We did a meal swap with our Bible Study and it was so much fun and something I would definitely do again! It was a lot of work right away but to have 5 meals in the freezer ready to go was so worth it!! If you don't know what a meal swap is, it's when you make so many meals of the exact same thing. Here I made Baked spaghetti and made 6 batches of them(some I split up as there families wouldn't be able to eat all of it at one time) Then you all meet and exchange what you've made. Some of the meals that we received were chicken pot pie, enchiladas, sloppy joes with potatoes, soup, and another pasta meal(i can't remember the name of it). So we got a great variety and it's been great not having to cook every night!!
Here's the reciepe for the baked spaghetti!! SO GOOD!!!
Italian Spaghetti Pie
1 ½ lb Italian Sausage – I used half mild, half hot
1 med onion, chopped
mushrooms, optional
2-4 tsp. brown sugar
Brown above ingredients together.
Add:
Prego Traditional Sauce -14 oz.
2 c. tomato juice – V8
1 can tomato soup/Roasted Garlic & Herbs (I used just 1 can even when doubling)
3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. or more chili powder
1 tsp. or more oregano
1 tsp. or more Italian seasoning
garlic powder- I used fresh
pepper/light on salt to taste
4 Tbsp. ketchup
*Lawry’s Spaghetti Mix (powder pkg) (I used McCormicks) *secret ingred.
Mix all ingredients together, simmer. I was generous on the seasonings. Before putting a piece of pie on the plate put a ladle of sauce onto it and serve sauce on the side. This freezes well.
Cook one small pkg. spaghetti noodles, drain. In large bowl, add ½ c. butter, softened or slightly melted-I didn’t double the butter when doubling the recipe, ½ - ¾ c. Parmesan Cheese, I also added a container of Ricotta Cheese, and 3 beaten eggs. Mix together.
Fold in cooked noodles, spread in 9x13 buttered pan to form crust.
Layer with Mozzarella Cheese.
Pour spaghetti sauce on top.
More mozzarella cheese
Bake at 350 ½ hr w/cover and another ½ hr w/o cover to brown cheese.
Enjoy!!!!
I doubled the recipe and made a lasagna pan and a medium casserole pan to freeze!
Blake entertained himself with looking at this bug!
My mom was a great help as you can see Andrew needed lots of help trying to stay up!!
These are the shots I got....he was either falling or making a funny face, and I am still trying to figure out my lens so some weren't in focus!! But the final picture made it on my thank you cards...so expect those in the mail sometime before he turns 1!! (sorry my excuse is that I've been so busy, they'll be in the mail soon!)
This was the first year we didn't make it to an apple orchard but we did make it to our first Pumpkin patch!! This fall was just way to cold. The pumpkin patch was so fun as they had a train ride, a free little pumpkin, a kids hay maze, a petting zoo and then apple cider and donuts to top it off! 
Here's Cayden Milking the pretend cow!! He loved that water squirted out of it!!
HAY JUMPING!
We did a meal swap with our Bible Study and it was so much fun and something I would definitely do again! It was a lot of work right away but to have 5 meals in the freezer ready to go was so worth it!! If you don't know what a meal swap is, it's when you make so many meals of the exact same thing. Here I made Baked spaghetti and made 6 batches of them(some I split up as there families wouldn't be able to eat all of it at one time) Then you all meet and exchange what you've made. Some of the meals that we received were chicken pot pie, enchiladas, sloppy joes with potatoes, soup, and another pasta meal(i can't remember the name of it). So we got a great variety and it's been great not having to cook every night!!
Especially when they have the big ball pit!!! Seriously I think it would be so fun to jump in them myself! I think they need to make adult ones!! (do you think they sanitize the balls every night?)
Here's Eliot, my friend Shelly's little one! Isn't he adorable and especially those Blue eyes!
Cayden and Blake love him as well!! Blake calls him Ewiot!
I'm trying to install the love of taking pictures in my kids, so I do let Cayden touch my camera on very rare occasions....here he is taking a picture of his mom!! I'd show you what else he took pictures of but people's roof tops and the ground probably aren't very interesting!! But he's at least learning!!
My Lovely Blake....is seriously always ten steps behind us! He is always picking something off the ground or moseying along!
Andrew in his sleepy wrap!!
I love fall for this reason! The leaf throwing!
I've been trying to take pictures differently and in new ways...so I set out on a walk with my camera and these are some things I came up with!
Perfect whining moment!
Fun with the mirror!
