[Are you looking for the World's Best Green Casserole and A Veggie Venture's collection of Thankgiving vegetables? They are right here !] Shared delight in food, in words: it binds the foodies in the online world like sausage in stuffing, those of us who write and those of us who read. As a special Thanksgiving treat, please welcome Kate Bowers, whose acquaintance I've made over, no kidding, butternut squash ... HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL ... Buying acorn squash is a bit of a mystery to me. I take it on faith that inside is sweet, orange flesh. If not, well, I can throw enough butter, sugar, and oven time at the thing to render it edible. This is a vegetable able to withstand almost any neglect perpetrated by cooks suffering from too many holiday distractions. It's an ideal vegetable at this time of year. On a recent shopping trip, I got myself a lovely "golden" acorn squash; its brilliant orange exterior drew me in. I'd never seen one befo

Two Weight Watchers smoothie recipes, one pumpkin, the other mocha. A great way to drink a day's quota of milk. Many thanks to my sister Adanna for sharing this five-minute meal-in-a-glass. It's delicious, it's filling, it's satisfying. It does use a Weight Watchers smoothie packet but anyone can walk into a Weight Watchers office to purchase a box ($7.50 for a box of six). Adanna uses the French vanilla, I had creamy chocolate on hand so went with that. It's on hand because the Weight Watchers Mocha Smoothie is my 'summer breakfast'. In the winter, some times, I'll even stir a little of the chocolate mix into the morning oatmeal, a change from the usual ' winter breakfast '. The Weight Watchers pumpkin smoothie is worth trying. I love it!

A simple beet salad, just cooked beets tossed with a little lemon juice, Kalamata olives and fresh parsley. It's spare and earthy, a great contrast to rich vegetable dishes. Just Four Ingredients! Great for Meal Prep. Weeknight Easy. Weight Watchers Friendly & Freestyle Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real . Naturally Gluten Free. Whole30 Friendly.

The quest for great Thanksgiving vegetables continues: the collection of recipes is nearly complete ! Today Kitchen Parade joins in with the favorite of my Canadian family, a creamy turnip puff made with purple-topped turnips (not rutabagas, some times labeled yellow turnips or Swedes). It's simple ... and simply lovely. The column is here ... OTHER TURNIP DISH IDEAS for THANKSGIVING Creamed turnips White on white puree ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Welcome to new e-mail subscribers to A Veggie Venture! ♥ What's this Kitchen Parade, you ask? It's the published newspaper column that my Mom started when I was a baby and that I've been writing since 2002. ♥ Kitchen Parade is known for great recipes for all courses , with lots of Quick Suppers , family favorites and kitchen tips plus special sections for Weight Watchers and low carb recipes . ♥ If you'd like Kitchen Parade columns and recipes delivered via e-mail straight to your In Box too, just click over to Kitchen

What happens when you combine butternut squash and polenta? Pure deliciousness, that's what, to say nothing of gorgeous color. This easy polenta is a revelation! And it's flexible, too. First, let's not forget that polenta is a kissin' cousin to cornmeal and grits, Second, the official recipe calls for roasted butternut squash plus a big measure of butter and cheese. Ha, no wonder it's good, right? But it's also wonderful with raw grated carrot and just a touch of butter and cheese. And sweet potato. And I'm betting on caramelized onion and even fresh spinach. Fresh & Seasonal, Perfect for Cold-Weather Meals including Thanksgiving. Great for Meal Prep. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Scales from Small Plates to Large Platters. Weight Watchers Friendly. Vegetarian. Naturally Gluten Free.

Today's special sweet potato recipe is one of my all-time favorites, in part because it's so flexible. It can be jazzed up with a pretty topping when presentation matters (hello, Thanksgiving) but also works for everyday (as pictured). The process is really simple. Just sweet potato cubes are steamed or boiled, then glazed in a syrup made with butter, maple syrup and fresh ginger. Just Five Ingredients! Fresh & Seasonal, Perfect for Cold-Weather Months. Easy to Make Ahead. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Vegetarian. Naturally Gluten Free. Slow Cooker Option.

Oh. My. Goodness. What a little cream and cheese won't do for vegetables. I've raved over cauliflower before, it's a favorite low-carb, low-calorie vegetable. But add some carbs and calories ... oh.my.gracious. Did I say that this is really really good? It is. But the real trick with this cauliflower is the anchovies, which generate a remarkable sweetness, a memorable depth -- and not one bit of fishiness. I'm willing to bet: you won't 'taste' anchovy, you'll just think, Wow, this cauliflower is wonderful. RECIPE for CREAMY CAULIFLOWER GRATIN Hands-on time: 35 minutes Time to table: 60 minutes Serves 10 (smaller big-meal servings, 5 standard meal servings) 1 large cauliflower head (mine weighed in at 2 1/2 pounds after the leaves were removed, much of the core Vd out) SAUCE 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon garlic 2 anchovy fillets 3 green onions, white and green parts (these add color but could also use chopped leek or shallot) 1 cup chicken stock 1