Mystery Squash!

It totally looks like a watermelon, but since I had collected the seeds to this winter squash last year myself and watched it grow on a distinctly winter squash vine I knew what it had to be. I just didn't know what kind of squash it would be on the inside. It appeared that a buttercup & a spagetti squash mixed genetics...
but ya can't judge a squash by the color of it's skin.
I finally opened one up this morning to find that the inside looked just like a spagetti squash, but smelled a bit sweeter. (If ya think I look proud in the picture, it's cause I am super proud of my mixed up squash! Should I call it buttergetti or spagetticup?)

I get really into saving seeds from just about any food that holds them, winter squash are not only delicious but they are also way too expensive in the store (sometimes costing $16 for one organic butternut!)...and if you buy the seeds in packets to plant they are even a bit pricey considering how many actually come in one squash.

The real test though was to cook it and see if the taste of the mystery squash was altered...

it has the shape, texture (forking out the spagetti shaped strands) and inside color of a spagetti squash, but the outside green stripes and the taste are sweet like a buttercup! How rad is that!?!

This is something I am gonna dork out over for a while. :)

Xoxoxo

My Gourd Family!

YAY! Welcome to my little gourd family, of all shapes and sizes...all persuasions, all sorts of possibilities, opportunities and freshly picked for an eco bird house future. I have only grown gourds one other time and they didn't turn out this awesome! These guys rock so hard that I felt proud to have helped birth each one (with the help of nature.) I am hoping i can dry at least a few out successfully and without using creepy chemicals - it is very common for all gourds to be bleached and such to kill the mold that will naturally grow while they are drying. I am going to try out my good ole' standby of apple cider vinegar and baking soda.
Look some of them are seriously bigger then my head!
Has anyone else dried gourds without using bad chems to help it along?
XoXo

Organic Winter Squash(es)

I Have a question about winter squash... when there is more then one squash, do you say "squashes" or just plain ole' "squash"? I have been vastly poked fun of for adding the "es" at the end of the word squash- but have heard other people say the same thing. I am not sure if I care whether it's correct or not, but more so that I can find others like me...then we can start an organic hippie commune together called "Squashes Eagle Cloud". Just kidding. ;)
So here are some of the neat-o winter squashes I have growing in my organic garden (these are not quite ripe yet, but getting there)...
I think that first one might turn out to be a Kubucha Squash (or some fancy name like that, that spell check doesnt recognize) - this is one of many that I collected the seeds myself from store bought organic squash, dried them and then replanted. :) I got some serious variety going this way.
In the pic above, that's my squash joy! It's siamese! And a Buttercup! I have some regula' buttercups too, but for some reason throughout my garden I have experienced occassional siamese genetics.
Mmmmmm, BUTTERNUTS! I've got bunches of these guys, and some that are even crook necked! There's another type of winter squash just sitting on top of those that I am not sure what variety it is. The big ole' honker below is a Spagetti squash, which are one of my most favorite kinds! If you've never had them, try one- they flavor really well, are mild (not too sweet, not too squashy) and the best part is you pull out the squash with a fork and it peels out in strips kinda like pasta.
Then last is my shy little pie pumpkins! I didn't grow any big guys this year, because I mainly wanted the sweet kind that are edible (as in taste good). These are really cute- they just started turning orange after a long period of being super dark green.
Rock on my sweet squashes!
XoXo