JANAURY 10, 2012 WINTER SQUASH

"WHAT A WONDERFUL LIFE I'VE HAD. I ONLY WISH I HAD REALIZED IT SOONER." - colette

I have a wonderful life. So do you if you think about it. It is not the materialistic items, but the love, peace and serenity you have in your life that counts. I wish I had realized all of what I know now--then. By then, I mean years ago before I followed a twelve step program. I have also taken very seriously the prayer and meditation in my life. I believe this more than anything has helped me move forward spiritually and emotionally.

I do not know enough about winter squash, so I did some reading. The gourd family is a large clan of vegetables. I thought I knew a lot of them, but after reading I know very few. Winter squash have hard shells, inedible skins and large seeds. You know some of them--pumpkin, butternut and acorn. Some you might not know are kabocha , spaghetti squash, golden nugget and turban squash. You must choose squash that are firm, heavy for their size and have dull skins as opposed to shiny ones. They should be hard without cracks or soft spots. You can store the uncut squash in a dark cool place. You can keep one for up to 3-4 months.

Once you cut the squash, you can keep it for one week. A paring knife can be used for thin shelled winter squash like acorn , but a larger knife will be needed for the hard skinned ones.

A recipe:

1. Select any squash above

2. Scrub with a brush

3. Drain or pat dry

4. Cut large pieces in chunks. I would peel them, Put the chunks in a steamer basket and steam until tender ( about 12-15 minutes)

5. You can serve as they are and sprinkle some spices and oil on them

You can always bake the squash on a cookie sheet for about 50 -75 minutes depending on the size.

Now to be unique what about stuffing a whole squash. Cut the top off and remove the large seeds. Also you have to remove the strings. Stuff with something like quinoa, brown rice or even buckwheat. I have tasted squash stuffed with chicken and quinoa. You can stuff with other vegetables if you wish.

Bake for 30 - 40 minutes

A great winter dish! Try it!

Until tomorrow...