Hey guys!
Sorry I’ve gone AWOL lately, I’ve had a ton of things on my plate and can now happily say that I’ve successfully moved in to my new apartment with three of my best friends! We actually have a pretty sweet deal going on and have 16 (!) people in our immediate friend group, both boys and girls, who are living in the same apartment complex as us and are stationed right above the pool and grill.
From moving in to catching up with everyone, I’ve hardly touched my computer in the last week or so, but I’m glad to be back!
Anyways, I’ve been trying to maintain my healthy habits while in school and have to admit that it gets much harder when the college norms are to consume copious amounts of pizza and alcohol and make late night slurpie runs. I have had some success in whipping up some old favorites like my Lemon Garlic Shrimp Orzo and roasted kabocha! Man, I can’t get enough of that stuff and am SO glad that my local grocery store carries them and I don’t have to hunt them down at Whole Foods or an asian supermarket.
If you haven’t tried kabocha yet, you’re in for a treat. The asian pumpkin is unbelievably tasty and has the most delicious creamy texture. I kid you not that I’ve eaten almost an entire one for dinner and was 100% satisfied. They’re that good. And I don’t mean good as in “healthy good”, I mean just plain freakin’ yummy!
Whenever I roast up one, I find myself constantly sneaking back into the kitchen to grab just one more bite, but end up hovering and eating at least a couple of slices. Never fear, though, because kabocha is not only mouthwatering, but also good for you!
Here are some awesome facts about kabocha to convince you that it’s actually your soul mate disguised as a member of the winter squash family
- “Kabocha is like butternut squash’s sadly under appreciated sister. A single cup of kabocha has forty calories compared to butternut squash’s 60, and has less than half of the carbs of butternut squash (7 grams vs. 16 grams). But, it tastes better… the perfect substitute.”
- It’s a great source of beta-carotene (which your body converts to vitamin A). A single serving has 70% of your daily recommended amount. This means your eyes, skin, hair, and white blood cells will thank you!
- Fiber. Lots of it!
- You don’t have to peel em’. When they cook, the peel softens and is so, so, so delicious with the creamy fleshy part on top.
Anyone else share my obsession?