for “dish decor,” but alas, i have been working to romance the hubs by keeping a clean workspace while cooking, and i whisked them off with the unusable scraps before i realized it!)  try baking your spaghetti squash in advance, then scraping into a casserole dish.  warm before serving with butter on top.

want to print the recipe?  save it to an online recipe box?  click on over to allrecipes.com (or click on the photo!).

Johnsonville Sausage, Peppers, and Spaghetti Squash

1 (19.76 ounce) package Johnsonville® Mild Italian Sausage

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups sliced fresh fennel

1/2 cup diced green onion

1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper

1/2 cup diced green pepper

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 cup diced fresh tomatoes

6 tablespoons cooking sherry

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups cooked spaghetti squash

Directions

In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same skillet, saute the fennel, green onion, red and green peppers and garlic until tender. Add the tomatoes, sausage and 3 tablespoons sherry; cook and stir until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, stir in remaining sherry. Serve hot over spaghetti squash.

 Too cook my spaghetti squash, I cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Then I place it cut-side-down in a large baking dish with about 1/2″ water.  I bake for thirty minutes to an hour at 350 degrees.  I like to prepare my squash in advance and use a fork to scrape strands into a storage container to use the next day.  You can find alternative instructions at Allrecipes.com!

did you try this recipe?  love it?  leave a note and review!  here’s to family meal time…