Great Veggie Side Dish and When a 5 Year Old Decides to Help

Last night was not productive in the got a bunch of stuff done way. It was a test of my patience night.
I stopped at Sprouts on the way home to get some items to hopefully tide us through most of the month. And yes for those who judge people on food stamps I did purchase 3 packages of steaks.

Sprouts Trip:
~1/3 pound broccoli crowns
1 bunch celery
1 head of garlic
~ 1&1/4 lbs nectarines
1 pkg mushrooms
~1 lb of sweet potatoes
5 protein bars
1 pkg soba noodles
1 bag chips
1 pkg graham crackers
1 pkg soup
~1/4 lb gummy bears
2 pkgs breakfast steaks (really thinly cut steak)
1 pkg skirt steak
1 muffin

Total: $24.44 SNAP

After this I headed home to fix dinner which I was originally planning on grilled chicken with a squash casserole side dish. Plans changed when I purchased the steaks at Sprouts. I was originally planning on using the steak sliced in a stir fry but decided to grill them last night. So when I got home I put them on to marinade while I got the casserole in the oven. The recipe is an adaptation my aunt and uncle used a lot with excess squash from the garden and not being a true fan of squash this is a good dish for me. The original recipe is as follows:

Asparagus Onion Casserole

1 lb asparagus or 2 pkg 10 oz frozen, thawed
2 med onions
5 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
3 oz cream cheese
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup bread crumbs

saute asparagus and onions in 1 Tbsp butter until crisp tender about 8 minutes. Transfer to ungreased 1&1/2 quart baking dish

Melt 2 Tbsp butter, stir in flour until smooth, gradually add milk. Bring to a boil, cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add cream cheese, salt and pepper, stir until cheese is melted. Pour over vegetables. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Melt remaining 2 Tbsps butter, toss with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over casserole. Baken uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

Yields 4 to 6 servings.


I can say I have never made this with asparagus as I really like asparagus and have no desire to cover them with sauce. I did have the lovely squash, zucchini and onions from the farmer's market to use up.

This was actually the first time Phillip thought the cream cheese was a little over powering so I may cut the amount down next time I make it.

While this was in the oven I got the grill ready, quickly grilled the steaks since they were thin and set them out of the way to rest. Because our dinner was going a little long I went ahead and fed the kids and got Clark's bath. Of course there were other items on the list but I was not feeling like doing any of them.

Here is the first reason my patience was tested: Logan "helping" and me trying to be ok with it. I actually asked him to water the plants we purchased at Archie's on Saturday. They are still sitting on the porch waiting for a home. There is a watering can on the porch which he could have used by filling it in the house. He is his method though.....get the water hose and bring it on the porch. I tell him he can use the watering can, he wants to use the hose. Ok, I think he is going to water the plants with the hose...a couple of minutes later nothing has happened. What is going on? I can not turn on the hose. So I take Clark outside and turn on the hose. Mama, it is overflowing. Ok I will turn off the hose. I come back around to the porch and he has filled a bucket with water. Ok, now he can not pick up the bucket to water the plants and he wants me to turn on the hose. No, I am going inside. He then instead of using a cup which is sitting right on the table to dip from the bucket decides to get his watering can from the yard and then wants the hose back on, not to fill the watering can or water the flowers but to rinse off his watering can so that he can then scoop the water from the bucket with his hands into the watering can to then water the flowers. Phillip had come in the kitchen by then and he went out to deal with the situation.

After Logan's bath Clark was getting fussy so I got him to sleep and then Logan decides he is hungry again and wants to play games on my phone. I let him sit on our bed playing on the phone while I try to get some work done on the computer. Nope, he wants to sit on my lap and ask me 100 questions so I just give that up and come in the bedroom. He starts to watch the news with Phillip so I try to read and I get mama, read to me. Ok, get a book. He comes back with a book and puts it on my book. I tell him when I finish the chapter I am reading which is 2 more pages I will read to him. I get hands on my pages, 100 questions and another book on my book. I finally read the 2 pages and then read to him. He then does not want to go to sleep and has a dozen reasons why he does not need to. As soon as he is still for a couple of seconds though he is out like a light.

Another night when I needed scream therapy.