Experimentation Time!!!

So in my fridge I have three things that are teetering on the edge of going bad, they are a spaghetti squash, leeks and a chayote squash.  I know that the leeks and spaghetti squash should go together but I don't know how to cook the chayote squash...

After some research I have found the following about the chayote squash...

• You can eat it raw or cooked
• To cook it, it is suggested to cook lightly so it keeps it's crisp texture

So after learning this, I decided to try and throw it in with my spaghetti squash and leeks, see how it works together...  I think it all came together perfectly! 

First I cut the spaghetti squash took out the seeds then put it cut side down on a microwavable plate and microwaved the spaghetti squash on High for about 8 minutes.  10-12 minutes will fully cook the squash, I wanted it to be a little undercooked because I want to toss the squash with the leeks and chayote in a skillet.

While the spaghetti squash was cooking in the microwave, I roughly chopped the leeks and sliced the chayote.  I then put them in a skillet with some olive oil and seasoned with salt and cooked the mixture at medium heat. 

After the spaghetti squash was done in the microwave, I used a fork to pull the squash out of the shell.  After all the squash is pulled apart, I put that in the skillet too.  Mix it all up so it is well combined and the season as you would like.  I went simple with mine, just salt and pepper.

 It was so good.  I was really pleased with my experiment!  It was good to have the different textures, the crispness of the chayote with the spaghetti squash was great. 

Stay tuned for more experimentation!

Pumpkin Carving and Pumpkin Seeds

A few weekends ago (I meant to post this the same weekend but, I'm a slacker) my husband had a friend in town to watch college football on Saturday and they went to the Panthers, Saints game on Sunday.  So I knew on Sunday it would just be me and the puppy all day.  So that day I decided I will carve pumpkins! even though I wanted this to be an event completed by me and my husband, I knew ultimately it would be best if I carved the pumpkins by myself :-)... and he agreed.

So on Sunday, Bernie and I started off the day at the dog park, then went to get Bruster's ice cream, which was a treat for both of us because they give out free doggy ice creams that Bernie (and I) love!  After our ice cream, we walked across to the local boy scout pack's pumpkin patch right beside Bruster's, so we walked over and picked out two pumpkins then went home to start the fun.

And Tah Dah!!! here is the finished product!  Along with three little pumpkins I made out of mason jars I found that neat idea from my Southern Living Magazine - Jar-O'-Lanterns

 And again in the dark...

I think they look pretty good, I was happy with my work.

After carving the pumpkins and setting them out.  Of course needed to roast the pumpkin seeds,  I think that has to be the second best part, right after the sense of accomplishment I felt after carving the pumpkins :-)  So I remembered that my Food Network Magazine had a section about roasting pumpkin seeds and adding flavoring (see below).  I made two separate batches from the article, one Spanish, with smoked paprika and one with salt.

Seed the pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Using a spoon, scrape the pulp and seeds out of your pumpkin into a bowl.Clean the seeds: Separate the seeds from the stringy pulp, rinse the seeds in a colander under cold water, then shake dry. Don't blot with paper towels; the seeds will stick.
Dry them: Spread the seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet and roast 30 minutes to dry them out.
Add spices: Toss the seeds with olive oil, salt and your choice of spices (see below). Return to the oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 20 more minutes.
Sweet Toss with cinnamon and sugar (do not use salt in step 4).
Indian Toss with garam masala; mix with currants after roasting.
Spanish Toss with smoked paprika; mix with slivered almonds after roasting.
Italian Toss with grated parmesan and dried oregano.
Barbecue Toss with brown sugar, chipotle chile powder and ground cumin.

Both were great, my husband can't stop snacking on them.

So my Sunday was really successful  :-)