acorn squash

Hi, I'm 34 years old and I'd never eaten acorn squash until recently.

How is that a thing? It was not an item on our dinner table growing up, so I suppose that's why I never considered it once I started cooking for myself.

Sure, I'd heard of it, but it seemed unappetizing and kind of blah. I assumed it would be slimy and mushy, much like zucchini or yellow squash can get when it's overcooked.

Craving a little variety in my efforts to eat more veggies, I picked one up on sale at the grocery store. 

It sat in my fridge for a few weeks. 

Then I unexpectedly had to work out of state for a while and my mom took it home when she went to check on my cat. 

About a month later I decided to try again and grabbed another one, excited to try it... and it sat in my fridge for a few weeks. 

However, before this one could reach a fully sad state, I cooked it. (small personal victory)

I sliced it up, scooped out the seeds, and seasoned it with thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil. I roasted it in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes on each side. 

If you look up recipes, there are a ton of ways to cook it. I find, in general, that vegetables taste best when they're roasted so I started with that.

I wasn't expecting much. When I tasted it I was pleasantly surprised! The texture was not slimy or mushy at all. In fact, it's a lot like a potato. Definitely a sturdier squash than I expected. Mildly flavored and absolutely delicious. 

The next time I grab one of these, it won't be out of obligation to introduce more variety into my vegetable diet; it will be because I genuinely enjoy it.

bacon.

I want to talk about bacon real quick.

I like bacon every once in a while. Added to a dish for flavor, fried up with an egg, the usual. It's nice to have on hand but I typically don't use an entire package at once, so I freeze it.

If you've ever frozen an entire package of bacon, you know it's damn near impossible to peel a single strip off the stack unless the whole package is thawed.

So I started freezing it strategically:

Freeze the bacon on a sheet pan in a single layer on wax paper.
Cut each piece in half (not required but I like to because it's easier to store).
Then layer the frozen strips on squares of wax paper and place them in a freezer bag.

Super easy to pull out the exact amount I need.