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?
The frozen butternut is definitely something to avoid unless you are using it in a soup or puree. The only way to make it roast normally and not get completely soggy is to thaw it all the way in the fridge and then press the water out with towels, so maybe give that a try! 🙂
Definitely too much hassle 😆 Soup it is!
Nice job on the word count! I always get a little stressed when I see mine get above 800!
As always, love this collection of thoughts! Omg, that video was hilarious!! I gotta say I love the cat friend a bit more…I totally cracked up when he flipped off the other guy! I could so see Tiger doing that if he was an actual person…especially to ME when I pull out the vacuum cleaner! Haha! And since my mom broke her toe once by tripping over the Pomeranian we had growing up, I can totally believe that random fact!
I ALWAYS eat my kabocha peel…actually, the crunchy pieces of the peel are my favorite! I have to say I’m kinda weirded out by the frozen b.nutt. I can really only see that working in soup as I figure they get pretty mushy after thawing out? Fake flowers = Yay! Now I need to go buy me some!
I DIEEEED at that cat v dog video ohh my gaaahh! SO good and so true hahaha. I bake my squash with the feel, simply because it’s easier. I haven’t cut the peel off to bake mine in a long time!!
Barefruit apple chips: try Sobeys! I see the cinnamon ones there all the time! 🙂
Haha yayyyyy it’s about time you roasted squash with the skin on!! SOOO much easier and less dangerous. I usually eat some of the skin and if I get too “fibered out” then I leave the rest of it and eat just the flesh. 😀 Also, I agree that frozen squash is really off! But I don’t mind it too much in dishes that are already kind of mushy~like stewy/rice dishes with squash.
Did you know that babies are born with more bones and that over time they fuse together so as adults we have a lot less? And did you know that butterflies with their feet? 😀 I was sharing the random fact about the pets from your post and my friend had a few of her own. Haha. Sharing the random love!
That cat and dog video was funny up until the end. You should have given us a warning… I know it was fake but gross! 🙁
Keep us updated on what you find with that frozen squash. I was *this* close to buying some at Whole Foods last weekend went I made a trip with my mom but decided against it. I’m thinking now that may have been a wise choice…
I think squash with the peel tastes 100 times better! But all of the fiber and stuff is just too tough for me to handle. I especially loved microwaved butternut squash when the skin got all chewy and caramelly… Yum.
Hey Amanda. I can’t handle the skin on pumpkin or squash but it looks pretty :)- its just that it makes my tummy hurt. The prices in Australia for everything areas expensive- to give you an indication we pay 21 dollars a kilo for Lebanese cucumbers and 18 for zucchini where I live- crazy. And even apples are 12 a kilo don’t get me started on meat lol- good thing I’m a veggo. Happy Thursday gorgeous- and I would love to hear your voice some time (I’m so curious about Canadian accents :)) don’t be shy 🙂 a vlog would be so cool!
I actually don’t end up eating the peel on the squash — I just roast them that way. I’m afraid of what it would do to my stomach as well, but it’s so much easier to take the peel off once it’s been cooked. And a vlog has been on my to-do list forever… I’ll get around to it eventually, it’s just a question of when.
I LOVE your commentary on the wow facts! So hilarious and so original haha.
I’m never had butternut squash and have been dying to try it since it’s all over the blog world. It’s on my list! And I’m all about fresh flowers, but sometimes fake ones just have to work!
I always roast my kabocha with the skin on too – I am FAR too lazy to peel it! 😛 And I actually like eating broccoli stems too. I heard that they are higher in folate than other parts of the broccoli, so that’s a bonus!
I think the prices at my farmers’ market are fairly reasonable. Some items are more expensive than in the grocery store, but some are less, so I think it all balances out! The prices at the Evergreen Brickworks Market last weekend were pretty crazy high though – probably because everything was organic.
My favourite childhood shows were Arthur and The Magic School Bus! Confession: I still sometimes watch them if they happen to be on tv haha.
I am doing that to my nails tonight!!! Thank you!
My favourite childhood show is Spongebob. I still watch it religiously every day. Pretty sure I know all the episodes and dialogue. What a nerd!
Confession: I’ve never seen a single episode of Spongebob 😕
Ugh, I’m super wordy, too. I *try* to stay under 500 words, but usually I’m at 700 or so. The thing is, you’re always so insightful, so we continue reading to the end. Keep doing what you’re doing! 🙂
I absolutely must try the ice water trick for drying nails. No matter how careful and patient I am, I always end up smudging mine.
Oh, and a tip on the frozen squash–I’ve used it in soups. Works like a charm when you’re too lazy to roast your own, but you don’t have to worry about the mushiness when eating by itself.
Oh–and my favorite childhood shows were pretty much anything on Nickelodeon (like Salute Your Shorts, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and Clarissa Explains It All.
I always cut off my kobacha skin too! Hmm… maybe next time I’ll try roasting it on. I just like to have chunks to pop into my mouth whenever I want one 🙂
Really!?! The ice trick works? I’m definitely trying that next time!
I like having them on hand all the time as well, but the skin is SO much easier to take off once it’s been cooked!
I had no idea you could keep the skin on the squash. Suddenly a whole new world is opened to me! I love all the tweets you always use in the thinking out loud posts. Those WOW Facts and UberFacts pages are literally the reason I have no free time! 🙂
Fake flowers: yay or nay? I’d usually say nay, but lately I’ve seen some really realistic fake flowers. I love real flowers, but there’s something to be said about having pretty flowers ALL the time. Also, it’s a lot cheaper, so I’d have to say YAY!
Do you eat squash with or without the peel? Usually without, but I have had it with before. I think I prefer without though.
How are the prices at your farmers’ market? Out the wazoo. It’s crazy. I want to buy locally grown food, but it can get quite pricey. I pick and choose what I buy, but my local grocery store started carrying only locally grown fruits and veggies and selling them SUPER cheap, so that’s where I’ve been stocking up lately. Still love a good Farmer’s Market though!
What’s one of your favourite childhood shows? I loved The Andy Griffith Show, Dick Van Dyke, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Hannah Montana, That’s So Raven (Can you tell how young I am?)
Have a lovely Thursday Amanda!
Opps on the cereal from yesterday.
And that closing your eyes thing is wayyy too true. Happens at work for me 🙂
Confession-
I think I know what happened to your favourite apple snack….literally they are EVERYWHERE here in Australia now- and there’s another version a green one!
Frozen butternut squash- feral. After I defrosted them they were so soggy and the texture…blah!
I tried eating the kabocha skin but it gave me really bad stomach pains! Although that makes it so much easier!
…who puts so much thought into an innocent teddy bears.
Favourite childhood show(s)- rugrats, Arthur and babar!
Don’t try the green ones! They’re nasty… But do send over some of the cinnamon ones! And I don’t actually eat the peels, I just bake it in them — makes it so much easier to separate. Rugrats and Arthur were the loves of my childhood life <3
Fake flowers: yay or nay? Yes! I love that they last and last and last. Real flowers die way too quickly around here…probably because I forget to water them.
Do you eat squash with or without the peel? Not at all. Squash in general skeeves me out.
How are the prices at your farmers’ market? Depends.
What’s one of your favourite childhood shows? Oh man, way too many to list!
Hmm fake flowers sometimes, but not usually.
Squash I’ve totally been missing out on it this year. I feel like it’s still expensive in FL or maybe I’ve just barely been home to even cook it!! Must resolve that this week!!
OMG I was laughing so hard I was crying at the video
That cat/dog video is hilarious!! It seems like a pretty accurate portrayal, and I don’t even own a cat or dog. And I am totally going to try the ice water trick the next time I paint my nails 🙂 I also love that you say broccoli trunks instead of stems! I mean, “trunks” makes sense because broccoli are like mini trees. 😉
I love broccoli stalks… Especially when they’re roasted. And cauliflower 😉 I’ve been addicted to spaghetti and acorn squash the past month — butternut used to be my #1 but that’s now my backup… Shhh.
Spaghetti and acorn are tow that I have yet to try. I should probably start branching out, but I just always find myself reaching for the kabocha!