I Heart Squash

Last night Rachel and I had our "let's get ready for the event!" meeting of our PPYL group -- only two more weeks until the beer tasting! Sign on up, everybody (notice link on left)! Because I was over on that side of town, and desperately in need of milk and bread, I ran into Whole Foods.

My expectations were much different this time, and I found I enjoyed it much more. Without expecting a life-changing event, I was better able to appreciate the store for what it was. I picked up some humanely treated shrimps, some more overpriced avacados, and spent about 30 minutes choosing from the premade food section. Here we come to my favorite and most appreciated aspect of the store: ingredient lists. All the goodies tell you what's in 'em, so I can better avoid gut-rot garlic. Turns out tabouleh = no garlic, and it's super tasty. For lunch today I gobbled up the spinach pie, and it might be the best I've had. It was much less dense than the spinach pie you usually find at resturaunts. And, of course, the most wonderful cookies ever, the WF low-fat chocolate chewies (and score, I found a recipe!). Anyway, my point being, I appreciate the efforts to not only tell you what's in stuff, but to also offer alternatives, seeing as how we're not 100% certain I don't also have wheat and/or gluten intolerances (I know I know... I'll go get my blood tests soon).

Now here it is almost the weekend, and Brad is gone to Vegas for hopefully the last of the bachelor's parties. Enough Vegas, already! I already miss him, but I must confess my eagerness to watch a bevy of movies this weekend, sports free! I went to the library (yeah free movies) and can't wait to get my movie on: American Werewolf in London (collector's edition! extras!); Clerks II (pillowpants!); Hustle and Flow (cause I'm a gangsta); Notes on a Scandal; and The Notorious Bettie Page. For my first night as a bachelorette, Amy came and joined me for dinner and a lovely visit. I'd picked up a spaghetti squash at the market last week, and I finally had a chance to use it. Here's my simple squash pasta recipe (stolen in part from Low-Carb and Loving It).

Fake-Out Pasta

1 spaghetti squash
1/2 lb shrimp (or more, whatevs!)
Grated cheese (I used romano because that's what I have; I've also used asiago)
Splat of butter
White wine
2 avacadoes

1. Cook spaghetti squash; I was short on time, so I boiled it whole in a pot for 25 minutes. Once done, slice in half, pull goop and seeds out, and "spaghetti" with a fork into a large bowl.
2. Melt a splat of butter in a saute pan (2-3 tbs).
3. Pour in a few turns of the pan of white wine -- depending on how much sauce you want.
4. Once that boils, drop shrimp in and cook 2 or 3 minutes until warm through.
5. Chunk avacado into mix and stir; warm for a few minutes.
6. Pour sauce over "pasta."
7. Top with a few handfuls of cheese and mix.
8. Voila! Yum!

Note: If you're feeding a few people, get a big squash, more shrimp, and maybe a third avacado. Amy and I basically killed the entire bowl.

I'm looking forward to squash and pumpkin season. So yummy. Speaking of, I've been thinking about my pumpkin tortellini in Boston for two weeks now. I want more NOW.

Anyway, now it's getting late, it's dark, I'm alone. And what do I do? Watch Seven. Yes, I'm a tool. Luckily I have my guard pooch to protect me from the boogeyman!

PS. Speaking of my brave pooch -- Heidi and I took our nightly walk a bit ago and encountered mr. big fat toad. Given my mortal fear of snakes, you might be surprised to know I like frogs. So down I went to scoop him up, and Heidi just stared at it like it was an alien. For a pooch that wants to put EVERYTHING in her mouth, she sure didn't know what to make of that toad. I set him down and he started hopping around, and she went nuts! She was like an olympic sprinter running circles around him. If only I'd of had my video camera with me. Classic.