Tell me how you peel and chop a butternut squash!
As usual, I turned the furnace down to sixty degrees when I went to bed last night. I woke up around three thirty this morning, turned the thermostat back up, had a few cups of coffee, read my email, planned my food for the day, and by then it was light outside so I headed to the Bona Dea Trails for my walk.
When I got home I jumped in the shower and thought, “dang it's cold in here”! Uh huh… my teeth were chattering when I got out, and sure enough it was fifty degrees in the house. Remember me talking about the furnace acting up a couple weeks ago? It died this morning… or possibly last night. I'm waiting on the Hvac guy to show up. Cross your fingers with me it's something minor! We don't need the expense of replacing the furnace when Jim's about to be out of a job!
While I was reading my emails this morning, I saw I had a tracking number from Straight Talk for the SIM cards I ordered… only when I clicked on the tracking link, it showed it being delivered last September to someone in Kansas. Huh? Thirty minutes on hold with some bimbo who could barely speak English and I never did find out what the story was. Who knows if they'll show up!
I ran to town for a butternut squash, because I wanted to roast one with a pork roast for dinner tonight. I love and adore butternut squash, but does anyone know a simple way to peel and cube them? Most of the things I like to use butternut squash in call for it to be peeled and cubed… and it darn near kills me to accomplish that task! I use a potato peeler on the very tough skin, and let me tell you it's a work out! I've tried it with a knife but I always cut myself. I use a chef's knife to cube it after it's peeled, but again, you almost need a machete. Tips anyone?
I spent the rest of the morning burning all the limbs in the yard that have fallen over the last couple months, and now I'm upstairs working on the monster quilt again… nothing like a cold downstairs to motivate me to go upstairs and sew!
I cut the upper half without seeds off first of all. I usually get my knife just through the skin and a bit into the flesh by rocking it forward and backwards and then I lift the whole thing up and bang it down on the chopping board. That usually does the trick if not the first time then the next or third. Then I halv both top and bottom using the same method and scrape out the seeds. After that I cut the 4 quarters into slices and only then do I get rid of the skin. I love roasting the top slices in the oven with a bit of olive oil and sprinkled with rosemary or thyme so I don’t often cut that into cubes.
Hope your furnace is fixed now and that the cost will not be too bad. Good luck
Marianne, I never thought to cut it in half short side first, then into smaller chunks, what a great idea! I will try that next time! I too love it roasted, but I also love it in soups, raviolis, and casseroles. One of my favorite foods! But truly, shouldn’t it come with a young stud to prepare it for us?
Oh, I quite agree with that. they could carry the thing home for you too. They should also come with celeriac and turnips! And of course tins with a ring pull. Either they break when you lift it or when you have opened it just a little bit and sometimes the lid just will not crack. I usually end up opening it the old fashion way with a tin opener – who invented the ring pull anyway? I’m lucky though; DH retired last summer so I have a very handsome man around the house all the time ;-D
LOL
I tried the knife slaming once. Scared my husband half to death. Didn’t realize he’d come into the kitchen. Now I buy it already cut.
I looked at the pre-cut Kathy, but holy cow it’s expensive!
hope your heat doesn’t cost and arm and a leg to fix – so far so good for us this year, our unit is old and needs replacing and we keep putting it off and getting it fixed almost yearly. I too cut the short end off first on the butternut squash and then cut in half and cube – yes they are hard to cut.
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Karen recently posted…Coming Along
You girls are obviously much smarter than me! I always cut mine in half lengthwise!
The Hvac guy just left, couldn’t find anything wrong other than the 30 amp circuit breaker, he said it should have been a 50 amp so he swapped it out… hopefully that is all it was!
I have a peeler from Bed, Bath, and Beyond that is sharp and has a big easy to grip handle. I don’t have any trouble peeling most anything with this peeler. As for cutting the squash, I use a big sharp knife and brawn.
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Sandie Griego recently posted…Beginning Knitter
I guess I’m just a wimp!
Usually Jim cuts hard squash and pumpkin for me… I love cooking with pumpkin too but it’s even harder to cut!
Well, I had a possible solution for dealing with the peeling and cutting, but it will sound pretty lame after the “young stud” suggestion….. sigh.
Anyway, I love butternut, acorn and pumpkin but have almost fatally injured my self trying to halve it. I took the chance of “Par-roasting” it whole (only until the skin is softened). That way I can split it, (allowing it to cool a little), scoop out the seeds, peel with my “alligator peeler (serrated) and still cut it into cubes since it is not fully cooked. I pop the cubes on a sheet tray with olive oil, salt and pepper, then back into roast for soup, risotto or just as a side dish.
Georgia you crack me up!
That’s a wonderful idea to par-roast it… what about 15 minutes? My peeler is also serrated, I’m sure a flat bladed peeler would never cut through that hide! I think winter squashes must be related to Armadillos 
“Real Live Women” will not be deterred from getting to the food that they crave. (I should needlepoint that on a pillow). Anyway, that’s how it usually works out at my house.
Please update on Straight talk when you finally get your SIMS card. I, too, am tired of forking over $$$ to AT&T but I love my iphone 3GS, and feel no need to upgrade to the latest and greatest toys if this does everything I need it to.
Will do Georgia, I’d be perfectly content to keep using my 3GS as long as it will keep working… and on a cheaper network! I promise I’ll post details when the SIM cards arrive.
Pioneer Woman had a quesadilla the other day with butternut squash….she has all the pics with the preparation of the squash. I only make soup with it and pretty much do it the same way as she does.
Marilyn, I’ve never had a butternut squash quesadilla, but butternut squash ravioli is my absolute favorite dish with it. Soup is great too! I love pumpkin soup as well, might have to make some shortly!
I cut about 1 inch off the top end with a large knife. Then I use the knife to cut the peel off in one inch sections going around the squash. I cube the squash and put in the blender for part of my morning smoothie.
Ginny, you eat it RAW? Dang girl, you must have one strong gut, I don’t think mine would like that too much!
My new fav squash? Spaghetti Squash. Oh my word, Scott and I have grown to love it and will plant some in the spring garden. I literally cut the Spaghetti Squash in half, put a little water in the bottom of a dish/bowl and microwave it for roughly 6 minutes. We add a little butter (not margarine because margarine is processed and “real” butter is better for you), and scoop it out to eat. (I don’t even use butter, just a little salt free flavored Mrs. Dash). Yum!
Butternut squash? My mom used to buy it frozen from Bird’s Eye – remember it? Got to love how this generation loves to cook from the garden. LOL
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Cindy recently posted…Step One of the Mystery is Revealed
Cindy, I’m going to have to give Spaghettie squash another try, it’s been many years since I ate it last. What’s margarine? LOL