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Butternut squash recipes

Recipes

By Gatherings Gal	September 30, 2011
I'm a vegetable gardener. Which really just means I slave over my little backyard plot through the heat of summer with dreams of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers and eggplant in my head. And usually I succeed. And sometimes, I succeed a little too much. Like last year, when I had 32 butternut squash come October. (Check out one of the beauties to the right.) After giving away tons of them to willing friends and family, I set my mind to finding new recipes to use as much squash as possible. (And luckily for me, winter squash will really last nearly all winter.) If you are finding yourself in the same predicament (or have a friend that dropped off a bag of produce on your doorstep), here are a few of my favorite recipe ideas for winter squash. Roasted butternut squash Butternut squash soup in a slow cooker Butternut squash pie Butternut squash lasagna Roasted butternut squash seeds Butternut squash casserole Aunt Lucille's orange spice and butternut squash bread Sound off: Do you have a favorite butternut squash recipe?
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S'more fun bonfire party theme

By Gatherings Gal

September 28, 2011

The weather is cooler and the evenings are darker (at least here in the Midwest). It's the prime time for a bonfire party.

This year, I'm planning a small bonfire for friends. And what better theme than s'mores, our favorite bonfire treat? Here are some of my ideas to get started.

S'more Fun Invites

To announce the gathering, I'll send out a small clear bag filled with the ingredients for s'mores - a chocolate bar, two marshmallows and two graham crackers. Tied up with a ribbon and the information for the get-together, this is the perfect invite to set the mood.

S'more Toppings Bar

Since it's all about the sweets, I'm starting the party after dinner time. This means that the only food I'm providing are the s'mores. (This is a great way to keep costs low for a party.)

To take your s'mores to the next level, set up a gourmet backyard s'more bar. Include all the basic toppings - graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate bars. Then add a few new flavors. Ideas include:

Peanut butter (my favorite melted topping for the traditional s'more)
Bananas
Strawberries
Peanut butter cups
Dark chocolate
Nutella
Caramel topping

I think guests will love creating their new favorite treats with unexpected elements.

Other details to consider

If you are planning a similar gathering, here are a few tips:

Remember sticks for roasting the marshmallows!
Provide enough seats around the fire for all guests. These could be chairs, blankets or hay bales. Or, ask guests to bring their own lawn chairs. You want everyone to feel comfortable by the fire (so they'll stick around chatting into the night).
Keep pests away by covering all food that is being served outside. Nothing ruins a gathering faster than an uninvited guest.
If it's a cool night, provide a basket of blankets for guests to keep warm.
Warm drinks will be welcomed by guests. I'll serve hot chocolate and hot cider.
Don't let bad weather get you down. If it's raining, bring the party inside with a fireplace and s'more brownies.

Sound off: What's your favorite part of autumn?

I don't know about you, but it's not truly autumn for me until my husband and I start a fire in the fire pit and break out the marshmallows for s'mores.