I tried a new veggie last week

Like my title? Original, huh?

I tell my sweet little patients all the time that you don't know if you like something unless you try it, so I thought I would take some of my own advice last week and try something new- a spaghetti squash!

When I was little, I was never a picky eater, but squash- just even the thought of it- made me totally lose my appetite. I still gag a little just from thinking about how much I despised it. But when I was in college, I tried it steamed for the first time, and I was sold. Then I realized what I hated so bad about squash was the way I had tried it- stewed, with onions. G-R-O-S-S.

So, for me to step out of my little box to try another type of squash was kind of a big deal for me. But THIS squash is so different that you can't even compare it to anything.

You can put this in the oven on 375 for about an hour, or if you wait until you are hungry to think about how you are going to cook it like I did, you can put it in the microwave for 12-15 minutes, and leave it in the microwave for about 5 more minutes to let it finish steaming Pierce it with a fork before you cook it either way.

Then cut it down the middle.

Dig out the seeds and pulp.

And then separate with a fork so that it looks like spaghetti.

Serve up and enjoy!

I seasoned mine with garlic salt, pepper, spray butter, and a little grated Parmesan, and ate it with marinara sauce- like I would regular spaghetti. I made Hunter some chicken Parmesan that night and served it over the spaghetti squash. I thought it was a very good alternative for the pasta (41 calories in 1 cup, 10 gms of carbs, as compared to 1 cup of regular spaghetti noodles that has 210 calories and 43 gms of carbs), but I don't think Hunter was quite impressed. Whatever. I'll continue to have my 41 calorie version and he can have his 210 calories of simple carbs. Because I love him like that.

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