Thanksgiving and spaghetti squash!

Thanksgiving is upon us…in one week! I’ve been busy making my menu and shopping list. We always have traditional foods…turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, my sister’s baked corn …YUM!  Since finding I have a digestive sensitivity to gluten, however, I’ve been experimenting and searching for new recipes to try.  So today I’m posting one for you to try over the holidays when you are done with eating turkey.   This is my version of spaghetti  carbonara and although this version does not include eggs, it tastes  very similar. Enjoy my friends!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

I medium sized spaghetti squash

1/2  jar GF organic Alfredo sauce (ok…so I cheat a little)

1 cup frozen petite peas (thawed)

6 slices nitrate free bacon. (cooked crisp and crumbled)

3/4 C Shredded Parmesan cheese

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Place in a baking dish, cut side up. Slather generously with olive oil.  Bake for 45 -60 min. Check to see if it is fork tender in the thickest parts of squash. Allow to cool a bit then take a fork and scrape out spaghetti like strands of the squash and put in 2 quart casserole dish.  Toss with 1/2 a jar of the heated Alfredo sauce, peas and parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. (You can use more sauce if you like. I prefer less)

Garnish with crumbled bacon.

Easy peasy…. and no carb coma to follow!

 

 

 

 

Relationships and Anniversaries…..

1987 to 2013…..

Last month, I celebrated my 26th wedding Anniversary. I was thinking about that today as I wished someone else a “Happy Anniversary.” In my latest newsletter, I shared a ‘ then and now ‘photo of me and my hubby too. 26 years….is a long time. Add to that 5 years of dating and high school sweethearts..umm you get the pic. We pretty much grew up together. We certainly made our passage into adulthood together. Sometimes, that can be  difficult because people change over the years. Life and circumstances change us…don’t they?  We started dating in high school!  We have been through so much- lots of fun family times, job promotions babies being born but also … family illnesses and deaths , divorces of our friends, financial ups and downs, 2 years of a sick baby boy = no sleep for parents and a daughter who had open heart surgery… life can throw you a few curve balls along the way and that doesn’t include what we brought into the relationship from our families or origin! My point is…relationships take work, investment of time and energy and  as we go through the years, it is important to celebrate those milestones!

So for all you celebrating Anniversaries this year…Happy Anniversary! My wish for you is to remember why you fell in love in the first place,be present in this moment and to celebrate well! Celebrations don’t have to be expensive. A picnic or a candlelit dinner on the back patio can be just as romantic as one in a restaurant but remember, you need music for the mood too! 🙂 So here’s my Anniversary Song and all my best wishes!

-Debbie

P.S. I’d love to hear from you- How have you celebrated your Anniversaries through the years?

 

Follow your dream…

Don’t we all long to follow our dreams and make them come true? That’s what I was thinking about when I wrote this song for my kids. Follow your dreams, work hard, be persistent and even when you fall…get back up and something wonderful will happen! You will learn to FLY….

FLY- New Single officially released!!

So here it is…. my new single- FLY.  Now for you die hard jazzers…this is a more adult contemporary ballad. It was recorded with my jazz trio and a group of high school teens I brought into the studio with me from my daughter’s high school show choir. I’m embedding the video below so you can see the process…kids, gathering, rehearsing, recording. We had a great time and we are selling these downloads to help raise money for their show choir competition trip in May. I hope you enjoy the song and if you like it, please purchase this single for 99cents and PLEASE SHARE with your friends and social media pages. Together we can make an impact on the next musical generation! BUY the song – https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fly/id619579017

Happy March and New Music coming soon!!!

March…in like a lion and out like a lamb! As my teens would say, “True Story!” This week’s snow that blasted across most of the country would qualify. It is cold but green here in Tennessee. The daffodils are blooming and the world is starting to drop hints of Spring and all things new! Speaking of new…..
Most of you know that I am a mom. I know it has never been fashionable to talk about motherhood in business….until this century. However, I AM a mom of 2 teens and have been married 25 years to a wonderful man. I LOVE those aspects of who I am and my music is starting to reflect that! I spend time with my family, my kid’s friends and try to be involved in what they are doing as much as I can.
Recently, I invited a group of teens from my daughter’s high school show choir into the studio with me to record on one of my new songs! In the next 2 weeks you will hear more about our experience and what we are trying to accomplish together! I will tell you however, I wanted to help them achieve some of their goals and they were all such fun to work with that I was the one who was blessed!! So stay tuned….for NEW MUSIC and lots of stories!!! In the meantime….take a minute to encourage a teenager near you. It means the world to them!

February and Chocolate Fondue…YUM!

Happy valentine’s week!!!
I’m a little behind on blogging but with good reason.
The Cunningham household has been a tad busy with my teen’s school musicals, especially since one of my teens is a SENIOR! (insert tear here) However…. February would NOT be February without a little Chocolate, yes? So I’m reposting my 1 minute interview about making Chocolate Fondue, just in time for your Valentine’s Day dinner. Trust me, this is a quick, easy recipe and so fun! Kids and adults alike LOVE this and you can pair it with your favorite fruits and cake. ( Saralee frozen LB cake -easy peezy!) I know…high calorie but this is a special occasion… You are celebrating with the ones you love!
If you make it…comment below. I’d love to hear how you served it and what everyone thought of your culinary excellence! ENJOY!

CHOCOLATE FONDUE:
(This serves 3-4)
1 Cup semi sweet chocolate ( morsels are fine. If Chocolate is in a lg block, chop or grate first)
1/2 c heavy cream
assorted fruits cut into bite sized pieces,
assorted shortbread cookies
OR
angel food or pound cake- cur into bite sized chunks
skewers or forks to dip or my preference is to ladel spponfuls of the fondue onto dessert plates and then guests can dip their fruit separately! No double dipping issues! 🙂

Heat cream on low to med heat until very warm but NOT boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate until it is smooth and glossy. Serve with assorted fruits and cake. Enjoy!

Here is an interview where I talk you through the Chocolate Fondue recipe in less than a minute! The One minute How To with George Smithe. Enjoy this short interview and let me know how you LOVE the recipe!

How to Make Chocolate Fondue

Summer fun and the Flat Parker Project!

Flat Parker and me in the studio!

Summer was SO busy with my family! If you have kids ..you get it! This year was even busier. Besides summer fun, cousin camp at my house  and neighborhood BBQ’s , we added college hunting  and visiting to the mix! WHEW! I had no idea… 🙂

The highlight of our summer was an unexpected visit from my NEW friend, FLAT PARKER! Flat Parker is traveling to 50 states in 365 days on behalf of the REAL Parker, who is a 5 year old boy from Michigan who has Leukemia. He is in the midst of a 3 year treatment to save his life. While he is at home and cannot go anywhere, Flat Parker travels FOR him. Flat Parker then uploads his adventures, via pics to Face book so the real Parker can have something to take his mind of all the needles and tests and chemo etc. The timing was right for FP to come with me into the studio and we had lots of fun! When I was first asked to take Flat Parker  I thought I may not have time to give the project my full attention. We had a busy week in the studio planned and I was also on my way out of town to celebrate my mom’s 70th birthday. Never-the -less it was something I really wanted to do for Parker and his family. Even though I had a moment of hesitation as I was looking at the business of my life, I quickly moved from hesitant to yes and I’m so glad I did! My whole family had the privilege to participate and honestly, it has been one of the highlights of our summer! When we said Goodbye to Flat Parker even my kids and husband felt that emotional tug as we sent him on to his next secret location. Spontaneity has always been difficult for this planner girl !! However, I’m learning that sometimes the best things in our life come from the unexpected!

To see pics and learn more about this worthy cause and follow FP ‘s travels around the country, please go to their FB page and like    http://www.facebook.com/FlatParker

 

 

How To Make Chocolate Fondue

I was interviewed for The One minute How To with George Smithe. Enjoy this short interview and let me know how you LOVE the recipe!

How to Make Chocolate Fondue

Happy Spring!

Debbie Cunningham

Happy Spring!

I hope you are enjoying the kinder, warmer weather, wherever you live. Thanks for stopping by my site. Please browse the photos and blogs, listen to music and be sure to sign up for my mailing list to get your FREE SONG downloads! After you listen feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think. I’d love to hear from you!

In the meantime….breathe in as many sunsets as you can with those you love! :)

All my best….

-Debbie