spaghetti squash with cinnamon

autumn and spaghetti squash are a wonderful pair. in autumn I like to bake a lot, and get good smells going around the house. unfortunately, I can't eat a lot of what I like to bake because of my diabetes. that's where spaghetti squash comes in.

it's a battle. I heave this heavy, smooth squash up out of the bag and onto my countertop. thud.

i grab my longest and biggest knife. after microwaving for about a minute to soften the skin (not really), I brace myself for a possible bloodbath in the kitchen.

one is supposed to slice off one end of the squash to form a flat base. then, standing the squash upright, slice it lengthwise in half. it is very easy at this part to slip the knife off the skin and into one's hand or arm. I imagine this in my head every time I do it. i don't think it makes me more careful, but maybe a bit calmer to pre-image this in my head so when and if it does happen  i am ready.

once you have two halves, place them one at a time in the microwave in a dish that has some water at the bottom. also put about 1/4 cup of water in the hollow of the squash to keep it all steamy and moist in the oven. microwave oven.

when it comes out let it rest about 5 minutes and then it is ready to eat. I eat mine right out of the shell with a fork.

I prefer mine sweet with cinnamon and a little earth balance butter and liquid splenda drops on top. stevia powder would work here too.

spaghetti squash is full of water and fiber, which is good if you are trying to lose a few. like me ;) it is also high in B vitamins and vitamin C. it is considered a 0 point food if you are on weight watchers. enjoy.

kale chips

I inhale these. 

They are the bread and butter of raw snacks.

To make these you really need an Excalibur dehydrator. I had one of the round plastic kind when I first started raw a couple years ago, and it just can't compete with the Excalibur. First off, the temps stay controlled from top to bottom, and when I have the dehydrator fully loaded and my hear is set on all me recipes drying perfectly, I like knowing temps are consistent. The round one (I read) is not nearly as efficient or controlled, and when we go through all the work of soaking and drying, we want  a good end result right?

My recipe for kale chips is the standard one, although I don't really even use measuring spoons anymore. I eyeball it but then, I've seen Martha Stewart eyeball stuff on tv so I don't feel so bad! In fact, it's like a right of passage. I just know instinctively and I have made this enough times to know how much of what to use.

I use:

• 1-2 bunches of kale torn into palm sized pieces and remove thick stem. (use enough so that each piece gets a good coating)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 tsp raw agave
• 1 t nutritional yeast
• juice from a lemon or about 2T
• 1 tsp himalayan salt
• 1 cup soaked raw cashews ( at least 3 hours)

Using the S blade, process in food processor for about a minute. 

Toss mixture with kale in a big bowl and coat evenly. Put kale on trays and dehydrate at 115 degrees for at least 6 hours. Overnight is best. The longer the crisper! 

Keep in an airtight container if you don't eat them all as soon as they are done...

From a mom's perspective, and a wife as well! I can tell you the smell alone drives my family crazy nuts- they get so excited and want to eat them all. It can be first thing in the morning and my 8 year old would rather eat kale chips than her pancakes. Cool huh.

now for the links if you want to shop....