Butternut Squash Frenzy

I love the taste of butternut squash, but am admittedly so lazy when it comes to the actual peeling and cutting. The skin is so tough, and I get this grainy film on my hands while I'm working with it. Why is that? Does it happen to anyone else? I'm the reason Wegmans sells peeled and chopped squash all ready to go.

Anyway, a few weeks back I bought three lovely butternut squashes at the public market, with the best of intentions to make tasty dishes incorporating this seasonal treat.

And just this weekend I finally got around to slicing and dicing one of these lovelies. It felt like a huge accomplishment! Really. I couldn't let that one squash go to waste, so I made two delicious meals.

Last night's dinner was a recipe I've been wanting to try since I started seeing butternut squash for sale at the market, and it did not disappoint. I love love love gnocchi and am always looking for a new way to prepare it. I changed the original recipe a bit: substituted rosemary for the thyme, left out the chives, and used plain gnocchi instead of herb gnocchi. The house filled with savory aromas as the sage and squash sauteed, and the end product had a buttery, nutty flavor with hints of rosemary and sage.

Tonight's meal was an easy choice: I already had all the ingredients on hand. I've never had authentic risotto made by an Italian, so I'm not entirely sure I make mine with the right consistency. But it works for me, so I guess that's what matters. Without the blue cheese, this risotto would have been lacking some flavor, so the blue cheese at the end is a great addition

In light of Thanksgiving this week, I'm going to stop the squash frenzy and get ready for turkey with all the trimmings. One more day of work, then a 5-day cooking / baking / eating / shopping / seeing friends / spending time with family holiday. I could get used to this!

Progress

Early morning jog? Check. Lawn all raked and flower beds cleaned out? Check.

Long walk with Frances? Check. Delicious dinner prepared with ingredients from here? Check.

Thank you, Sunday. You were much better to me this week.

Sunday at the Rents'

Today started out promising: a warmer-than-average forecast for November in Western New York, the Buffalo Bills fresh off a bye week, and plans to make an extravagant lasagna dinner for my dad's belated 65th birthday present. Yep. I planned to make a lasagna for the big 6-5. This, because my dad is next to impossible to shop for.

Anyways, the day had this grey, overcast sky hanging around, so it didn't matter that it was in the fifties. It was still ugly. The Buffalo Bills couldn't hold onto their initial lead in their game against Tennessee. Ughhh. And the lasagna never actually materialized. Some poor planning, coupled with a very persuasive mother, convinced me that it would be better to hold off on the lasagna until my brother and sister-in-law visit for Thanksgiving. So dad is going to have to wait a while longer for that special birthday dinner!

The day, however, was not a complete bust. Using this recipe, my mom fixed me a scrumptious breakfast. At least someone was able to pull something off today!

Thanks mom! It was the perfect combination of light (around the edges) and dense (in the middle). It was the highlight of my Sunday.

Sick List

I read a lot. Probably more than most people. So it's really exciting for me when I read a book that I love more than most. It doesn't happen often, but I was lucky enough to be home sick with the flu for a few days, and reading a really wonderful book. I don't mean lucky to have had the flu, but lucky to have an excuse to sit on the couch and do nothing other than read! The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton, was just the sort of book I've been looking for ever since finishing The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield two summers ago. It is equal parts British mystery, romance, fairy tale, and historical fiction, and feels like a grown-up version of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

In the book, a story is woven between three different time periods, in two different countries, and with various different characters. The central plot is a mystery, with the answers being offered up at the very end of the story. I was hesitant to finish the book -- because I liked it so much -- but wanting to know how everything fit together.

Eventually I did finish the book. And got better. Just in time for the weekend. And now I'm searching for my next new favorite book.