Where does the time go?

Last week I started my new part-time job.  I love it!  The people are super nice and the work is exactly what I am experienced to do.  I am truly blessed to have been given this position.

However, I thought switching from full-time to part-time would give me more time.  I am finding it may be giving me more time, but I am filling that time up fast.  

One major time filler is I started to make dinner every night (I think my husband agreed to this job switch is so he won't have to cook dinner very often at all).  I didn't realize the dinner time would be hard to manage with our different schedules, but I am becoming creative with ways to feed us at different times.  

On the night I planned spaghetti with meat sauce, I realized our son wasn't going to be home from marching band practice until after I left for a Boy Scout parent meeting.  I had to come up with a way to make the dinner and have it ready to serve when the rest of my family got home.  I decided to make the spaghetti and put it in the oven to warm it up and add cheese to melt.    Ta-da!  My Spaghetti Casserole was created!

It starts out with the usual spaghetti cast of characters: Spaghetti, Ground Beef, A Good Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheeses.

I browned the ground beef and cooked the pasta. 

When those were ready, I mixed them together with the tomato sauce.  

Sprayed oil into a 9" x 13" pan and dumped the spaghetti into it.  Then sprinkled the cheeses over it and put it in the oven.   

Then I attempted to try one of the awesome features on our new oven.  I thought I was setting the oven to start at 6:25 pm.  

I actually set it to start in 6 hours and 25 minutes from that time.  Ugh.  It didn't quite go as planned.  My husband had to turn the oven on when he got home. 30 minutes later dinner was ready and I was home. 

It didn't go exactly as planned, but now I know how to work the delay feature on the over.  I will use it again.  Several times I am sure.  

My Spaghetti Casserole

1 lb Ground Beef (season with salt & pepper)
1/2 small package of dry spaghetti
water to boil the pasta
1/3 of the Good Tomato Sauce recipe
Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 350 and spray oil in a 9"x13" pan.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef.  At the same time boil the water, add the pasta and cook until al dente (not quite done yet).   Combine the ground beef, pasta and tomato sauce. Once combined, pour into the prepared pan.  Cover the spaghetti in cheese.  

Put in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  

I am back!!

Hi Again!

It has been too long since I visited my blog.

I found that it was hard to make the time to focus on this between working, cooking, trying to sew or crochet and spending time with my family.   Something had to go and it was this one thing.

Life has a way of changing on a regular basis.  I am truly blessed to have found a new job much closer to home.  It is going to free up more time and I am hoping to use some of that to revitalize my blog!  

I am looking forward to all that I want to do.  However all this new freedom has a tiny string attached.   We are going to have to pinch our pennies a little tighter to allow me this freedom.  

One of the first things to go was my cleaning lady.  The teen boy was not happy about this because now he has to clean his own bathroom.  And I forgot how big that kitchen floor really is.  My back is still sore from mopping.  But it is a good to do it my self after so long.

Another thing to go is having my hair dresser do my hair color.  I am going to miss my highlights.  But I won't have to miss a decent color job even if I am doing it myself.  

Being a Bzzagent, I have the opportunity to try a new custom for me hair color system I can use at home.  

At eSalon.com, I answered a bunch of hard questions (like what is my natural hair color) and what color do I want it to be (without the highlights).   I then took a horrible selfie with my bushy hair in all its glory and uploaded it to them.  Now a colorist will take all that information and create a color just for me!  

If you would like to try it for yourself, click here to be connect to eSalon.com.  After you complete your profile, you will be eligible for 50% off your re-order!

All I have to do now is wait for my package (courtesy of BzzAgent) to arrive and the adventure will begin.  Wonder if the dog will give my back an old towel or 2?