Day 226 - Sausage Spaghetti Squash

SO, it is now the day after I posted this fiasco and I decided that instead of editing everything that I've already typed I would just add the correct post to the bottom of this one. Just scroll down and you'll see it in its' entirety and correct form.  So, go see the insides of a spaghetti squash and the recipe that earned (yes, I'll tell you now!)...
3 1/2 rolling pins!!
Thank you. Thank you very much.  (Don't I sound like Elvis?)
I LOVE YOU, my wonderful readers!!!

OH MY GOSH!!
Can you hear me SCREAMING??!!!
If someone tells you that you should get a tablet because it will be SO much easier to do posts on your blog, PLEASE DON'T believe them, and
Run, Forrest, RUN!!!
I absolutely cannot take the time to fix this - I have to go watch my son run in a cross country meet in the dark. 
Weird, I know.
And I'm sure my fixing this and deleting all those little arrows and br's and #160's WON'T get finshed before midnight once I get home.
Sorry folks.
I REALLY think you should just come back tomorrow because trying to decipher this and read between the whosie whatzits is just going to give you a headache and I don't dispense aspirin.
And PLEASE don't waste ink or paper printing this garbage out!
(Sigh)
In with the good, out with the bad...

<p>Unfortunately, this post needs to go up without pictures tonight because I'm using my not-my-picture-uploading-to-my-blog computer.&#160; I also have more writing I want to add to the post once those pictures are up, so please come back tomorrow to check them out.<br>
Also, you really need to come back if you've never seen the inside of a spaghetti squash and marveled at its' glory.&#160; It really is pretty cool!<br>
This was my and Mr. 365's, ok, and the rest of the family's experience with one and we were all amazed.<br>
We don't get out much.&#160; <br>
Sad, isn't it, when the highlight of your day is how the spaghetti squash shreds?<br>
And I lied.&#160; One of us was NOT so impressed.&#160; But more about that later.</p>
<p><b>Sausa</b><b>ge </b><b>Spaghetti Squash</b> - adapted from Emeril Lagasse
<p>6 pork sausage links, casings removed<br>
1 small spaghetti squash, about 2 1/2 lbs.<br>
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped<br>
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped<br>
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped<br>
1/2 teaspoon salt<br>
1/4 freshly ground black pepper<br>
2 1/2 tablespoons butter</p>
<p>Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.<br>
Prepare a 9 X 13-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.<br>
With a long, sharp knife, <i>very care</i><i>f</i><i>ully, </i>cut the squash in half lengthwise.&#160; I say carefully 'cause that bugger was tough and if I hadn't been extremely careful I would have lost a finger, especially since I'm not that good with a knife.<br>
Once the squash is cut, lay each half cut side down into the prepared baking dish.&#160; Do not remove seeds.<br>
Fill the dish with 1/2 inch of water.<br>
Cover with tin foil and bake for 45-55 minutes, until a sharp knife is easily inserted into the skin of the squash.<br>
<b><i>Note:&#160; Emeril said 45 minutes, but my squash needed a</i></b><b><i>n </i></b><b><i>extra 30 minutes until I thought t</i></b><b><i>he skin </i></b><b><i>was soft </i></b><b><i>enough.&#160; It </i></b><b><i>may have </i></b><b><i>been that my squash was </i></b><b><i>on the larger side, so just allow for extra baking</i></b><b><i> time, if needed.&#160; </i></b><br>
Remove baking dish from oven, remove tin foil and turn squash halves over.&#160; <br>
Recover with the tin foil and bake for another 15 minutes.<br>
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.<br>
In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook sausage until browned, breaking apart as it cooks.<br>
Once sausage is cooked, remove from pan, place into a small bowl and set aside.&#160; Save the skillet, you want those juices!<br>
Remove one squash half from the pan and place on a cutting board.<br>
Remove the seeds with a spoon and discard.<br>
With a fork, remove the squash from its' shell.<br>
This is where it turns into SPAGHETTI!!!<br>
Place spaghetti strands into a large bowl.<br>
Repeat process with the other half of the squash.<br>
In the same large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.<br>
Add the basil, sage and rosemary and stir.<br>
Place squash into the pan and add salt and pepper.<br>
Gently toss until squash is coated with seasonings.<br>
Add sausage and cook until heated through.<br>
Serve.</p>
<p>Like I said, we've never had this vegetable.<br>
BUT...<br>
It is definitely a dish I will be making again.<br>
3 out of 4 365er's (our eldest is away at college, remember) really liked this dish.<br>
I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and this Sausage Spaghetti Squash earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.<br>
If you've never had it, it's definitely different.&#160; It's much like spaghetti, but of course, doesn't taste like it.<br>
Odds are that's the reason the boy didn't like it.<br>
He is in LOVE with his pasta, so he couldn't wrap his head around a vegetable that made spaghetti, but didn't taste anything like it.<br>
He definitely wasn't sold.<br>
Emeril had made it plain with the herbs, but I really like the extra flavoring the sausage gave it.&#160; I''m not sure we would've liked it as much if I hadn't added it.</p>
<p>It's Friday!!!&#160; Everyone enjoy your weekend and the football games and we'll catch up again tomorrow!<br>
BIG baking hugs and muffins!!</p>

Here is the REAL post!!

If you've never seen the inside of a spaghetti squash and marveled at its' glory, it really is pretty cool!
This was my and Mr. 365's, ok, and the rest of the family's experience with one and we were all amazed.

We don't get out much.
Sad, isn't it, when the highlight of your day is how the spaghetti squash shreds?
And I lied.
One of us was NOT so impressed.
But more about that later.

Sausage Spaghetti Squash - adapted from Emeril Lagasse at the Food Network

6 pork sausage links, casings removed
1 small spaghetti squash, about 2 1/2 lbs.
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Prepare a 9 X 13-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.
With a long, sharp knife, very carefully, cut the squash in half lengthwise.  I say carefully 'cause that bugger was tough and if I hadn't been extremely careful I would have lost a finger, especially since I'm not that good with a knife.

Once the squash is cut, lay each half cut side down into the prepared baking dish.  Do not remove seeds.
Fill the dish with 1/2 inch of water.
Cover with tin foil and bake for 45-55 minutes, until a sharp knife is easily inserted into the skin of the squash.
Note: Emeril said 45 minutes, but my squash needed an extra 30 minutes until I thought the skin was soft enough.  It may have been that my squash was on the larger side, so just allow for extra baking time, if needed.

Remove baking dish from oven, remove tin foil and turn squash halves over.
Recover with the tin foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook sausage until browned, breaking apart as it cooks.
Once sausage is cooked, remove from pan, place into a small bowl and set aside.  Save the skillet, you want those juices!
Remove one squash half from the pan and place on a cutting board.
Remove the seeds with a spoon and discard.
With a fork, remove the squash from its' shell.
This is where it turns into SPAGHETTI!!!  SEE??!!

Place spaghetti strands into a large bowl.
Repeat process with the other half of the squash.
In the same large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
Add the basil, sage and rosemary and stir.
Place squash into the pan and add salt and pepper.
Gently toss until squash is coated with seasonings.
Add sausage and cook until heated through.
Serve.

Like I said, we've never had this vegetable.
BUT...
It is definitely a dish I will be making again.
3 out of 4 365er's (our eldest is away at college, remember) really liked this dish.
I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and this Sausage Spaghetti Squash earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.
If you've never had it, it's definitely different. It's much like spaghetti, but of course, doesn't taste like it.
Odds are that's the reason the boy didn't like it.
He is in LOVE with his pasta, so he couldn't wrap his head around a vegetable that made spaghetti, but didn't taste anything like it.
He definitely wasn't sold.
Emeril had made it plain with the herbs, but I really like the extra flavoring the sausage gave it. I''m not sure we would've liked it as much if I hadn't added it.

It's Friday (but really now it's mid-Saturday)!!
Everyone enjoy your weekend and the football games and we'll catch up again tomorrow!
Thanks for your patience and coming back to read the new and improved post!
BIG baking hugs and muffins!!