MENU PLAN MONDAY: Indexing Freezer Meals and Freezing Bone Broth

Last week was a pretty lazy one when it came to eating. Big T worked late, and I only had to cook for three nights.

The Meals:

Monday: Pasta with veggie gratin sauce
Tuesday: Coconut squash soup
Wednesday: Slow cooker chicken tikka masala
Thursday, Friday and Saturday - eat at Mom Mom's

Menu Plan Monday: It Gets Easier

Last week, I talked about starting to menu plan and how it had always seemed overwhelming to me. I also did a big Sunday cook-fest where I tried to prepare as many meals for the week (and the freezer) as possible. It was a lot of work, and I thought I would be burned out, but it was really great having real meals (i.e., meals that included vegetables) to eat for dinner.

Simple Roasted Acorn Squash Seeds

Roasting isn't just for pumpkin seeds!

Ingredients

• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt

Directions
After cutting your squash for the Easy Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe and scooping out the seeds, put the seeds and stringy pieces of squash that are stuck to them in a colander and rinse under cold water. As you rinse, pop the seeds off of the squash that it's attached to and discard the squash strings.

Drain and leave the seeds in a colander for a few hours, mixing periodically to get rid of all the water, then spread on a large plate or baking sheet overnight or for 8 hours or so. This just helps to dry them out so they become as crispy as possible when roasted.

When you are ready to roast them, coat with olive oil (I sprayed them with the oil), salt or any other seasonings, and toss with a spoon or your hands. Spread them out on one layer in a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-15 minutes, or until golden on the tops. Turn off the oven and leave the seeds in until evenly browned. (Turning off the oven makes sure that you don't forget about them and burn them, like I almost did while trying to make them, shower, lanolize diapers and get ready for work at the same time.)

You can also get creative and use any oil/spice combination you want. Go crazy!

Easy Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe

The perfect complement to my Easy Roasted Chicken Recipe

This is a great way to take advantage of squash when it's in season (and cheaper!) in the fall.

Ingredients

• Acorn Squash
• Butter
• Brown Sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut acorn squash in half lengthwise. This is done more easily with a serrated knife. If you try to use your giant non-serrated knife, it might get hopelessly stuck in your squash, making you feel like you are involved in a gourd massacre. And possibly a gourd-and-your-own-finger massacre.

Scoop out seeds with a large spoon, and put them aside in a bowl to make Simple Roasted Acorn Squash Seeds. Place squash cut side up on a cookie sheet or roasting pan. Add 2 pats of butter, and 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar (or to taste).

Roast in oven for 90 minutes or until soft and slightly browned on the edges.

To serve, you can cut into wedges (watermelon-style) or simply serve the entire half of the squash on a plate and scoop out the flesh with a fork.