Fall Is Here... It's Squash Time!

Although you wouldn't really know it by the weather (I spent the afternoon lying out at the beach on Monday while Chris surfed), technically fall has arrived in Santa Barbara :)

Yes, maybe it's a few degrees cooler in the mornings and evenings but that's about all we have for indicators at the moment, other than what's showing up in our markets, which is...

ALL THE SQUASH!

You might think it's weird to get so excited about squash, and maybe it is, but I just love it! Probably because a lot of them have a naturally sweet flavor, and as you well know, I have a very large sweet tooth and like to eat natural foods, so...

Anyway, here are some of my favorites that are not only widely available, but super versatile, nutritious, long-lasting, inexpensive, and delicious at this time of year:

Spaghetti Squash:

Cut in half, scrape out the seeds, and bake this guy face DOWN until you can pierce easily through the skin on the outside with a knife. Turn it over and you'll find yellow, stringy insides that you can scrape apart with a fork and use as a substitute for any kind of pasta or noodles... Our favorite is to make turkey meatballs and toss pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and goat cheese through the spaghetti squash "noodles" - it's hearty, filling, and lower in calories and carbs than traditional pasta... But the possibilities are endless, so add whatever you like!

Delicata Squash:

I LOVE this one. I cut in half, scrape the seeds, slice and sprinkle with cinnamon. I bake these slices, turning once, until tender. My favorite way to use this is cold, cut up into a salad with chicken, feta cheese, veggies, and champagne vinaigrette for a salty/sweet combination.

Acorn Squash:

These you can treat very similarly to the Delicata Squash, or slice in half and stuff with meat/rice/etc. before baking if that's your thing... We don't usually do that at our house, but rather we roast it with pumpkin pie spice and drizzle on a tiny bit of maple syrup after it's done :)

There are other kinds of winter squashes out there that will be showing up at this time of year too, and I like those as well - it's just that I've found these to be the easiest and simplest to prepare and cook...

I love using these as substitutes for sweet potatoes and other carbs during this time of year to switch up my nutritional routine - having these cooked and ready to go makes my pre- and post-workout meals a whole lot faster and tastier! Plus, although these are essentially pure carb sources some are not terribly high in carbs per serving, which means (you guessed it) I can eat MORE of them for the same carbs/calories. YAY!

Do any of you have Trader Joe's where you live? If you do, they should be your go-to for all your squash-buying needs. They have the best prices and selection of any I've retailer I've ever found - plus, they charge by the unit instead of by the pound, so I always choose the biggest ones for a single flat price. In a house where we eat a LOT of food, these things matter!

This one was only $.99 - and I have big hands!

Which squashes do you guys like? Am I the only one who gets excited about squash season??

Please feel free to comment, upvote, or resteem if you'd like! :)