SQUASH! I love all kinds!

Happy Friday everyone! Yesterday and today were both great days for me with my runs and workouts, but I am super sore in my hips! Yesterday I did 4 miles in 41 minutes...Had to start off slow because of the belly. TODAY, I didn't have to run-wasn't part of the plan, but I hopped on the treadmill and did 3.40 miles in 34 minutes- NOT bad! I feel great! The belly is still a little queezy, but my energy is back, and I don't feel FUNKY anymore!


I get to rest for the weekend- well, not literally, but with my running and weights and workouts. I have a 2 day AWESOME class in NYC I will be attending! I am sure I'll be back reporting to you on SUNDAY night with LOTS of incredible information that I learned! I love learning new things regarding my business and passion!




The winter squash group includes pumpkin, acorn, butternut, and 
spaghetti squash. I have my favorites though! :O)  Winter squash, like other richly colored vegetables, provide excellent sources of carotenes.  Generally, the richer the color, the richer the concentration.  They also offer a very good source of 
vitamins B1 and C, folic acid, pantothenic acid, fiber, and 
potassium.  Winter squash are also a good source of vitamin B6 
and niacin.


I wanted to show you my favorite VEGGIES of the fall!


These are my pics.... and I will tell you all about the different types of SQUASH!

Acorn Squash - Easily found in supermarkets. As its name suggests, this winter squash is shaped like an acorn. One of my favorite baking squashes, it's easy to slice into halves and fill with butter.. A small acorn squash weighs from 1 to 3 pounds, and has sweet, slightly fibrous flesh. Its distinct ribs run the length of its hard, blackish-green or golden-yellow skin. In addition to the dark green acorn, there are now golden and multi-colored varieties.
Available year round
So All I did here was scoop out the seeds, and drop 1 teaspoon EVOO in each halve. I then sprinkled cinnamon & nutmeg inside. I put in the microwave for 9 minutes! BAMN! Instead gourmet side dish!

Delicata Squash - Also called Peanut squash and Bohemian squash. This is one of the tastier winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like corn and sweet potatoes. Size may range from 5 to 10 inches in length. The squash can be baked or steamed The thin skin is also edible.

The delicata squash is actually an heirloom variety, a fairly recent reentry into the culinary world. It was originally introduced by the Peter Henderson Company of New York City in 1894, and was popular through the 1920s. Then it fell into obscurity for about seventy-five years, possibly because of its thinner, more tender skin, which isn't suited to transportation over thousands of miles and storage over months.

Available year-round - is best late summer through early fall. 

All I did with these delicata squash was drop 1 teaspoon of EVOO in each halve. Sprinkled my Fleur De Sel sea salt and some Black pepper, nuked for 9 minutes- Instant GOURMET SIDE DISH! :O) 
Do you see how SIMPLE CLEAN eating is???

Spaghetti Squash (also called vegetable spaghetti, vegetable marrow, or noodle squash) - A small, watermelon-shaped variety, ranges in size from 2 to 5 pounds or more. It has a golden-yellow, oval rind and a mild, nutlike flavor. When cooked, the flesh separates in strands that resemble spaghetti pasta. The yellowiest Spaghetti squash will be the ripest and best to eat. Those that are nearly white are not very ripe.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, larger spaghetti squash are more flavorful than smaller ones.

To prepare spaghetti squash, cut the gourd in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, then bake or boil it until tender. Or, wrap it in plastic wrap and microwave on high for 10 to 12 minutes. Once cooked, use a fork to rake out the "spaghetti-like" stringy flesh, and serve.

Spaghetti Squash can be stored at room temperature for about a month. After cutting, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days. Spaghetti squash also freezes well.

Available year-round - season early fall through winter.

Fleur de sel is a type of sea salt obtained by hand harvesting the "young" crystals that form on the surface of salt evaporation ponds. The harvesting of fleur de sel always takes place in the summer months when the sun is strongest. Most fleurs de sel claim to have higher mineral contents than table salts and often smell deliciously like the ocean. A tiny bit goes a long way! I sprinkle on salads and dinners once I am DONE cooking...I do NOT cook WITH ANY salt....