Southwestern Spaghetti Squash with Chipotle Peppers and Cheese

How many of you know how to cook a squash? I find that most people don’t know how to cook this often overlooked vegetable. There are so many recipes out there to use squash as a side dish or soup. Plus there are many kinds of squash and they are each loaded with vitamins and minerals. Do yourself a favor and try a squash at least once. You may find yourself craving it. My family eats one at least once a week.

My first experience with squash was with a spaghetti squash. I followed the directions on how to cook it in the oven, scraped out the inside until it resembled strands of spaghetti (how it gots it name) and ate it with spaghetti sauce. It really was a pleasant change from pasta.

For my second experience with squash I cooked an acorn squash and loaded it with brown sugar. Not as healthy as some would want but it was good. Now we eat soup made with butternut squash or acorn squash and often times just have it as a side dish with turkey burgers or chicken meals.

Here’s a recipe to serve as a side dish that could be good for a first timer.

3 lb Spaghetti squash

1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

extra virgin olive oil

½ cup queso fresco cheese

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

½ t kosher salt

½ t freshly ground black pepper

Using a large, sharp knife, pierce a 3-pound spaghetti squash in several places. Place the spaghetti squash in a glass baking dish and cook in the microwave on high for about 15 minutes, turning the squash halfway through cooking.

Before handling, let the squash stand for 10 minutes. Cut it in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and fibers. Using a fork, twist out strands of the spaghetti squash flesh and place in a large bowl.

Remove seeds and finely chop one or two (depending on your heat tolerance) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (you will not use the extra sauce in this recipe). Place the chopped peppers in a small bowl and whisk in 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Pour the olive oil mixture into the spaghetti squash and toss until combined. Add 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese, 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to the spaghetti squash and toss again. Serve and garnish with additional queso fresco cheese and sprigs of cilantro.

Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish.

Only Those Who Risk

No Smoking Area

Have you ever thought about how destructive smoking tobacco is? Is it true that smokers just ignore the warnings because they stubbornly reject anyone ‘telling them what to do’ even for their own good?

I don’t want to pass judgment on anyone. That is not what is at issue in this post. I have known several people, friends and relatives, who have died from one or more of the many diseases caused by smoking tobacco. It is painful, for those of us who love them, to watch them go through this very preventable form of suicide.

The reasons for starting to smoke are varied, none of which I personally will ever understand completely.

What got me started on this is the following set of anti-tobacco ads I stumbled across posted on the website allhotstuff.net. These are just a few and many more are at the site. I hope these will leave some lasting impression on everyone. It is also my hope that they will be enough to stop smokers and wannabe smokers. Not only for the sake of their own health but maybe more importantly for the sake of their loved ones.

You are loved. Please stop killing yourself.

To love is to be vulnerable

“Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken.

If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal.

Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements.

Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable.

To love is to be vulnerable."

- - C.S. Lewis

For the Love of Honey – Health Benefits

Raw sugar tastes great. Most of us were first introduced to the wonderful taste of sugar as children. We have enjoyed it in candy, cereal, soft drinks and even on fruit. How many remember pouring sugar on buttered bread? Sounds pretty gross today as an adult but I remember it was considered a snack food in my family. Today I would never allow my kids to eat like that.

Today many people use a sugar substitute such as Splenda, Nutra Sweet, or Aspartame. There is a very long list of sugar substitutes that many of us are not even familiar with. But, the healthiest of these are also NOT man-made. Go figure.

Let me introduce you to some of the benefits of raw honey and Agave.

Raw Honey Benefits:

• Honey is much sweeter than table sugar, as well as healthier
• Provides an energy boost (without a sugar crash)
• Known to aid in relieving sore throats
• Honey is naturally antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and kills bacteria – put it on chapped lips or cuts and burns
• Can aid in relieving diarrhea
• Has natural calming properties (pair it with chamomile tea)
• Antioxidant (who doesn’t love antioxidants?)
• Also known to help curb high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes
• Credits: WHFoods, Bee Pollen Buzz, Global Healing Center

Agave Nectar Benefits

• Lower glycemic index than other sweeteners
• Contains anti-inflammatory properties
• Boosts immune system
• Sweeter than sugar (by approximately 3 times)
• Vegan
• Naturally anti-bacterial (similar to raw honey)
• Credits: All About Agave, She Knows