Tonight’s dinner was inspired by my mama!
Growing up one of my favorite dinners was my mom’s spaghetti with marinara meat sauce. It’s the kind of meal that feels like home and comfort served on a plate.
She used to make it for me the night before my cross country meets in junior high when I would get so nervous. In hindsight, I’m not sure why I got nervous. I wasn’t integral to the team in the least and really just participated in the sport because it was no-cut and I didn’t make the basketball team. (I told you I got cut from everything!)
I used my mom’s sauce as inspiration for the semi-homemade marinara meat sauce I prepared this evening.
I started by browning one pound of lean ground beef before adding half of a chopped large onion and a large chopped zucchini to the mix.
I then added an entire jar of marinara sauce.
I seriously could not stop sampling this sauce as it bubbled. Yum!
Ryan and I poured the sauce over some spaghetti squash before digging in.
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You know I went back for seconds. I also ate a bunch of the sauce as I was pouring leftovers into Tupperware. I couldn’t get enough!
After dinner we took this little nut job on a nice walk around our new neighborhood.
As Ryan and I were walking we noticed that two different houses nearby had police cars parked in the driveway. Gotta love the added safety of having cops as neighbors!
Time to join Ryan on the floor with a bunch of blankets for movie night. We tossed our couch from our previous apartment (it was gross), so we’re in the market for a new one. Until then, it’s floor livin’ in this house!
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Spaghetti Squash + me = love! It’s Amaze-balls as Guiliana Ranic says!
I’m so happy you get to enjoy your own kitchen now. Cooking always relaxes me…btw..gotta go check on my mexican stuffed peppers!
Have a great night!
As always the Sadie comments made me laugh out loud! Have a great night Julie.
Floor-living can be fun sometimes! What kind of couch are you looking for? Sectional? Leather? I love furniture shopping 🙂
I have a spaghetti squash just waiting to be roasted in my pantry. I should get on that!
Spaghetti with marinara meat sauce is probably one of my fave meals of all time 🙂 That is exactly how I make it (minus the zucchini, usually). Yumfest!
Have a great night!
I love marinara sauce– ALMOST as much as I love movie nights & curling up in blankets on the floor 🙂
Nothing like some snuggle time on the floor… especially because it makes it so accessible for Sadie to join in! What movie? I’m looking for suggestions 🙂
My Cousin Vinny! It’s a classic!
I love spaghetti squash! It’s been a while since I made it though, your dish tonight makes me want to make it again!
I LOVE adding thick and hearty sauce to spaghetti squash. 🙂 It is the perfect meal!
Looks great! My husband and I are also in the market for a new couch and there are tons of great Labor Day deals out there 🙂
Oooh my mom’s marinara sauce was one of my fav meals growing up too! She would sometimes put it in the slow cooker for the day and simply walking into the house after school would have my taste buds dancin’ and mouth watering!!
Would you believe that I’ve never made meat sauce—ever? I might have to do this soon!
This looks delicious! Nothing like a mom’s homemade sauce recipe. My mom shared mine with me this past summer and not only was it so fun to make the tomato sauce from scratch, it was beyond flavorful.
I’m definitely going to have to try the above! I love meat sauce! Plus…I can tell my boyfriend would inhale this 😉
I would get SO nervous for cross country and track meets in junior high and high school as well!!
I think blanket floor movie night sounds cozy and romantic. 🙂
Aw yay!! Movie night on the floor with a bunch of blankets is the BEST (even if you have furniture) – enjoy!!
You are seriously so cute, I love love love your blog. Keep up the awesome posts and adorable dog pics with funny captions!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
Awww have a sweet night you two! And your dish seriously sounds delicious~
That was my favorite too growing up!!! I’ll have to try put this sauce!
I just made your Easy Chicken Parmesan + spaghetti squash for dinner! Yum. I’m impressed with your husband eating it as a pasta substitute; I make my fiance his own serving of real pasta, haha.
Aw look at Sadie’s little gray face! (Don’t worry, dogs go gray super early! ;-))
I am addicted to marinara sauce! Gotta say, not having a couch sounds pretty romantic!
MMM..looks delicious! 🙂 I am just about to head out the door to pick up some ingredients for dinner! 🙂 I jotted down a lasagna recipe from thetofuguru on youtube. It reminded me of your eggplant lasagna and made me click over to see what you were having for dinner tonight..haha 🙂 I love a meaty sauce with spaghetti squash; they pair so well together!
I used to get incredibly nervous before my cross country meets, too! I was awful at the sport and my time didn’t make a difference, but I still freaked out over them. Needless to say, I hated cross country!
i have YET to try spaghetti squash! i hope its still in season for a little longer! is it filling?
But where is your tablescape to go with your semi homemade meal? 🙂
Lol!!
Julie I thought I’d let you know I was babysitting tonight and the baby loved the little cereal puffs that you put in your yogurts!! They’re so cute and the perfect crunch for something creamy!!
Looks Yummy. Btw you MUST read this blog – http://1000awesomethings.com/.
Mmmm, my stepdad used to always make meat sauce with 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 sausage. I ate bowls of it for “snack”.
oh my how adorable..Sadie nose shot!! <3
I love spaghetti squash and marinara sauce! It is by far one of my favorite meals!
Sadie has wide lady hairs 🙂 the silver cheeks. My dogs have begun to get them too- I try to ignore it, but at the same time it is so adorable.
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Yum! That sounds like such a fabulous meal! 🙂 I am all about Italian food.
I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it, but I LOOOOOOVE that you use Fiesta. Aren’t they the happiest dishes ever??? 🙂
Your sauce looks fantastic!
I love meat sauce! So tasty! You could put that on anything and it would taste great.
LOVE spagetti squash! And you guys should build a fort in your living room if you don’t have couches! My hubs and I LOVE channeling our inner 12 year olds and building forts with blanket and chairs, and then watching horror movies haha 😀
Love the idea of adding zuchini to the sauce! Gives your traditional meat sauce a new spin!
I am super guilty of “sampling” everything, like 5 times, as I cook … just can’t help it!! 🙂
awwww, yay! nothing like comfort food and movie nights! 😉
I love meat sauce marinara. I will have to try it with zuccini.
I love meat sauce! Definitely my go to sauce at Italian restaurants.
Spaghetti squash?
I made spaghetti squash for dinner tonight too!! Yours looks absolutely delicious, and Sadie looks so cute in those pictures!
I love spaghetti with meat sauce & recently started making it with spaghetti squash instead of noodles (squash is gluten free 🙂 )
Mmm, meat sauce is all kinds of good! My mom would always just a teaspoon of sugar to it and it would make all the flavors pop.
Its hard for me to find good lean beef recipes on blogs, so I am so psyched you included this one!
You make me laugh how you said you were tasting the leftovers as you poured them in the tupperware…I DO THE SAME THING! Glad to know I’m not alone 🙂
Yum that sauce looks so good! 🙂
so wonderful having cops as neighbors! our neighbor hood is all cops/excops and military…. helps us feel better when we are out of town!
I have vivid memories of my mom’s sauce… and sneaking many, many bites. She would even let us have a bowl of sauce before dinner was ready. I felt like we were cheating on dinner, haha 🙂
Oh goodness, I haven’t made spaghetti squash in ages. I certainly miss it now.