My goodness it has been a crazy couple of weeks. So much going on. Let's list them:
Cold outside
Freezing outside
Raining
Freezing outside
Snowing
Freezing outside
Power Outage
Communications lines down too!!!
Freezing rain
Snowing
Freezing
Raining
Raining
Freezing
Raining
Freezing
How long was your power out? How about your communications lines (phone, email, cell phone)? Did you have a source of heat? A way to cook? A way to boil water? A water source? A generator and plenty of food?
During all this wonderful fun (and I don't mean that sarcastically, I love it when the power goes out.. honestly, ask my kids), I got to help hubby deliver oxygen tanks to powerless patients. Lots of them. It was crazy, having rehab and nursing facilites calling saying, we just lost power (on Friday!! days after we lost it). Generators that blew up.. it was nuts. Many people had to be moved to places with heat. I have not heard of any deaths from this storm we had, but of course, I had no communications so no tv, so I heard nothing.
Something else I got to do during the power outage was help move my clinic back to it's original site!! yeah, I love our new building.. Our first official day open we had so many patients we didn't have time to talk with the patients. Today I finally had a chance to ask patients how they did during the outage. It was heart breaking. A lot of people didn't have a heat or cooking source, so they ate crackers, and if they had it, cold campbell's soup (undiluted because they didn't have water). A few had pipes that burst in their houses from the cold. The farms were hit hard with orchards being devastated by the freezing rain and so main branches or even the whole tree fell.
How prepared were you? I know many say they are prepared or were fine. But honestly what could you have had or done that would have made things better? A generator is what I hear alot.. a wood stove or stove insert? More wood? Water? candles? certain tools (chain saw, hatchet, ax, tarps, ropes)...
BUT remember you have to store the fuel for a generator, and yes fuel does go bad. And you don't want to store a generator with fuel in it. Is the wood you have green (fresh) or is it seasoned? And just because you split it a year ago, did you keep it dry?
I actually went out on my back deck and filled my soap making pots with snow, and melted them by the fire, then heated them on the stove to wash dishes. I also melted snow by the fire so we could flush the toilet.
Light??? My goodness you don't really realize how early it gets dark until you don't have power and at 4:15pm you are in the dark! I have an aladdin lamp, but the smell of the lamp oil burning gives me a headache. I like the candles alot, but try finding candles here like you can in Utah.. for a decent price, get real.. not going to happen. Candles are pricey.. Have you heard of an oil lamp? Like the ones used in the bible? yes, they are easy to make and use, you just need some pomace oil (a type of olive oil) and some cotton string or fabric.
Entertainment: Well, with the freezing rain I was not about to let my kids go out, slip on the ice and need a hospital visit, so after I did the chickens, and the dogs were done, we played board games, hide and go seek, colored, figured out meals, and how we would cook them.
Food: Did you try to find something to make at home, or try to find a restaurant with power? We had fun cooking with the fire and with my Saratoga Jack Thermal cooker. We used the cold outside to keep fridge food cold. We ate what needed to be eaten first, and didn't make enough for leftovers because I didn't want to fuss with storing it.
If I didn't have a camp cookstove, a BBQ, a canning stove, or my gas range.. I would have had to only rely on my fireplace to cook food for my family. Well, I have decided I want to have a back up plan. What if the next thing to hit knocks out the gas lines? How will I cook? fire... well, yes, but it's a real pain to cook outside in the freezing temps with your dutch oven. It's even harder to keep it at the right temp. So what to do?? I have decided I am buying some Stove Tec rocket stoves. Actually, I am getting two. This way I have one for camping, and one for emergencies. And also this way I can boil water on one and cook something else on the other at the same time. Yes they are a little expensive, but you know what. It is small, light weight and easy to use.
By the way, my BBQ was out of propane, and I am not even sure where my coleman stove is. My canning stove take propane.. Glad I had my gas range, but using it meant I had to have windows open for ventilation.. I actually have a patient who never ever turns on his exhaust fan when using his gas stove, and never has! (Actually it kind of explains a lot about him..) but for safety sake, please ventilate when using your natural gas stove! One thing we found ironic is my sister gave us each an MRE with heat pak from the Army (courtesy of her hubby) as gag gifts (except Peaches, she got a game instead.. LUCKY!!). We decided to use them just before we found out about this storm. Yes you could survive on them, and you won't have to worry about a bathroom, because they plug you up for weeks!! bonus right?! HA HA, kids thought they were fun, but I remember them from my dad's navy days, yuck.. and I think it was even the same packaging from the navy camp out I remember from the 1970's !!!
Ok, I ask you again. If you couldn't use a generator.. What would you do with your freezer food? Obviously you'd have to figure out how to preserve the food another way, and quickly. What would you do? I would can the meat, dehydrate what I could, and an whatever else I could. I would also make meals around what thaws out first. Usually fish thaws first, then chicken and ground meats, then roasts.
What would you do with your freezer jam? fruit? veggies? beans? meats? breads? So much to think about.. ugh... information constipation.. but you can't let that happen! Just want you to think about it, and start making up a plan.
Ok, this was all just things running through my head this week. Seeing the less fortunate through work and hearing what they endured because they didn't have a plan.. it just killed me, and it could have been prevented!
So there it is, I am doing an order for some Stove Tec Rocket Stoves. If you'd like to order with me, write me back and let me know. I am ordering the Deluxe Metal 1 Door Stove (it has a metal liner so it lasts longer.) We can save on shipping if I order a large order and have it sent to one address.
Also, the thermal cooker will work great with the stove tec. I am excited to use them together.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
What is "green" mean to you?
Everyone over 35 should read this.. This was emailed to me by my son:
Checking out at the supermarket recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. I apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days“.
The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations“.
She was right about one thing–our generation didn’t have the green thing in “Our” day. So what did we have back then? After some reflection and soul-searching on “Our” day, here’s what I remembered we did have….
Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.
We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby’s nappies because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 240 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn’t have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of Wales. In the kitchen, we blended & stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right. We didn’t have the green thing back then.
We drank from a water fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn’t have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mums into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?
Back in the day (until I got married so prior to July 1991) I remember walking or riding my bike EVERYWHERE! School, the store, friends houses (even if they lived a few miles away), EVEN work (heaven forbid!!).. I remember having to shake the milk jug because the milk would separate or even better, the milk in the glass 2L bottles. I remember that my mom HATED margarine (originally called oleo) because it was not butter and didn't even taste like butter. I remember when the bakeries at the grocery stores actually baked bread and sliced it their (Mom, remember Buttries with Aunt Elaine, my class one year got a tour of the bakery and they were slicing the breads with a special wire cutter). I remember everyone had a garden, even if it was small.. Although my dads was a quarter of an acre (I also remember dragging a huge metal triangle thing behind our 1971 Malibu Chevelle to level out the back yard.. Then turning that triangle into a compost at first, then a garden). I remember the kitchens at the school actually COOKING lunch! You know, spinach with vinegar, real macaroni and cheese, real food.. not processed food, and if you tried to throw away your veggies you had to prove you had eaten some. I also remember pop bottles, not the small 12oz ones that Coke uses now but the nice 16 and 21 oz ones..we turned those back in to get the deposit back same as for milk bottles. As for our parents and grandparents not caring for the environment, it wasn't them, it was the companies that dumped chemicals, it's the companies harvesting petroleum and natural gas that don't care. Our parents and grandparents were the original greens. People today don't make things do or do without, they throw something away that could be fixed and buy a new one.. how green is that?
Checking out at the supermarket recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. I apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days“.
The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations“.
She was right about one thing–our generation didn’t have the green thing in “Our” day. So what did we have back then? After some reflection and soul-searching on “Our” day, here’s what I remembered we did have….
Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.
We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby’s nappies because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 240 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn’t have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of Wales. In the kitchen, we blended & stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right. We didn’t have the green thing back then.
We drank from a water fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn’t have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mums into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?
Back in the day (until I got married so prior to July 1991) I remember walking or riding my bike EVERYWHERE! School, the store, friends houses (even if they lived a few miles away), EVEN work (heaven forbid!!).. I remember having to shake the milk jug because the milk would separate or even better, the milk in the glass 2L bottles. I remember that my mom HATED margarine (originally called oleo) because it was not butter and didn't even taste like butter. I remember when the bakeries at the grocery stores actually baked bread and sliced it their (Mom, remember Buttries with Aunt Elaine, my class one year got a tour of the bakery and they were slicing the breads with a special wire cutter). I remember everyone had a garden, even if it was small.. Although my dads was a quarter of an acre (I also remember dragging a huge metal triangle thing behind our 1971 Malibu Chevelle to level out the back yard.. Then turning that triangle into a compost at first, then a garden). I remember the kitchens at the school actually COOKING lunch! You know, spinach with vinegar, real macaroni and cheese, real food.. not processed food, and if you tried to throw away your veggies you had to prove you had eaten some. I also remember pop bottles, not the small 12oz ones that Coke uses now but the nice 16 and 21 oz ones..we turned those back in to get the deposit back same as for milk bottles. As for our parents and grandparents not caring for the environment, it wasn't them, it was the companies that dumped chemicals, it's the companies harvesting petroleum and natural gas that don't care. Our parents and grandparents were the original greens. People today don't make things do or do without, they throw something away that could be fixed and buy a new one.. how green is that?
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Chili Casserole
I got this from the Taste of Home Casserole Cookbook, I did make some changes though. ALSO, I make this in my Saratoga Jack Thermal Cooker, and we love it. I double this for my thermal cooker sometimes.
Chili Casserole
1 pound bulk pork sausage or hamburger or ground poultry
2 cups water
1 can (15-1/2 oz) beans (pinto, black, chili, cannelini, white), undrained
1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes undrained, or salsa
3/4 cup uncooked rice (long or short grain)
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 TBS chili powder (I only use 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. Bug juice (worcestershire sauce)
1 tsp. prepared mustard
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder or a couple of cloves of garlic minced
Cheddar cheese
**In large pot for thermal cooker, brown the meat and onions over medium heat; add garlic when meat is half way done and continue to cook until not longer pink; drain. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the rice and cheese. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then sprinkle in rice and stir. Bring it back to a boil, then cover and place in thermal cooker.
Stove directions: In a skillet, cooke the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add the next 10 ingredients; stir well. Cover and cook on low for 7 hhours or until rice is tender. Stir in cheese; cook 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.
Chili Casserole
1 pound bulk pork sausage or hamburger or ground poultry
2 cups water
1 can (15-1/2 oz) beans (pinto, black, chili, cannelini, white), undrained
1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes undrained, or salsa
3/4 cup uncooked rice (long or short grain)
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 TBS chili powder (I only use 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. Bug juice (worcestershire sauce)
1 tsp. prepared mustard
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder or a couple of cloves of garlic minced
Cheddar cheese
**In large pot for thermal cooker, brown the meat and onions over medium heat; add garlic when meat is half way done and continue to cook until not longer pink; drain. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the rice and cheese. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then sprinkle in rice and stir. Bring it back to a boil, then cover and place in thermal cooker.
Stove directions: In a skillet, cooke the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add the next 10 ingredients; stir well. Cover and cook on low for 7 hhours or until rice is tender. Stir in cheese; cook 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.
Power Balls
I love these, my kids love these! These are yummy and very good for you.
Power Balls
1 pound (16 oz.) pitted dates or figs
1 cup peanuts, raw or roasted (or whatever nut you like)
1/2 to 1 1/2 tsps. vanilla extract
1/4 - 1/2 cup flaked grains (oats, or barley, or wheat, or rye... whatever you have)
1/4 cup craisins or raisins (optional)
1 - 2 TBS rice protein powder (optional)
Toasted coconut (toast under broiler until golden, you will want to watch it closely and stir occasionally).
Check dates for pits. Pits will break your food processor blade. They are very hard, and are sharp at both ends. I usually bend the dates in half to check for pits.
Place peanuts in processor and blend a little. Add dates and blend until smaller. Add any other dried fruit and mix until fine. Now add the vanilla, grains and protein powder. Mix until fine.
Roll into 1-inch FIRM balls, then roll firmly in the toasted coconut. Store tightly covered in fridge.
Power Balls
1 pound (16 oz.) pitted dates or figs
1 cup peanuts, raw or roasted (or whatever nut you like)
1/2 to 1 1/2 tsps. vanilla extract
1/4 - 1/2 cup flaked grains (oats, or barley, or wheat, or rye... whatever you have)
1/4 cup craisins or raisins (optional)
1 - 2 TBS rice protein powder (optional)
Toasted coconut (toast under broiler until golden, you will want to watch it closely and stir occasionally).
Check dates for pits. Pits will break your food processor blade. They are very hard, and are sharp at both ends. I usually bend the dates in half to check for pits.
Place peanuts in processor and blend a little. Add dates and blend until smaller. Add any other dried fruit and mix until fine. Now add the vanilla, grains and protein powder. Mix until fine.
Roll into 1-inch FIRM balls, then roll firmly in the toasted coconut. Store tightly covered in fridge.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Stasha's story part 3
Another segment of the story of Stasha.. Here are links to Part 1(overview) and Part 2 (water).
Stasha's Story: medicine
This is a story of what it was like living in war-torn Bosnia.... read and learn.. Love you all
Stasha's Story: medicine
This is a story of what it was like living in war-torn Bosnia.... read and learn.. Love you all
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tools, candles, and???
Some things come to mind as we enter the cold season. Do you have a light source? Hammer? Axe? Hatchet? Saw? Screw driver? Wrench? Allen wrenches? Wire cutters? Nails? Screws?
IF not, you may want to invest now while you can! All of these basic tools are much needed during a natural disaster! Well, that axe, hatchet, machete, or knife might need some sharpening. Do you have a sharpening stone? With tools you can make all sorts of stuff make do.. You know the saying right? Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. That said, can you do it? Yes you can!
Light source?
Well there are candles and aladdin lamps. You will need matches for both, but for aladdin lamps, do you have extra wicks? extra oil? You may want to stock up. How about extra wicks for candles so when you get to the bottom of your favorite candle you can melt the leftover wax and make a new candle.
Tarps?
What happens when a tree limp, branch, or the whole tree comes through a window or your roof? Do yo have a tarp or tarps to help cover the hole? Tarps make for good emergency shelters!
BUT, do you have rope to tie the tarps up? Yes I am serious. We went camping for a family reunion a few years ago, it was fun. But the last day, the heavens opened up and we were drenched!! Brother T just happened to have a HUGE GIANT tarp and rope and was able to put up a shelter for everyone to be under for the last meal, and to keep kids dry while we packed up camps (something like 5 or 6 tents plus mess tents). Sure the ranger came by and said it was against the rules, but we told them we'd take it down when we left in an hour or so.
If the power goes out, what is your heat and cooking source? How long will it last? Will you need help? Do you have a supply of medications you might need?
IF not, you may want to invest now while you can! All of these basic tools are much needed during a natural disaster! Well, that axe, hatchet, machete, or knife might need some sharpening. Do you have a sharpening stone? With tools you can make all sorts of stuff make do.. You know the saying right? Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. That said, can you do it? Yes you can!
Light source?
Tarps?
BUT, do you have rope to tie the tarps up? Yes I am serious. We went camping for a family reunion a few years ago, it was fun. But the last day, the heavens opened up and we were drenched!! Brother T just happened to have a HUGE GIANT tarp and rope and was able to put up a shelter for everyone to be under for the last meal, and to keep kids dry while we packed up camps (something like 5 or 6 tents plus mess tents). Sure the ranger came by and said it was against the rules, but we told them we'd take it down when we left in an hour or so.
If the power goes out, what is your heat and cooking source? How long will it last? Will you need help? Do you have a supply of medications you might need?
What?? You want me to eat the guts?!?!
YES I DO!!
What am I talking about? Well it's that time of year again, you know, pumpkin carving, baking and unfortunately wasting... makes me sad. Pumpkin is a powerhouse of goodness!
Ok, here is the disclaimer: I am not a doctor or ARNP, or naturopath. Although the information I provide is true and accurate to the best of my abilities, there is always the possibility of allergy, intolerance or distaste. And you should always discuss diet changes with your doctor incase you are taking medication that reacts to foods. That said, now one with my message.
Winter squashes are so yummy! You can make soups, stews, pies, stir fry and salads. They also have some great health benefits: seeds are high in protein, a great source of zinc( A study of almost 400 men ranging in age from 45-92 that was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a clear correlation between low dietary intake of zinc, low blood levels of the trace mineral, and osteoporosis at the hip and spine), and good for prostate health; high in fiber; naturally sweet.
Varieties:
Here are the most common varieties:
Buttercup squash: There are two kinds, each with its unique shape. One looks like a parachute, whereas the other looks more like a crown. It has a thick skin, can be green or orange, and weighs about 1 kg. The flesh is smooth, sweet and dense.
Hubbard squash: These ones are large, bumpy and oval, ranging from dark greens to vibrant reds to blue. Its flesh is dry, thick, and not very sweet. This large variety weighs in at an impressive 5kg.
Pumpkin: Pumpkin is a Fall favourite – one that shouldn’t just be used out of the can. Luscious orange and not as meaty as other squashes, the best eating pumpkins are the smaller varieties.
Butternut squash: One of the most popular varieties, this pear shape variety has a smooth skin and is cream in colour. Its best to eat when about 25cm long and 10cm wide. It also boasts one of the highest beta-carotene amounts, with a sweet and very deep orange flesh.
Acorn squash: The acorn shaped squash is smooth with thick ridges and dark green with a hint of orange. It’s tastiest when about 12cm in height and 20cm across, and has a delicate, nutty flavour.
Spaghetti squash: Brighter yellow in colour, spaghetti squash has a mild, nutty flavour that is less starchy than it’s other winter friends. It’s name comes from the texture; once cooked, the flesh separates into spaghetti-like strands.
One of the best parts of squashes are the seeds!! Oh yummy seeds. All you have to do is separate them form the strings and "guts" into a colander. Rinse with cool to warm water, drain.. and kind of dry a bit with a towel. Next melt some butter in a baking dish that is large enough to hold all the seeds in a single layer. Pour the seeds on, stir in the butter until all the seeds are covered. Spread the seeds out on the pan then sprinkle with salt, and put into the oven at the lowest temperature over night. So around 150 to 200 degrees. I did mine at 170 degrees. You know they are done when they have lost that green taste. When done they taste nutty and to me a little like popcorn. We love to eat the "guts".. I serve these on the side of any squash dish I serve at home.. well, except zucchini as those seeds are too small and soft.
What am I talking about? Well it's that time of year again, you know, pumpkin carving, baking and unfortunately wasting... makes me sad. Pumpkin is a powerhouse of goodness!
Ok, here is the disclaimer: I am not a doctor or ARNP, or naturopath. Although the information I provide is true and accurate to the best of my abilities, there is always the possibility of allergy, intolerance or distaste. And you should always discuss diet changes with your doctor incase you are taking medication that reacts to foods. That said, now one with my message.
Varieties:
Here are the most common varieties:
Buttercup squash: There are two kinds, each with its unique shape. One looks like a parachute, whereas the other looks more like a crown. It has a thick skin, can be green or orange, and weighs about 1 kg. The flesh is smooth, sweet and dense.
Hubbard squash: These ones are large, bumpy and oval, ranging from dark greens to vibrant reds to blue. Its flesh is dry, thick, and not very sweet. This large variety weighs in at an impressive 5kg.
Pumpkin: Pumpkin is a Fall favourite – one that shouldn’t just be used out of the can. Luscious orange and not as meaty as other squashes, the best eating pumpkins are the smaller varieties.
Butternut squash: One of the most popular varieties, this pear shape variety has a smooth skin and is cream in colour. Its best to eat when about 25cm long and 10cm wide. It also boasts one of the highest beta-carotene amounts, with a sweet and very deep orange flesh.
Acorn squash: The acorn shaped squash is smooth with thick ridges and dark green with a hint of orange. It’s tastiest when about 12cm in height and 20cm across, and has a delicate, nutty flavour.
Spaghetti squash: Brighter yellow in colour, spaghetti squash has a mild, nutty flavour that is less starchy than it’s other winter friends. It’s name comes from the texture; once cooked, the flesh separates into spaghetti-like strands.
One of the best parts of squashes are the seeds!! Oh yummy seeds. All you have to do is separate them form the strings and "guts" into a colander. Rinse with cool to warm water, drain.. and kind of dry a bit with a towel. Next melt some butter in a baking dish that is large enough to hold all the seeds in a single layer. Pour the seeds on, stir in the butter until all the seeds are covered. Spread the seeds out on the pan then sprinkle with salt, and put into the oven at the lowest temperature over night. So around 150 to 200 degrees. I did mine at 170 degrees. You know they are done when they have lost that green taste. When done they taste nutty and to me a little like popcorn. We love to eat the "guts".. I serve these on the side of any squash dish I serve at home.. well, except zucchini as those seeds are too small and soft.
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