Stuffed Acorn Squash

Every time I think we've stuffed everything that can be stuffed, we come up with another veggie or fruit to stuff, bake, and eat for dinner.  I've never had acorn squash before but am always happy to branch out to another veggie.  Isaac ate a little but he doesn't like rice (unfortunate as we eat rice a few times a week) and acorn squash clearly was not his favorite squash.

3 small acorn squashes
8 oz Italian sausage - we used chicken apple sausage links instead and it was yummy
1 onion, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 C cooked rice
1/3 C craisins
3 Tbsp fresh chives (didn't have any so we left this out)
salt and pepper
1/4 C Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 C Swiss cheese, shredded

Bake squash at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, turning over after 20 minutes.  Make sure they are just tender before removing from oven (we didn't bake it long enough and had to put them back in).  Let stand for 15 minutes.  Halve squashes and scoop out the seeds.

Saute Italian sausage until browned.  Remove sausage from pan and drain drippings if you have a ridiculous amount (Chicken sausage barely gives off any drippings).  Place onions in pan, saute for 4 minutes.  Add celery and cook another 3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook one more minute, stirring constantly.  Stir in sausage, rice, craisins, chives, salt and pepper, and parmesan cheese.  Divide rice evenly among the squash halves.  Sprinkle with Swiss cheese.  Place on baking sheet and broil 4 minutes until cheese is melted.

Delicious!  But how can you go wrong with rice and sausage?

And now for little boy:

Playing with Tina!

Grandma just came out to visit little boy and he was happy for about the first 3 1/2 days - possibly a record for him.  He just got over another ear infection and another bout of bronchitis and just finished with his top two molars (all of that in the course of 10 days) so this was a pleasant change.  By Sunday night though, he started fussing again and pulling his ear and by Monday we were back to the Isaac we normally see around here.  It was good for Grandma to see crazy boy - the one who screams so thoroughly - so she doesn't think I exaggerate too much when I say I've had it and am ready to sell him to the Russians.  Russia's far away, though, so usually I just sell him to daddy.  We are expecting his bottom two molars any day now.  Mothers who don't have fussy teethers are truly blessed.  On that point, mothers who don't encounter ear infections are blessed.

While some days I threaten to sell him, I do have to say, he sure is a cute little monkey.  He just started giving hugs and they are the most wonderful thing in the world.  Sometimes he may be squishing your face, sometimes they may be a little wet, but one hug from him and everything is forgiven. He also likes to hug Tina, something I'm not sure she appreciates, though she kindly puts up with it.  And on another note, he truly is a monkey.  Yesterday we went to chick-fil-a with some friends.  The play place has a toddler's section with mirrors and switches and things to spin but he disregarded that and promptly climbed to the top of the tower.  From up their he had an excellent vantage of the play car that sits at the top of the play place to which he happily pointed at and screamed at for the next 30 minutes.  It was the most relaxing afternoon I've had in a long time.  After my initial fear of him breaking his neck up on the tower, I then just sat at our table and enjoyed watching him stand on the platform pointing at the car and smiling down at me.  I did eventually have to climb up and get him and carry him down so we could leave. He loudly informed the whole store of his displeasure.

At the Houston Children's museum they have an awesome toddler exhibit with slides and mirrors and things to climb on (safely) and blocks and things to spin and doors to open ad this awesome car to sit in.  Isaac loved it.  He came back to it time and time again.

He also loved the ball pit, especially throwing the balls out.