You know when your past self did something that makes your present self really happy. Like the way Past Jenny cleaned her room before leaving for vacation. That made Today Jenny very happy when she got home from her parents’ house.
The worst part of coming back from a trip is unpacking all of the wires that are absolutely critical to my ability to live life. The phone charger. The laptop power supply. The iPad charger. Can we say “first world problem”?
But also, I’m determined not to take more than one bag when I travel to my parents’ house. I mean, one bag for my clothes/toiletries. I have a bag for kitchen tools/ingredients. And of course, a bag for wii games, computer, etc. And then usually a cooler. No biggie. But sticking to one bag for clothes/toiletries is no small feat. I’ve left out pajamas and just borrowed from my sister before. I also never take shampoo of my own. But my sister has much drier, much curlier hair than I do. And she has the shampoo to counteract her hair-type. The kind of shampoo that makes my hair a little crazy. I’ve missed my shampoo.
While I was home for Thanksgiving, I cooked lunch for my brother and his family. I made the easiest baked “pasta” in the whole world.
My mom turned me onto this, and it’s delicious. It’s gluten free on top of that, and you’d barely even notice. It’s a super simple baked pasta without any pasta. Use butternut squash for the noodles. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
I wish it were more complicated, and I could post some fancy recipe. But basically…
Baked “Pasta”
- peeled discs of butternut squash (or half moon shapes from the bottom)
- your favorite spaghetti sauce (with or without meat)
- mozzarella cheese
Layer the squash and sauce. Top with mozzarella. Cover and cook at 350 for about an hour and a half or until tender. Uncover and cook until the cheese is just starting to brown. Just like that.


