KICK
in the TUSH Club™
is for light-hearted, low-cal
loving, nutritional friendly folks who crave mammoth portions
of food-facts,
recipes, art and inspiration.
Our Lady of Weight Loss ™®
is a division of Oy-Caramba! Ltd. October 11, 2004
An art-KICK a week keeps you on your
losing streak!
Squash!
I am filling the room
with the words from my pen.
Words leak out of it like a miscarriage.
I am zinging words out into the air
and they come back like squash balls.
Yet there is silence.
~
Anne Sexton (1928–1974), U.S. poet. “The Silence.”
FATOID The Massachusett Indian word for "eaten raw" is "Askutasquash." An important Indian food, few shared the desire to eat squash raw, until the past few years when raw summer squash types began to appear in salads.
Squash is an American vegetable. The most common varieties – yellow summer squash, zucchini, pumpkins and acorn squash – are readily available and are a dream food for us nutritional friendly folks – low in calorie, no fat, and rich in vitamins and minerals.
Through cross-pollination, many varieties have been developed. Banana squash comes in three colors: pink, blue and yellow! It's mind-boggling. So many squashes - so little time.
To simplify matters, here follows The Official Our Lady of Weight Loss Quick, Easy and Simple Guide to Squash.
What's the deal with winter squash vs. summer squash?Is it a seasonal thing?
Summer squash are harvested while still immature and when the entire squash is tender and edible. Even though called summer squash, some varieties are available year-round.
Winter squash is harvested at a mature age, which makes its skin hard and inedible. The tough, hard skin of the winter squash makes it possible for it to be stored for a minimum of 3 months. Winter squash is always served cooked; summer squash is sometimes thrown into salads raw.
How many varieties are there?
Maybe 8 million, so let's cover the basics:
Acorn is acorn-shaped! And it's the most widely available of the small winter squashes. It's a good source of calcium and easy to bake.
Banana squash, large and thick-skinned, about 20 inches long and weighing in at 12 pounds, is commercially grown in Florida. It's so large that it's usually sold in chucks. It can be baked or steamed, but steaming gives it a sweeter taste.
Buttercup squash is about 6 to 8 inches round and weighs 2 to 4 pounds. It can be baked or steamed, and it is has been said that it tastes something like honey, roasted chestnuts and sweet potato.
Butternut is a bell-shaped squares that measures about 12 inches long and weighs 2 to 4 pounds. Its skin is thin, so it can be easily peeled with a vegetable peeler, making it easier to cut and cook. Baking brings out its sweet, nutty flavor.
Hubbard squash is tear-shaped. It is available in a variety of hues: green, gold, blue and even baby blue. It weighs from 5 to 50 pounds. Precut portions can be found in markets, but its size has made it less popular.
Spaghetti squash is oval-shaped and averages about 9 inches in length. It weighs 2 to 3 pounds. When cooked, the spaghetti strands are slightly sweet in taste. (Our Lady makes it often with spaghetti sauce!)
Sweet Dumpling a.k.a. vegetable gourd is a perfect size for one person - about the size of an apple - it is mildly sweet, with a corn-like taste.
If you live anywhere near Providence, Rhode Island, you just have to go to the Roger Williams Park Zoo JACK-O-LANTERN extravaganza. Check it out! This slideshow is amazing. Music too!
Righteous Recipe ~ More on Pumpkins - Alison Crotty from Melbourne, Australia shares some tips on how to roast pumpkin. Thanks Alison! Great to hear from you. Your suggestions sound yum-easy, low in fat and calories!
"So you Americans don't eat roast pumpkin? It's a standard to eat with with roast lamb over here in Australia (please tell me you eat roast lamb). Just chuck it in the roasting pan, it takes about 1/3 less time than potatoes. What about mashed pumpkin, similar to mashed potatoes? Add a teeny bit of butter and some pepper, mmmm. Pumpkin soup couldn't be easier - just microwave or steam some pumpkin then fry some onion, add about 1/2 - 1 cup stock and the pumpkin and whizz it through the blender (or just mash it really thoroughly). You can roast the pumpkin pieces and put some mustard, cumin powder and honey in with the onions if you want to be flash. ~ Alison Crotty, Melbourne, Australia "
Fruitful Contest- In 1979, a movie was made about the most famous haunting case ever.
The Plot: Newlyweds move into a house where a murder was committed, and they experience strange manifestations which drive them away.
Location: A town on Long Island.
Hint: The movie starred Stuart Rosenberg, James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger.
Need another hint? The tagline was: "For God's Sake, Get Out!"
What is the name of this movie?
The first to enlighten Our Lady wins an Our Lady of Weight Loss prayer card!
* * *
Last week's Fruitful query: Who played the starring role, Cinderfella, in this 1960 classic comedy?
This was by far the most popular Fruitful Contest ever! There were so many entries that Our Lady of Weight Loss decided to send prizes to the first six to enlighten her. What can I say? Our Lady of Weight Loss is a softy.
Congratulations to first prize winner. Queen of the Fruitful Contest, Lindsey Kees, Lafayette LA
and to her Court: Sharon L., Thiells, NY
Ann G., Coldwater, MI
Paula Peters Marra a.k.a. Her Ladyship Bountiful Juiceberry, Greensboro, NC
Meleana from Maui
Stevie Dinner, Northern California, who reminds us "It's Jerry Lewis of course.
Not to be confused with Jerry Lee Lewis."
Members in the News
Laura Giampaoli, our Chef from Paris (KICK #38), informed me that the TV show she worked on this past April, Jacques Pépin: Fast Food My Way, is now airing nationwide on PBS stations. You won’t see her but you’ll see her food. Here are the links to Jacques' web site and the broadcast schedule.
Special Thanks to Michele Dianne Wolfe for adding Our Lady of Weight Loss to her list of recommended sites. You can visit Michele's website: Healthy Living. And thanks, too, to Michele's Dad for bringing Our Lady to her attention!
Dear OLofWL, I have lost and kept off 32 pound over the last year. I have about 60 more to go. I have changed from milk to soy milk, from meat to fish and chicken and I eat a lot of salad.
Spices DO make a big difference. Balsamic vinegar and rosemary on baked chicken is one of my favorites!! I also discovered kayaking this summer and have begun to get some muscle strength in my arms. I go to the gym at least 3 times per week. If you read the fine print on all the diet pills, it says works with a "sensible diet and exercise plan," so I gave up the gimmicks and just do the diet and exercise. I have so much more energy-it is hard to beleive. I wore a size 26 dress in September 2003 and now own size 18 jeans that are becoming baggy! Hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep up the good work and let me know when the T-shirts come in bigger sizes. ~
Ann G, Coldwater, MI
Dear Ann, Congratulations! Good for you, a third of the way - that's big! I loved what you said about diet pills and gimmicks. Yup, you are right, there are no shortcuts. You are an inspiration to us all. Please keep us in the loop! Oh, and the shirts should be available in a couple of weeks! (Thanks for asking.) ~ OLofWL
* * *
Dear OLofWL,
In the past, I've roasted pumpkin seeds but have been
defeated by the difficulty of getting them out of
their shells. Do you chew them up, shells and all?
Or is there a not-too-labor-intensive way of
cracking
the shell and extracting the seed inside? (When I
tried, I ended up with a pile of mixed bits of seeds
and shells.)
If you or your readers have ideas about this,
I'll try again -- I always feel bad about throwing
the
seeds out when I cook a pumpkin, since I know they
are
nutritious and tasty when I buy them in the health
food store.
Thanks! ~
Judy Robinson, NYC
Dear Judy, As I understand it, eating pumpkin seeds is a labor intensive act. That's not so bad though, because you can spend a lot of time trying to crack 'em open. Probably, you're burning calories too! Does anyone out there know the answer to Judy's pumpkin seed challenge? Please write. I need to know too! ~ OLofWL
The
KICK in the TUSH Club provides a weekly reminder in
the form of an Art-KICK for those who wish to anchor themselves
to their weight loss and/or health goals (or for those who
need to satisfy their craving for a quirky kick). It's fun,
fab and fat-free. Sign-up now (there's no charge). Click here! Our
Lady (Or send an email to: info@OurLadyofWeightLoss.com) and say, "YES!
I need a KICK in the TUSH."
Disclaimer: This column is for information only and no part of its contents should be construed as medical
advice, diagnosis, recommendation or endorsement by Our Lady of Weight Loss, Oy-Caramba, Ltd! or Ms. Taylor.
