The Mother Hubbard

     I have to show you how serious my overflow of Hubbard squash is.

       I've been chopping up that Hubbard squash today.  It's been tough going.  *grin*  It's not that it's really all that hard, it's just that it seems to be a never ending job!    I took the seeds out and washed the sliminess off of them.  I put them into a pyrex pie pan and threw in about a tablespoon of butter.  I sprinkled on a bit of salt as well.  Then, I popped them into the oven at about 350* for fifteen minutes or so.  These squash seeds are a bit plumper than I remember pumpkin seeds being.  It's more worth the trouble of opening the seed to get out the meat.  Of course, I think some people just eat the seeds, shell and all.  I can't handle that though.

     As you can possibly see in the first photo, I made some squash soup today.  I cut the squash up into chunks and boiled it till it was soft.  Then, I mashed it up and poured in about a cup and a half of milk.  I added some pumpkin pie spice and a bit of salt.  If I'd had cream or even sour cream, I would have added that instead of the milk, but I didn't.   

     Did you notice the two pans full of cubed squash?  I'm going to boil them up and freeze them.  I do love squash, but I'm telling you, I've had a LOT of squash lately.  All things in moderation means you can't live off of just squash for too long.  (even if you DO love squash)  The square pyrex pan full of little cubes is in the oven right now as I type.  I poured a bit of olive oil over it and sprinkled on some salt free spice.  I think it has garlic and onion powders and parsley.  I stirred it up and popped it in the oven for a while.  I'd better go and stir that.  Mmmm.  When I took it out to stir it, I snuck a bite.  It's really tasty.  I turned off the oven and put the pan back in for a few more minutes.  

     Now, I don't suppose that you happened to see that there is still a bit of squash to chop.  Yup.  I'm off to chop up the last of the squash.  Good thing I love Hubbard squash! 

YUM!

 

I LOVE HUBBARD SQUASH!

I LOVE HUBBARD SQUASH!

    They are HUGE ungainly things but they are quickly becoming my favorite squash!  Don't get me wrong.  I still love yellow, crookneck squash and zucchini but Hubbard squash is awesome!  It's a sweeter squash than say Acorn or Butternut squash.

   The hardest part is cutting it up.  The skin or peel is very hard.  The meat of it is pretty hard too, but not unworkable. 

    You can slice off a goodly chunk.  Scoop out the seeds and slime.  Preserve that for a later snack.  Without peeling put, skin side up it in a baking dish with a little water in the bottom of the dish. You might have to take one of the shelves out of your oven so it will fit.  Bake at 350* for about half an hour.  Flip onto skin side and brush the meaty side with melted butter.  You can sprinkle it with brown sugar or drizzle with maple syrup or, if you're not into sugar, just bake it as is.  Bake for another half hour.  It will be nice and tender now.  Just scoop it out and eat.

    Another option is to slice off pieces.  Be careful.  It's really a challenge, slicing this thing up because it's so hard.  Peel off the skin and remove a bit of the stringier part of the center.  Chop the remaining piece into cubes and boil in a pot on the stove with about an inch of salted water for about 20 minutes.   You can mash it or leave it cubed.  I add butter. 
    This is so delicious.  It's low in saturated fats, cholesterol and sodium. It's also a good source of Vitamin E, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium and Magnesium, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium and Manganese.  I also read that it's a good source of fiber.  Who doesn't love fiber?
    Of course, adding the salt and butter might change the low sodium and such.

Another good thing about winter squashes is that they tend to last a while in the fridge.  There is NO way that I could eat this whole thing in one meal!  It took me six meals to finish the last Hubbard squash I was given.  This one is even bigger so I think it's going to feed me for more than a week! I've been googling Hubbard squash recipes.  One spoke of baking apples and nuts in the bowl of the squash.  It all just sounds so delicious! 
I LOVE HUBBARD SQUASH!

Yum!

Reading List 2012

At the beginning of last year, I decided that I should keep track of the books I read in 2012.  I was curious as to how many books I read in the average year.  I decided to write a book log.  Here it is:

1225 Christmas Tree Lane
by Debbie Macomber
finished 1 - 25 - 2012
No comments written

Tips for Quilters
by Rachel T. Pellman
finished 2 - 9 - 2012
Informative - Self contradicting

The Missing Books of the Bible  Volume II
Jesus, Son of Sirach, Baruch, Jeremy, Asariah, Susanna,
Bel & the Dragon, Prayer of Manassas, 1 & 2 Maccabees
finished 2 - 20 - 2012 
Interesting - but what's in Book I?

An O'Brien Family Christmas
by Sherryl Woods
finished 3 - 1 - 2012 
Nice enough story

The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
finished 3 - 5 - 2012 
EXCELLENT!  Can't wait for #2!

Catching Fire
by Suzanne Collins
finished 3 - 12 - 2012 
EXCELLENT though more violent than #1

Mocking Jay
by Suzanne Collins
finished 4 - 5 - 2012 
Good enough - better ending than expected.
Liberal political propaganda rag

4 Gospels 
(Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
finished 4 - 6 - 2012 
Thanks Connie for the challenge!
Always worth another reading

An Angel for Christmas
by Heather Graham
finished 4 - 25 - 2012 
Nice, fun romance with action

The Lucky One
by Nicholas Sparks
finished 5 - 1 - 2012 
Excellent!  I look forward to seeing the movie!

True Believer
by Nicholas Sparks
finished 5 - 22 - 2012 
Good book, good writer, I read the sequel already.

East of Eden
by John Steinbeck
finished 5 - 25 - 2012 
Why did I listen to this book in the car?  Ugh!

Tess of the D'Urvervilles
by Thomas Hardy
finished 6 - 8 - 2012
Another book on tape in the car - a little better
I hated the attitude that women should be more
pure than men - forgiven less for equal sins

Shadow March
by Tad Williams
finished 6 - 9 - 2012 
It was a hard read, jumpy & violent & strange

I Heard the Owl Call my Name
by Margaret Craven
finished 6 - 15 - 2012 
Book on tape in car
Good story - sad ending

The White Robin
by Miss Read
finished 6 - 19 - 2012
Book on tape in car
Nice enough

The Invisible Man
by H. G. Wells
finished 6 - 23 - 2012 
Book on tape
Well written - well read - good story

Short Stories 
by Edgar Allen Poe
finished 6 - 29 - 2012 
B on T  Odd, dark, not great
Telltale Heart, Legaia,  Pit & the Pendulum, Black Cat

Shadow Rise
by Tad Williams
finished 7 - 9 - 2012 
Almost as hard as the first book - same reasons

Shadow Play
by Tad Williams
finished 7 - 18 - 2012 
I am finally starting to get into the series.
They are very thick books.  Only one to go!

The Scarlet Pimpernell
by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
finished 7 - 28 - 2012 
A fun read!  I enjoyed it!

Shadow Heart
by Tad Williams
finished 7 - 2 - 2012 
Finally done!  Long series.  Excellent ending!

The Governess and Mr. Granville
by Abby Gaines
finished 8 - 18 - 2012 
Sweet, easy read.

Twilight
by Stephenie Meyers
finished 8 - 23 - 2012 
Why did I wait so long?  Great.  I really enjoyed it.

New Moon
by Stephenie Meyers
finished 8 -27 - 2012 
This series really had me ensnared!

Eclipse
by Stephenie Meyers
finished 9 - 2 - 2012 
Starting the last book.  
I hope I can get something done next week!                 

Breaking Dawn
by Stephenie Meyers
finished 9 - 7 - 2012 
Excellent finish!  Great series!  Better than the movies!

The Last Lighthouse Keeper
by Alan Titchmarsh
finished 9 - 6 - 2012  
B on T Good book, well read

The Letter
by Richard Paul Evans
finished 9 - 7 - 12
Nice Feel good book

The Carosel
by Richard Paul Evans
finished 9 - 11 - 2012 
B on T - Nice, predictable, I've actually heard it before.  

High Five
by Janet Evanovich
finished 9 - 22 - 2012
B on T - Fun story, well written, but way too much cursing for me

Night
by Ellie Weisel
finished 9 - 27 - 2012
B on T - It saddens me to know that people can be so terrible 
and that people can be treated so abominably.  
How would I react to seeing such horrors in my life? 

A is for Alibi
B is for Burglar
N is for Noose
all by Sue Grafton
Books on Tape - Decently fun mysteries. 
Now to find the rest of the alphabet!  Bit of cussing.

Ageless Body, Timeless Mind
by Depak Chopra
finished 10 - 18 - 2012
B on T - A little too far out there for me.

Chesapeake Shores Christmas
by Sherryl Woods
finished 10 - 28 - 2012
I've read of this Irish family before in the beginning of the year.
Pleasant
 
House of Seven Gables
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
finished 11 - 7 - 2012
B on T - Much longer than it needed to be.
Boring story.  Happy ending at least.

A Quick Red Fox
by John MacDonald
finished 11 - 14 - 2012
B on T - A decent whodonit but not overly interesting

The Notebook
by Nicholas Sparks
finished 11 - 19 - 2012
Wow!  And they say the movie's even better?  
I'm a goner if I watch it!  *SNIFF*      

Wuthering Heights
by Emily Bronte
finished 11 - 30 - 2012
On & on & on!  What nasty folk!  Why is this a classic?
I'm SO glad to be done with this book on tape!  Ugh!

The Gift of Great Poetry
selected by Lucien Stryk
finished 12 - 15 - 2012
Many nice poems, some meh

Teachings of the Presidents fo the Church
George Albert Smith
finished 12 - 16 - 2012
It's been a good year of R. S. lessons

Girl in the Brown Paper Wrapper
by John D MacDonald
finished 12 - 21 - 2012
B on T - Written by a man for men I think 

The Book of Mormon
translated by Joseph Smith Jr.
finished 12 - 28 - 2012
I love the Book of Mormon.
I learn so much each time I read it.
I've only read it about 3 or 4 times, maybe 5.

Sky Dragons
by Anne & Todd McCaffrey
finished 12 - 29 - 2012
I really don't want to read about their sex lives
including their lesbian exploits.  Thanks.
Can you tell that it's written by a guy now?   

The Whole Christmas Catalogue
finished 12 - 31 - 2012
Some of the old Christmas stories were pretty cool.
Some of them were bleh.  Legends, stories, carols, gifts.   I wouldn't say it was 'fun' but it was informative I guess.


Well, that's 47 books in 52 weeks, nearly a book per week.  I wouldn't have thought that I read that many books in a year!  I already have a list of books that I want to read this year.  I want to read a Jane Austen book.  I want to read The Count of Monte Cristo, my eldest daughter's favorite book.  Of course, there's the D & C and the Pearl of Great Price.  I haven't read The Miracle of Forgiveness yet. 
Can you think of any classics or other good books that I should read this year?
Happy New Year, y'all!