Squash Shortcut

I have several recipes that I need to post, but in the meantime, I'll sneak in and offer you this shortcut I learned.  If you're cooking squash like butternut, acorn, or spaghetti, instead of working yourself to death trying to chop through the rock-hard squash, then gutting removing the seeds, laying face down in a pan of shallow water and baking or nuking...

Take the whole squash. Stab it with knife to create a slit vent on two sides. Place it in your microwave and cook--whole!--8(acorn)-15 (spaghetti) minutes, depending on the size of the squash. (You may hear a little sizzle of escaping steam, but it won't explode.) When you remove the squash (be sure to use pot holders!!), it will be soft and super easy to cut open and de-seed.

Voila!