Rival Football, 11 year old knows best, and spaghetti tacos

This is funny, in a weird, I can't think of another word sort of way. All the rage this week has been spaghetti tacos! It was on Twitter, Yahoo, and in print media like the New York Times, Detroit Free Press and other newspapers around the country. Articles were talking about this phenomenon as the new tween trend. Grandmothers are making this as a special treat for their grandchildren, and clever mothers are stacking up spaghetti tacos for themed birthday parties. How did this all get started?

It all started with iCarly. A tween TV sitcom, that I personally find quite clever. I remember this episode, starring a then infamous spaghetti taco made by the star of ICarly's brother for dinner. At the time I thought ' What clever writing', my son thought, 'That's a great idea for dinner.' Until now I never gave it a second thought, not even when I made spaghetti for dinner and my son hauled out the hard tacos to stuff his spaghetti into. 'Really?', I said.

With my face contorted into a look of disgust.

' You have to be creative mom.' said Sam.

I agree. Sometimes 11 year old's actually know a thing or two.

Spaghetti tacos could not have surfaced in our home at a more opportune moment. Today is the Michigan State vs. Michigan game. The biggest game of the year for these two rivals. As I pulled on my very cute Michigan State shirt this morning, I knew if nothing else, I had on a really cute game shirt. A cursive, gem covered 'Michigan State' across the front of my shirt and my husband dressed in blue. As the parents sat at the football fields this morning, cheering on their children, the sides had already been decided. You were either green and white or maize and blue. Jackets, sweatshirts, T shirts, you name it, people were wearing their hearts out in the open. This game today is being played by both teams coming in undefeated. This hasn't happened in 11 years!

My husband grew up going to University of Michigan games. I grew up loving Michigan State, and of course, I actually graduated from this University. So however this game ends today, at least we have spaghetti tacos, so we will have something else to talk about. And I still have the cutest game shirt on! As for everyone else, I can only hope they catch the tween trend.

Recipe for Spaghetti Tacos:

1 14.5 oz. box of thin spaghetti noodles- cooked according to box directions

1 pound ground beef- cooked

1 jar of favorite spaghetti sauce ***

12 corn taco shells

shredded lettuce

1 jalapeno- sliced thin

1 8 0z container of Mascarpone cheese

The *** were a note regarding the sauce. You can use your homemade sauce, but any good jar of sauce will do nicely. Once you have cooked the noodles and browned the meat, it is time to put together the Spaghetti Taco.

For children, you can keep it simple.

1. Take taco shell

2. Noodles on bottom

3. Ground beef, then sauce over top.

You could sprinkle traditional taco toppings over the assembled taco, or eat after sauce has been added. Enjoy.

For adults:

1. Take taco shell

2. Spread layer of Mascarpone cheese on bottom of shell

3. Sprinkle slices of jalapeno on top of cheese

4. Layer noodles next.

5. Ground beef, then sauce over top.

6. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top of assembled taco.

Wow, your first Spaghetti Taco. Let me know your thoughts on this one,

Ashley