Arriba! Squash Mexican-style

Misha (on right) wears Nika's tail.

Are you planning to dress up your dog for Halloween? Pets are an important part of the American family. So, it's no surprise that 7.9 percent of people will dress up their pet with a pumpkin costume as the top pick.

Maybe Misha, the husky, can wear Nika's tail, as pictured above. I think that's about as close to costume as I'm going to get with my two snowhounds. During the winter, they manage to get their feet out of their booties in a matter of seconds. I think I'll save the money (the average person will spend $75).

Squash Mexican-style

My fur-kids hate dressing up but they love winter squash of all kinds. I do too! I used some of my garden-grown delicata squash for my Arriba! Squash Mexican-style.

 Here's what you need for two servings:

1 small delicata squash or other squash such as butternut
1 zucchini
6 yellow baby carrots or orange baby carrots
1/4 red onion
6 asparagus stalks
salt and pepper
olive oil for drizzling
guacamole topping: 1 avocado, 1 cup fresh cilantro, juice of 1 lime, 1/4 cup red onion, salt and pepper, water if needed

 Here's what you do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut delicata squash in half. Place on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until golden and tender, about 30 minutes.

Cut zucchini into matchstick pieces. Slice onion. Cut baby carrots in half, lengthwise. Trim asparagus stalks, if needed. Place all these veggies on another baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle or spritz with olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until golden and tender.

In the meantime, mix up your guacamole. Put all the topping ingredients in your food processor and blend until slightly chunky. Add water, if needed.

To serve, place a bed of greens on a plate. Next, put on one squash half. Top with half the veggies and guacamole.