Music: Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack ~ Nobuo Uematsu.

Mood: Lavender Harvest



'Hello Gang. I've been pretty busy, hence the sporadic bloggin'. My apologies. I just wanted to squawk about squash for a bit. Mmmm.... Good stuff. There are many kinds... Pumpkin, zucchini, yellow, acorn, heart of gold, butter nut, spaghetti, bitter gourd, etc. All delicious in their own right. My two faves are butter nut, and acorn. Why? Because they're fabulously easy to cook!

Here's the deal:

1) Go buy a squash. Preferably organic, and try and get one at a farmer's market if possible. Support small farms!

2) Throw some music on. Nothin' like a god 'ol squash bakin' diddy...

3) Pre-heat your oven to anywhere between 300 and 400 degrees F... Not A... Or B... or O... F!

4) Wash and bless said squash. A simple thank you will make it feel loved, and it will love you right back. There is empirical scientific proof that human emotion affects water molecules (along with the rest of reality) and blessing your food and drink will indeed change it's metaphysical structure to one more supportive of life. Go on and try it for a couple of weeks... See if your food tastes any different... See how you feel.

5) Put the squash directly on the oven rack. If you want a dryer, firmer squash, make several incisions with a knife. Otherwise, just let er' bake. If you're cooking a butter nut, I recommend using a cookie sheet. They drip and leak... Sometimes...

6) Check the squash after about a half hour. If you can EASILY pierce it with a fork, it's done. If it too hard, just let it go longer, up to an hour.

7) Eat it!

"But Jim," you might say, "HOW do I eat it?" Easy good folk! There are MANY ways to eat a squash. Hot, cold, or anywhere in between. Season it with anything you like! Bragg's Liquid Aminos, cayenne (type A avoid), cumin, dill, dulse flakes, garlic, Herbamare (or Trocomare - contains avoids for A's), mustard powder, nutritional yeast, paprika, parsley, saffron, tarragon, turmeric, etc.

Some people even enjoy it dessert style. Honey, maple syrup, cinnamon... Whatever suits your fancy! Eh?

I always slather mine with a good amount of ghee, olive oil, or sesame oil too... Good for digestion don't ya' know...

For a nice soup, mash the he$$ out of it and mix it with some rice or soy milk. Boo ya!

Well... I'm totally squashed. Mission accomplished. I just ate an entire acorn squash (a big one!) with every single condiment listed above... Sans the Trocomare. Scooped it up with some Ses-Mark Brown Rice Thins. Friggin' full... Gotta... Lay down... He he.

Have an excellent new year's dear friends. Peace and happiness to all of you (it's there in every moment if you look for it! Hint: It comes from within!) Later gang.