Gnocchi with butternut squash and gold beet

It's summer, and a verrrrrry hot one, no good (by Trump :D).
It means we don't really feel like eating all the meaty meals, but would rather stick to a lighter one. 
Speaking for myself, I was also in for something new.
Gnocchi is known as an italian potato dumpling, but it is actually a Hungarian pasta as well that's running under the name of nudli.
It is one of my childhood favorites with nothing but tossed in roasted bredcrumbs and a pinch of salt.
Today I was in for some boost from those beautiful butternut squashes I found, as well as the bunch of fresh golden beets. The outcome got a thumbs up from every family member.

The nudli (gnocchi) could be home made, but I was way too lazy and settled with some store bought ones, more precicely some Costco bought gnocchis. Worth every penny, not to mention that $5.9. A steel..
The topping is also very simple, and could be a side dish on its own.

Butternut squash topping (baked for 30 min at 350F/180 C)
Ingredients
1 medium sized squash
4 garlic heads
salt (about a small teaspoon, but alter based on your taste, try with less and add salt as needed)
freshly grated peppercorn mix
olive oil (2-3 tbs)

Gold beet topping (baked for 20 min at 350F/180 C)
Ingredients
2 large gold beets, peeled
2 garlic heads
salt (a large pinch, but alter based on your taste, try with less and add salt as needed)
freshly grated peppercorn mix
olive oil (2 tbs)

Gnocchi
1 bag (16 oz) home made, or store bough gnocchi

Fresh leaves
Fresh beet leaves, thinly sliced (try other salads, too, I think a rucola could work well)
or pea shoots

Serving
fresh-fried bacon slices

Preheat the oven to 350F, 180 C. Lay parchment paper in two smaller, or one large tray. I used two smaller ones because I removed the beets a bit earlier from the oven, and it was way more convenient to remove the whole tray than scoop them out from the larger one. However, if you have one large tray, go for it, it might be a bit of inconvenience, but all worth it.

Peel the butternut squash, slice and chop into about 1"x1" cubes, maybe a bit smaller, like 2x2 cm.
Slice the gold beets as well into 1/6" thin slices, about 2-3 mm thin.
Place a parchment paper in both trays and spread the squash cubes into one, and the gold beet slices into the other. Sprinkle with salt, ground a little peppercorn on top, and drizzle with olive oil, until they are lightly coated.  Mix with your fingers, or just joggle the trays to coat them.
Place them uncovered in the preheated oven, and bake for 10 minutes.
Turn the beets, mix in lightly the squash, and bake for additional 10 minutes.
Now you can remove the beets, and leave the squash for additional 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven.
Prepare the gnocchi/nudli according to the instructions, and serve while hot, topped with some bacon and beet leaves.
Enjoy!

Bon appétit!

Garlic - honey - lemon shots, a natural immune system booster

Flu season is here and my daughter fell sick..Yay...
For three days only, though, and spared the rest of us, but it wasn't an easy one..
I can't brag about anything special the rest of the family did to avoid the sickness: we never take the shots, nor any multivitamins.
Except maybe loads of fruits, veggies and physical exercise, but seeing so many people getting sick everywhere, I thought it's time to give our bodies some extra help.
We did this cure regularly in Finland, (with all that cold felt more logical), but I had to realize that as soon as the wet season kicks in in San Diego, so do the viruses..

If you feel like eating some virus repellent I would strongly advice this mix, and the good news is it must help also against vampires with all that garlic :D.

Ingredients
1 medium head of garlic
3 large lemons
200 g (about half a pound) honey
propolis drops, I add about 60 of them
bee pollen, 1-2 tespoons


Peel the garlic and using the garlic press make the smoothest pure possible in a small, round mixing bowl.
Add the honey, gradually, while mixing with a spoon and pressing against the walls of the bowl, to make pure it further if possible.
Add the propolis and bee pollen, if you add any.
At the end add the lemon, and when mixed, pour it in a jar with a lid, shake it well and place it in the fridge.
Keep it for 1-2 days before consumption, it will allow the tastes to blend and will smoothen the sharpness f the garlic.
Taste it, and add honey/lemon to adjust to your taste.

Take a small teaspoon 2-3 times a day SIPPING IT SLOWLY FIRST!! (add honey and garlic if too strong).
There is no limitation how long you can use it, we usually take it for a week, than make leave one week out, and make another batch, until winter, or flu season is over..

Anyway, there isn't anything in this lovely golden mix that would be harmful, so why not give it a try? Takes at least a week/two dough until the effect kicks in.


The story behind...
Why all this crazy mix? Well, garlic and lemon has tons of benefits, as well as honey (antiseptic, antibacterial), not to mention that this "drink" calls for a sweetener to be edible.

But let's mention few things about the other two ingredients..
Propolis has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, but works just as well against viral infections, too.
Bee pollen as well has antibacterial effect, in addition of being a natural source of protein and vitamins (A, D, E, K, C), but I would highlight the benefits of its B complex, especially B5 vitamin content, which will help your body through the stress caused by the sickness.
If that wasn't yet convincing, let's mention that it is also a red blood cell & hemoglobin production booster, and as such is an energy shot in a tiny ball :).
WARNING! Be aware that be pollen can cause allergy, so if you don't know if  you are or are not allergic to it be safe and try it on your own risk!!