Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash...

Ingredients:

3 lbs Brussels sprouts

1 1/2 lbs butternut squash

4 to 6 Tablespoons olive oil

salt to taste

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup pecans

1 cup dried cranberries

Wash Brussels sprouts, remove loose or yellow outer leaves.  Trim off end, and then cut each sprout in half.  Place sprouts in a bowl and drizzle with 2 to 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, and add a sprinkle of salt.  Toss to coat sprouts with oil.  Line a baking sheet with foil, and place sprouts on it in a single layer...place as many cut-side-down as you can.

(It's very difficult to peel and cut through a raw butternut squash for me, so I pre-cooked it a little to make it easier.  If you are accustomed to cutting it raw and want to do that, then skip to next paragraph.)  Wash the butternut squash.  Poke all over with a fork.  Place the squash whole on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave on high for about 3 minutes.  Check it after 3 minutes and see if it is warm to the touch and if its appearance is slightly darkened in patches.  If not, place it back in microwave for one minute at a time until it is.  

Cut off the stem end and a little off the base end so it sits flat.  Then cut it in half and remove the seeds and fibrous center.  Peel (I cut each half into about four pieces to make it easier to peel).  Cut into about 1 inch cubes.  Place in bowl, drizzle with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, add 3 Tablespoons maple syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  Toss to coat squash.  Line another baking sheet with foil, and place squash on it in a single layer.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Roast sprouts and squash for about 20 to 25 minutes or until just tender and nicely caramelized, turning with spatula about halfway through cooking time.

Place roasted sprouts and squash into a large bowl.  Add dried cranberries and pecans, and toss gently.  

My notes:  Next time I might let each person add pecans to their individual serving.  I don't much like the pecans heated up with the leftovers.  I also think that some crumbled crisp bacon would be a yummy addition.

Cooking spaghetti squash...

I really love spaghetti squash, and they keep very well at room temperature for quite a long time.

To prepare, I start by cutting the stem end off...just enough to get rid of the stem AND give you a flat surface to turn it onto.

Once it sits flat securely, use a large chef's knife to cut it as nearly into halves as you can.

This is what it looks like inside.

I just use a soup spoon to scrape out the seeds and inedible center fibers.  As you scrape, you will feel the firmer flesh underneath...try not to scrape into the flesh, but right down to it.

It should look like this.

Cover a baking sheet (one with raised edges) with foil for easy clean up.  Set the squash on the foil and drizzle one or two teaspoons of olive oil into each half.  Use your hand and rub the oil to cover all surfaces of the inside flesh.

Sprinkle the insides with salt and pepper, and then turn each half flat-side down on the baking sheet.

Place in a 350 degree F oven for about an hour, or until it is tender when pierced by a fork.

Remove it from the oven, and let cool for a few minutes.  I then hold it with a hot pad in one hand, and with a fork in the other hand I scrape the flesh away from the tough skin.  The flesh shreds into spaghetti-like strands.

Empty the squash into a bowl, and continue with remaining squash halves.

To the bowl I usually add about two tablespoons of butter and salt and pepper to taste.  Tonight I also added about 1/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, and stirred well till evenly mixed in.

It was delicious served alongside tonight's Chicken Piccata (with a little of the sauce spooned over the squash) and broccoli.  Yum.

Macaroni and Cheese Deluxe...

Crispy and brown on top...

...rich and creamy inside.

Ingredients:

1 8oz pkg elbow macaroni

2 cups cream style cottage cheese (small curd)

1 cup sour cream

1 egg (beaten)

1 tsp salt

Dash of cracked black pepper

¾ cup Velveeta grated or cut in smallish cubes

1 ½  cups shredded cheddar cheese (divide: 1 cup and reserve ½ cup for top)

Directions:

Cook macaroni as directed on package.  While it is cooking place all remaining ingredients in a large bowl (but reserve ½ cup of the shredded cheddar for top), and stir just till blended.  Drain the macaroni and then stir it into other ingredients.  Turn all into a greased casserole.  Top with remaining ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and bake at 350° F for 45 min.

This is a recipe my mother used to make.  I've been making it for as long as I can remember, and it is a family favorite. 

Yellow Squash Casserole...

I didn't get a good photo, so will replace next time I make this.

Ingredients:

1 lb squash (or more, can use fresh or frozen)

1/2 c chopped onion

2 Tblsp bacon drippings or butter

1 pkg Martha White Mexican Style Cornbread mix

2 eggs, beaten

salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

Cook squash and onion in saucepan with water till tender...have at least 1 cup liquid in squash. Mix in drippings or butter, cornbread mix, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix about half the cheese in with casserole ingredients.  Pour into a greased casserold dish, and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 till brown.

My note:  This tastes so much better than my photo above would lead you to believe.  It's similar to the squash casserole that is often found on home-cooking type restaurant menus.  

Hot Potato Salad...

this recipe is from Pamela at http://frenchknots.blogspot.com/2009/05/hot-potato-salad.html

5 to 7 medium sized red potatoes

Wash potatoes and cut into large cubes leaving skin on.

Boil till just tender and drain.

8 to 10 links of sausage or slices of bacon, cooked

Sauce:

4 green onions chopped (green and white parts)

3/4 cups real mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix

2 Tablespoons grease from sausage or bacon

Directions:

In a large bowl combine green onions, ranch mix, mayonnaise, sour cream, and grease. After mixing sauce, add potatoes and sausage/bacon to the bowl. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan, and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 to 45 minutes until hot through and beginning to brown on top.