So, many of us are already aware that although potatoes are yummy and do have some nutritional value, they're not the best thing to eat when losing weight/maintaining a (very) healthy lifestyle. I know sweet potatoes are a great substitute, but I've got an even better one: butternut squash!

Loaded with fiber, vitamins A and C, potassium and magnesium, this delicious fruit (yes, it's technically a fruit!) is a healthy alternative to the potato. It can be cooked/prepared many ways; I have had butternut squash soup, butternut squash-filled ravioli, cubed for breakfast (instead of home fries), and sliced up as fries with a sandwich! My personal favorite was the butternut squash ravioli, of which I will be posting a recipe when I make it at home. 

I'll give you a simple, yet delicious recipe that will have your mouth watering. Quick tips: skin the squash first and make sure you do not use seeds. The butternut squash is tough to chop, but doable. If you are having trouble cutting it, roast it in the oven for about 30 minutes first.

Butternut squash "cubes" - like homefries for breakfast

Ingredients:

• depending on size of the squash, use about 1/4
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 medium-sized onion
• olive oil or sunflower oil, size depends on pan - just enough to coat

Chop the garlic into tiny cubes, and the onion into strips (or cubes, however you prepare its shape hardly matters). Heat the oil over medium heat. Once it starts to simmer, add the garlic and onion and sauté until slightly soft. Once they start to soften, add the butternut squash. Sauté together until butternut squash is soft; this usually takes about 10-15 minutes.

Simple, right? We like to eat it with our apple sauce wheat pancakes... 

One of these days I'll post my own recipe, I swear! Til then, I'm going to treat you to my dad's mac & cheese recipe. It's delicious and perfect for summer cookouts. I like to cut the recipe in half, as this recipe is appropriate for a family of about four or five.

1 lb box of pasta (either elbows or shells - no large pastas like spaghetti)

2 8oz packages of shredded cheese (use two different kinds; I use sharp cheddar and colby jack)

3 cups milk

1 small onion

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon mustard powder

dash of salt & pepper

1 teaspoon of paprika

1 egg, beaten in a small bowl

Preheat oven to 350. Finely dice the onion. Boil the pasta until about halfway cooked. Don't cook it until it's completely soft, as it will spend time in the oven. Drain pasta. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When melted, add the flour and mustard powder and whisk together. Keep it moving with the whisk until it gets a little darker in color; maybe 3 or 4 minutes. 

Add the milk, onion, paprika and salt and pepper. Keep whisking over MEDIUM heat until it comes to a boil. This should take about ten minutes. When it boils, it will thicken. Take it off the heat, take 3 tablespoons of the sauce and stir it into the egg, which is in a separate bowl. When fully mixed, put the egg mixture back into the sauce and stir well. Add all but about a half-cup of the cheese, stir well, and mix in the pasta. In a baking dish, put the pasta in and layer with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

It sounds a little more complicated than it is, but it is the best macaroni and cheese I've ever had. Enjoy!