maple sugar highs

Happy Halloween, friends! I hope you enjoyed celebrating this past weekend. 

My first memorable post-grad Halloween was a success. I mingled with the friends I'd missed, I danced my nights away, and I managed to have a fantastic holiday without being the official photographer. I was a shark, by the way :).

Nevertheless, I still wasn't feeling quite as festive as usual. I blame it on the fact that this upcoming week is a big one. So big, in fact, that what it brings about may very well impact at least the next year of my life both professionally and personally... and in great ways, I hope. 

In between preparing for it all, I finally roasted an acorn squash. I say finally, not because I've never done it before, but because it is one of the things I love most about autumn, one of the things I couldn't wait to do when I got back from roadtripping, and one of the many sweet recipes that I appreciate so much more than any piece of Halloween candy. There, I said it ;). The method of my madness is based on a recipe from the gluten-free goddess.

Roasted Maplacorn Squash

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Carefully cut a deep green acorn squash in half. De-seed.
3. Pat the inner surfaces with real butter or Earth Balance. Sprinkle a pinch of brown sugar in the center of each half. 
4. Place the squash halves in a baking pan and drizzle with pure maple syrup on both sides of each.
5. Pour some water in the pan to keep the squash from drying out/sticking.
6. Roast the squash in the oven for about an hour.
7. Make sure it's tender. Add sea salt, extra maple syrup (and even some almond butter) to taste.
8. Enjoy all that is this delectable fall bounty alongside a large green salad.