Eating squash raw {And how to "butcher" a big one!}

 My parents grew some big squash this past year! This was one of the specimens but it wasn't the largest. Even so it was pretty big.

 Here are some goofy girls' heads for reference. :-)
Dad doesn't actually know what this is. He knows what he ordered and what seeds he planted where these grew but the description and these squash (pumpkins?) didn't match up. So it was a mystery plant.

 They grew well for them but Mom and Dad didn't know what they were going to do with all of them. They are a rather lacking in taste for a cooked squash or to use in pumpkin pie and they had so much of them! What to do?....

Mom and Dad are not lacking in creativity with using food and so they decided to cut them up and try them raw and  plain. Lo and behold, they were good! Even my brother and I, who don't care for plain squash  (We gagged over the cooked stuff all of our growing up years) thought the squash sticks were pretty good.

When we were over at there house last week (we were there for a tea party which is why the girls are attired in such lovely clothes!) Mom thought maybe we should cut one up for me to take home. I went and got one from my Dad's shop ( a cool but not freezing place where they store lots of their garden produce). It was a bit heavy!

Then we got to work! I cut it in half and the girls helped me scoop out the seeds (We roasted them for a yummy snack).

 Then I cut it into chunks -I even got a blister from my efforts! I guess I am thin skinned. Mom then peeled each of the chunks. The girls cleaned the seeds.

Here is one side that Beatrice is holding.

 We then cut them up in little carrot stick sized chunks. They are good dipped in ranch dressing or sour cream dips.

  Now we are well supplied with raw fresh local veggies! My kids really like them and I am quite pleased!