Inspired Living | Brown Sugar Kabocha Squash
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It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Kelsey Brown, our newest PGM contributor. Kelsey's work will be appearing periodically here on the PGM blog as well as inside the pages of the magazine. You can get to know her better by reading her lovely blog Happyolks. Read on for her first post, featuring a delicious squash recipe!
Our garden is dead. I mean, dead dead. We awoke to a dusting of snow last week and with great euphoria, I danced my way down the stairs, out the front door, and stomped around in the powder with barefeet, declaring that this was (and would be) the best morning of all time. It occured to me later, after it had all melted away, that the garden was in dire straights. All the coaxing and tender love we had given those kids in the summertime was erased in the span of one unexpected, freezing night. Poof. Gone. Just like that. I'm nervous that the squash aren't even making a comeback. Too young. Still fragile and dependent on our foresight. I kneeled beside the crime scene that is the raised beds today, a bitter wind pressing against my back, and apologized for not taking better care. Next year I'll be better, I promised. I didn't see this coming, guys. I'm really still just figuring out how to do this thing, forgive me?
In every changing season there comes distraction. Early snow, new friends, old arguments. They enter in and out of our lives, often unannounced, and tug at our sense of direction and where we place our energy. They (the distractions) provide opportunity for growth as well as temptations to neglect the "gardens" of our lives; the things that nourish and feed us and make us whole. The hard work for each of us is deciding which distractions are worth the mess they leave behind.
Squash, for one thing, is always worth the mess.
BROWN SUGAR ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH
- 1/2 of one Kabocha squash, seeds removed, cut into half-inch wedges
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Massage squash wedges with coconut oil. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pat into oiled squash. Bake for 20 minutes—for extra crispy edges, throw under the broiler for 2-3 minutes. Pairs perfectly with your morning coffee.
A special note: PGM is currently looking for online contributors. If you are interested, you can reach us at submissions@puregreenmag.com for more details.
