Oh hi 😀
1. I talk/write too much. Because yesterday’s WIAW post ended up being something like 1200 words, I’m going to try and keep things short and sweet today. We’ll see how I do.
2. First of all… Shame on you for not telling me that I could roast my kabochas with the skin on! Okay, so you totally told me and I totally didn’t listen, but laziness got the better of me the other day and I decided to give it a shot. Holy gerbils! Halving, seeding, quartering, and roasting in the skin is so much easier. And not having to worry [so much] about losing a finger while cutting? Bliss.
3. Another brilliant discovery in the kitchen? You can decalcify your water kettle using white vinegar! Okay, so this isn’t really a discovery as much as it is a “I finally grew a pair and decided to try it out,” but the thought of my water tasting like vinegar just freaked me out. The good news? It doesn’t! And it gets rid of all the skeevy calcium reside that, while adding to my mineral intake, probably wasn’t all that healthy.
4. You know what I’ve been eating lately? Broccoli trunks. Produce from the farmers’ market is pretty pricey around these parts, so I may as well get the most bang for my buck!
5. You know what I haven’t been eating lately? My favourite Barefruit apple chips. I haven’t been able to find them anywhere lately! 😥
6. Something I did find that I wish I hadn’t? Frozen butternut squash chunks. I thought they would make a good substitute for those times where I needed a squash fix but didn’t have enough time to cut and roast one, but holy.gerbils… not a fan. Maybe I prepared them wrong (even though I followed the instructions), but the texture was so off that even thinking about it skeeves me out. Might still work in soup, though…
7. As much as I love real flowers, I can’t hate on the fake ones. They last forever, don’t stress me out with complicated care protocol, and honestly don’t look half bad if you invest in some good ones. I mean, would you honestly be able to tell these are fake?!?
8. Instead of sharing a song this week, I wanted to share this hilarious video that Rachel from Running Rachel shared with me the other day. Do yourself a favour and take 2.5 minutes out of your day to watch it. Laughter is a great stress reliever 😉
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbycvPwr1Wg&w=560&h=315″]
9. Did you know that…
1. This immediately begs the follow-up question… is George the father?!?
2. Am I the only one skeeved out by the amount of psychological research that goes into our products?
3. Sad but true…
4. Kind of goes against the popular belief that pets are supposed to add years to your life…
5. I tried this out just for you guys, and it WORKS!! Just don’t wiggle your fingers.
10. Word count: ~500… Go me!
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Do you eat squash with or without the peel?
How are the prices at your farmers’ market?
What’s one of your favourite childhood shows?
This is the one type of squash that EVERYONE raves about, and yet I can never find it! I guess I need to try whole foods or the farmers market. Its not at my usual store! 🙁
And Im not a fan of frozen veggies in general unless its corn or peas. For some reason, they all take on a weird texture to me! I much rather prefer mine to be fresh!
Hahaha I just laughed so hard at that video!! Thanks for making my day! I STILL haven’t found a kabocha squash anywhere and now it’s driving me crazy.
Frozen butternut squash is so gross!! Let us know if the soup works out– I need a way to use mine up!!
Ugh I am NOT a fan of frozen and thawed butternut squash either. It tastes stringy and just blech. Make a soup with it though and it’ll be fine!
haha oh my goodness 😀 broccoli trunks are my fav girl 😀
I’m baaack and I wish I were back sooner only to tell you that roasted squash tastes infinitely better with skin on- it adds so much more to the texture, not to mention how much easier it is to prepare! I have some butternut squash roasting in the oven right now and I am impatiently waiting for it to blacken :)! I loved your WIAW post yesterday especially as some of the swaps are so easy! Have you tried rice flakes as an oatmeal replacement? My bff is/was a huge oat lover but had to avoid it for a while due to digestive discomfort and has been eating rice flakes instead- I had a bite last week and loved it…I couldn’t even tell the difference between regular oatmeal!
WOO! So great to see you back — missed seeing your face around these parts! And I actually haven’t tried rice flakes, but you just reminded me that I have a bag buried in the depths of my pantry! Definitely going to be trying it out!
Oh thank you for sharing that video! The world needs to see it 🙂
I can’t stop talking/writing when I blog either, but it’s also one of the reasons I enjoy your posts. They’re not twelve hundred words of empty incorrectly spelled filler. They’re twelve hundred words of well written prose with gorgeous pictures thrown in. That being said, I like the short Thinking Out Loud post. It’s a good mix right.
Um, so I hate fake flowers. Like I sneer at them when I see them. I also can’t tell these are fake so just ignore me.
Save the broccoli stems; throw them in the freezer and add them to Broccoli Cheddar Soup when you make it. If you blend it, no one will even know they’re there. Or you cold keep eating them because that works too. The vinegar trick is great but don’t let it sit too long (i.e. overnight). I ruined my bathroom counter a couple weeks ago doing it. 🙁
The video was fantastic. Absolutely worth it. I cried I laughed so hard.
A couple of things- first, I am terrible at writing too much. Always have been. I used to get points taken off papers in school for writing too much. I just feel like I leave out too many things with shorter pieces. Good to know I’m not alone, but I’m trying to get better at this too. Oh, and definitely always roast your squashes whole. THE BEST flavor comes out this way, and it’s so much easier! I have even started cooking mine in the slow cooker overnight- holy amazing! Just pop it in the slow cooker, cover half the squash with water and turn it on low for 12 hours to come out perfect!
I tried that butternut squash and was definitely not a fan either. So disappointed! I ended up using mine in smoothies instead of ice cubes:) Surprise, surprise. Fake flowers? I don’t think so:)
Told ya I write too much<3
!!! Yet another reason that I need to invest in a slow cooker this season. I’ve honestly never heard of that method of squash cooking before, but it sounds like it would taste amazing. And the smoothie option would definitely be a good one — if only it wasn’t so cold here already!
I cook all my squash with skins! I cooked a sugar pumpkin in cubes last week with skin on & I thought it was delightfully chewy 🙂 and as a child we were really limited in the television shows we were allowed to watch but my favorite was 3-2-1 Contact, it was like a science type show with really theme songs. and as a clumsy non pet owner, my heart is warmed by the fact that not having a pet is healthy (for me anyways! ;-))
I always roast squash with the peel on, call me lazy 😉 And that pre-cut squash is pretty much Heaven sent for soups or blended purees… saves so much time! And I’m totally trying that ice water trick next time I paint my nails. Genius!
Yeah, I’m not a fan of the frozen butternut squash either. I tried it in soup and it was okay but I still prefer the fresh stuff.
I think fake flowers can look good if they’re done right. As long as they’re not collecting dust! 😉
#8 = hilarious.
LOVE The Jetsons! Also love The Flintstones; so when that crossover movie happened and they met, I was one giddy kid.
I am definitely on the fake flowers train because I can’t take care of plants to save my life. I never use the “plant food” you’re supposed to give them, so they’re on their own in this house. Lol I LOVE broccoli trunks! My mom and I agree it’s our favorite part! The first time I made Kabocha, I kept the peel on and I really liked the texture of it after it was roasted. It was nice to have a little “substance” to bite into if it makes sense? If you eat smoothies, I bet the butternut squash could be added to it! Or you could puree them and use them in recipes in place of pumpkin!
Favorite Childhood Show: Blues Clues and (later) Boy Meets World!
Ohhhhh! Good call on the smoothies bit! Even though I’d probably have to sit by the fireplace while I was drinking it.
I always eat the peel on my kabocha squash but usually leave it behind with other squashes. Sorry to hear that the pre-cut butternut squash was a fail, I’m sure that would make things much easier…. cutting squash is a pain.
Yes to fake flowers! They last forever 🙂 I have them all over our house haha.Favorite childhood shows: Saved By The Bell, All That, Kenan and Kel, Full House, and Boy Meets World!
Booyah! To be honest I didn’t realize notice that yesterday’s post was long…I guess I just really like reading what you have to say even if it is a novel!
Please tell me you were as obsessed with Full House and Saved By The Bell as I was!
Yes and YES. I still watch Full House reruns whenever I catch them on TV, and I think I need to buy both on DVD so I can indulge to my heart’s content.
I’ve bought frozen zuchini, and squashes before and thought it was going to be OMGlifesaver–but I agree, something about the texture is ridiculously off– but the soup thing might work for it considering you are going to blend it up anyways.
I don’t mind fake flowers because I’m really bad about watering real ones and changing the vases etc. So fake flowers work really well for me (as I stare at my real plant on my desk at work that needs some serious TLC).
That’s exactly how I roast my squash these days – it’s a million times easier and I can have it prepared and ready to go into the oven in like 5 minutes. Which is necessary, because I basically need some prepped at all times :-p
And that video is awesome, so thank you for that :-p I’ve had a bouquet of fake roses on my desk for like the past year – they look pretty to me, and I can only imagine how much I would have had to pay to keep real ones around…I think that real ones are best, but I’ve got nothing against the fake ones.
9.4 – that doesn’t surprise me in the least. I love my dog and he loves me, but I’m fully convinced that he’s going to accidentally kill me one day. Always underfoot!
Ok so the broccoli trunks never get enough cred. They’re good too, and no use in throwing them away! Also–I AM all about fake flowers. I am always tempted to buy real ones and them remind myself that they’ll die within a week because I wouldn’t remember to change out the water and whatnot, so fake ones it is! Wow fact #2—already knew…kind of scary. Wow tip #5–NO WAY! Trying ASAP.
I’m at work so I will definitely watch the video later skater. <– yeah, I'm cool. K so wait, you roasted the kabocha WHOLE? And then cut it? Or you still cut it into pieces but left the skin on?
I cut it in half, scooped out the seeds, cut it in half again (so, quarters) and roasted it like that. Perrrrrfection!
I’ll start with the last question first…Full House was my all time favorite. I cried (a lot) when the finale aired. Sad times!
And I’ve been trying to find a good farmer’s market in Miami for months now, but all we have are 1 stand wonders. GRRRR…
For some reason, I’m always too nervous to cook with the kabocha skin on now! I had one bad experience, and now it has thrown me off for good. Sad when that happens.
I’m always a fan of stocking my house with the fake flowers. Firstly, they always look pretty and second of all you don’t have to worry about nasty bugs inside:)
Oh my gosh, I tried those butternut squash cubes once and you are right – so nasty! Nothing compared to the real deal…but I never thought of adding them to soup. That could be quite tasty.
Nooo! Don’t tell me about bad experiences! I’ve just discovered this method and LOVE it… What happened?!
Fake flowers: yay or nay? Yay to fake flowers!
Do you eat squash with or without the peel? With the peel! So much easier that way!
How are the prices at your farmers’ market? Pretty darn good! I can get a few bags filled to the brim with fruits/veggies for a awesome price. Much better than the super market!
What’s one of your favourite childhood shows? I loved My Little Ponies, Full House, Save by the Bell and The Smurfs!
I love barefruit. I get mine off of Amazon. I can’t seem to find them anywhere either!
Another fun nail polish tip? Spray them with cooking spray, like Pam! It totally works.
I definitely prefer real flowers, but I don’t have anything against a nice bouquet of fake ones. Especially since I suck at changing the water in my flowers, so it gets all old and gross and then my flowers die. I’m a horrible flower mother.
But… but then I’d have greasy fingers!
Spraying your nails with Pam/cooking spray will also quick dry them (it’s just because it’s oil and they use high-oil quick dry top coats in salons). It’s also far cheaper than what you can buy in the stores, though I have to say Julep’s freedom top coat is the best I’ve tried and it dries almost instantly! I’m not a big fan of squash other than summer squash roasted on the grill with olive oil and some dill. Haha I love the “close your eyes at 6 and it’s 7:30, close them at 1:30 for 5 minutes at it’s 1:32″…that’s how I feel about some of my post-bacc classes 🙁 Have a great one!
Can I call you the great reminder/advice-giver from now on :)? There’s honestly such a lot of that in this post.
First off, thanks for reminding me my water kettle needs a good cleaning session sometime soon. I was skeptical of the vinegar method when my mum first told me to use it, too, but have been using it for while. Occasionally – when vinegar doesn’t help anymore – switching to what calls itself a ‘natural’ cleaner but at the same time gives a lot of warnings on the package – highly suspicious …
And yes, definitely eating the broccoli trunks for the same reason. But maybe it’s also another ‘mum thing’ because she served them up when we were younger, too :)?
Hm … I think I might need to invest in a fake orchid, too. Mine’s currently ‘dying’ for the millionth time again and it’s just not a pleasant sight.
Oh, and about the squash: I always eat kabocha with the skin. It’s about keeping both the smooth/creamy texture of the flesh and the slight bite of the skin – perfect.
I’m betting the freezing process changed the structure of that butternut squash. That sucks because I’d like to find something like that when I don’t have time to roast either.
We’ve been addicted to spaghetti squash lately. Freakin’ amazing! I roasted one and topped it with roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted zucchini, pepitas and sauteed mushrooms. I couldn’t get the smile off my wife’s face! LOL
That’s one squash I still haven’t tried! And the crazy thing is that I’ve had one sitting in my pantry for weeks, but when it comes time to roast one, I alway turn to kabocha.
My brother told me about that nail trick when I was 16 – I have no idea where he got that from!! I hear if you zap the kombucha in the microwave quickly it makes it soft enough to cut without the finger loosing worry and nagging feeling.
Love love love broccoli stalks – both raw and cooked. So tasty!
I never thought about eating kabocha WITHOUT the skin, haha 🙂 I am sooo lazy I think the thought of peeling that monster never reached me 🙂
Sorry Hunn, fake flowers are a no go for me. They remind me of cheap restaurants where they are too lazy to put their heart into decoration an put fake lavender or rosmary on the table
I NEVER peel my squash before I roast it…mostly because I am lazy!! 😉 Also, you might try thawing and roasting that frozen butternut squash..I bet it would be tasty then!
Totally needed a good laugh this morning 🙂 Frozen vegetables are always a hit and miss, alot of the times it just comes out super soggy.
Oh and love the flowers, you’ll have to tell me where to get nice looking arrangements.
I usually get mine at Winners (Homesense) or Michael’s.
I love fake flowers! I am the worst at keeping plants alive and gave up a long time ago! I only use them sparingly and no one can tell the difference!
Oh girl, I’m right there with you on being the absolute worst at keeping plants alive. And it stresses me out too! Just one more thing to remember to take care of.
Thanks for that video I started my day with a laugh! I think the texture in frozen b squash is sooooo not okay. Not okay. And I can totally believe the stat with people tripping over their dogs- since getting Herky I’ve had many falls with him always at my feet! Have a great Thursday, love!
I loved the Jetsons! They sure don’t make TV like they used to lol. I also used to love anything on Nickelodeon and a hard to find cartoon that was called Beverly Hills Teens. I used to watch it before school every morning.
I never peel squash – the skin is good and adds so much texture and flavor 🙂
The vinegar trip is great, so easy too!
The only winter squash I eat without the skin is butternut. All others, it’s SKIN ON! Prices at my Farmer’s Market haven’t really been so great this season. I tend to frequent a local produce store though, where the prices are relatively decent.
I’ve been wondering how that pre-cut butternut squash is. Is it soggy?! B-nut is the only one I roast w/o the skin – chopped into cubes. For everything else, I just slice it in half and roast it face down. Kabocha’s make such great bowls, too!
I’ve been eating my broccoli stems too… and putting a chunk into my smoothies. This sounds really strange, but it makes the taste/texture kinda like cereal. It’s hard to explain. Hahaha.
Organic produce prices are pretty crazy at my farmers market. I paid $12 for like 1.5 honeycrisp apples the other week. One cucumber is $6. Yikes! But, meat prices are decent. That’s usually just what I buy now – grass fed beef, pastured pork & goat cheese.
Definitely soggy, and unpleasantly stringy 😕 The only place I can think of to use this stuff would be blended up in soup. And broccoli tasting like cereal… I’m willing to go with it — I’ve probably come across stranger things.
Oh – Amanda – that Cat/Dog video is too too funny!!! Made my morning! And #3 – just goes to show time flies when you are having fun 🙂
Your fake flowers look pretty good – I on the other hand just cannot seem to pick ones as good looking as yours so prefer the real deal .
Oh my – I am so impressed that you used to cut the skin off squash! I almost lost fingers just trying to cut squash into wedges – with the skin on! I don’t ever remember entertaining the idea of taking the skin off before baking. While cutting squash could lead to the loss of a finger or two for me – shopping at my farmers market regularly could lead to the loss of an arm and leg (cost is CRAZY)
And Winnie the Pooh was and is one of my favs 🙂