Let's Talk Sass-Squash

My kids hate squash. Like - they HATE it. The first, last, and only time I forced my son to chew and swallow one bite of roasted butternut squash he literally barfed it back up right onto his dinner plate. My daughter just let it drool back out of her mouth like a broken slurpee machine. So, the following is a super-ninja mommy hack from someone who has been all the way there and back and made one of those memento quilts with all the t-shirts. We need squash in the winter. 

Winter squashes, like acorn, butternut, pumpkin, are creation's answer to the shorter days, overcast skies, colder weather, and all other factors that aid in our predisposition to illness and depression during the winter months. They are full of vitamin A, C, B, beta-carotene, iron, omega-3, potassium, manganese, and fiber. You can eat them raw or cooked in various ways, and the seeds of any squash can be roasted - not just pumpkin. The seeds are just as good for you, plus they are high in protein! (Toast them on a baking sheet with olive oil and salt/seasoning at 300 for 15 minutes)

Mostly, the thing kids hate about squash is the texture, So, that's the problem we need to solve. How do you disguise the texture and sneak it in there? SHRED IT!

Peal your squash, remove the stringy stuff and seeds, get your grater or food processor, and shred that guy up. Save it in a container in the fridge to use all week in various, sneaky ways. 

You can add it raw into salads - AKA "yellow carrots", throw it into soups, anything you are cooking in the crock pot, into casseroles, or toss it into smoothies when they aren't looking. Once my aunt hid it in home-made macaroni and cheese and they gobbled it down with a smile. But, just to prove I'm not a faker, I have a handful in the crock pot right now with some chicken and Texas Chili Spice Mix. Once that chicken shreds down for tacos they won't even know the squash is there. 

You can also take those shreds and puree' them with chicken or vegetable stock and turn it into a really great soup with carrots, onions, cream, and some Moroccan Tagine Spice Mix. And let's not forget those handy little cans of pumpkin at the store! We make pumpkin bread and pumpkin pancakes with that stuff and nobody ever leaves a crumb of evidence behind. Spike it with some spiced sugar and you just transformed breakfast into a fall celebration and got a boost of vitamins and fiber while you were at it!  

So, next time you're at the store, grab a squash. Ninja-sneak that stuff in their food. Trust me - they'll get over it. ; )

*We would love to hear from you on your favorite way to prepare and eat winer squash in the comments, or at: www.facebook.com/boutiquetreatssugar