Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake with Oatmeal Streusel Topping

If you love butternut squash, this festive streusel-style holiday bake will quickly become one of your new easy seasonal favorites. The combination of tender butternut squash, tart cranberries, sweet apples and pumpkin pie spices, creates a bright, colorful fall side dish that looks beautiful on the table and tastes absolutely sweet tangy and delicious. 

Somehow, I always buy a bag of fresh cranberries before Thanksgiving, and then I wonder what I will do with it. We don't usually eat cranberry sauce, so I need to be somewhat creative. They are tart, so I like to make them with something sweet such as apples. 

The recipe is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and naturally sweet—making it a great plant-based option to take to a holiday gathering.

I adore the aroma of bubbling winter squash, apples, cinnamon, and cranberries baking in the oven. The scent fills the condo with a feeling of warmth and holiday spirit.

Whether you peel and chop your own squash or pick up a pre-cut container, this recipe comes together easily and bakes into a flavorful, comforting side dish that celebrates everything we love about fall.

We’re staying in Florida for the holiday this year, so we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving with a group of friends at a friend’s home. I’m bringing this casserole along with a big salad—it’s a perfect shareable dish that just about everyone can eat it regardless of most allergies.

With all the airport cancellations and travel headaches, we decided not to fly home to be with our family. Even though it feels like the right decision, I already miss everyone back home and feel sad not to be with our kids and relatives this year. In addition, I usually do some holiday decorating with my friend Vicki at her home and will miss that too.  

Tips for Best Results

• Cut squash evenly: Uniform cubes ensure the squash cooks at the same rate.

• Use sweet apples: Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala balance the tart cranberries beautifully.

• Dollop, don’t spread: Leaving space between the topping allows steam to escape and prevents sogginess.

• Check halfway through: If the topping browns too quickly, lightly tent the dish with foil.

• Add a drizzle after baking: Add more maple syrup or a sprinkle of additional cinnamon 

• Want extra texture? Add more chopped walnuts or pecans to the topping.

---

Storage Instructions

• Refrigerator: Store covered in the fridge for 4–5 days.

• Freezer: Freeze tightly sealed for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

• Reheat: Warm in a 300°F oven for 15–20 minutes 

• Make-Ahead Option: Assemble the filling and topping separately, refrigerate up to 24 hours, then add the topping and bake when ready.

Recipe for the Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (6–8 cups)

• 2 medium sweet apples, diced

• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

• ¼ cup pure maple syrup

• 1 ½–2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 1 tbsp water (only if needed)

Oat Topping (Oil-Free)

• 1 cup (gluten-free) rolled oats

• ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce

• 2 ripe spotted bananas, mashed

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of salt (optional)

• ¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

---

Directions:

1. Preheat
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Prepare the Filling
In a large bowl, combine the squash, apples, cranberries, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. Toss to coat. Add 1 tbsp water only if needed to help the spices stick.
Spread the mixture evenly into a 9×13 casserole dish.

3. Make the Topping
In a medium bowl, mix the oats, applesauce, mashed banana, cinnamon, and salt. Fold in the walnuts if using.
Drop the topping over the fruit in small dollops rather than covering the whole dish.

4. Bake
Bake for 45 minutes, checking after 30 to ensure the topping doesn’t burn. Bake until the squash is tender, cranberries burst, and the topping is lightly golden.

5. Serve
Let rest 10–15 minutes before serving to allow the juices to thicken.

 Do you every buy fresh cranberries? What do you do with them?

I like this recipe for Easy Homemade Whole Cranberry Sauce 

Wishing everyone a joyous Thanksgiving....

Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Lighter Versions of Your Holiday Favorites

Why not start a new Thanksgiving tradition by making your favorite traditional holiday recipes a little healthier. 

We all would like to be thankful for better health- Right?  Healthier holiday eating is a good way to get started. As Ghandi said, "Be The Change You Want to See" 

A Book Review: A Maximillian Manatee Adventure

A Sweet New Children’s Book, A Maximillian Manatee Adventure,  Brings Manatees to Life for Little Readers

This beautifully illustrated paperback book includes an uplifting story about Maximillian and Minerva--two adorable manatees who meet out in the ocean and help each other feel safe. In addition to the story, there are also pages to color, pages with interesting fun facts, and an overall calm happy vibe that makes it perfect for bedtime reading.

Have you ever seen a manatee? 

I live In South Florida, where we actually get to see manatees floating in the warm Intracoastal waters, and on rare occasions we even see them near beach in the ocean. I can tell you that it is quite a thrill to see one!!! How many kids (or adults) actually get to see them? Have you? This book will introduce kids to these amazing docile creatures worth knowing/learning about.

I can still remember one of the books my mom read to me over and over when I was a young child. It was  about a puffin, an unusual bird, that I never forgot. Manatees are just as memorable, and Maximillian, the main character of the story book, gives young kids the same mix of wonder, warmth, and intriguing information that will stay with them for years to come.

I love the quality of this book. It is well written and the large joyful illustrations throughout are attractive to children and adults alike. Most of all, the book shares an the important environmental message.

Did you know ?  

Manatees grow to a massive 9 or 10 feet tall, can weigh thousands of pounds, while eating an entirely vegan diet. They are kind of cute and live peacefully even among sharks, alligators, and crocodiles. They have no known predators. Their greatest threats are from humans with boating accidents from the propellers, pollution, and damage to their habitats. They prefer warm waters. Florida manatees are considered an endangered species and boaters need to be especially careful not to hit them. 

This photo is not in the book. It is from free downloadable photos

This sign is in our neighborhood. I see the sign and other signs like it on my daily walks near the Intracoastal. 

My friends, Judi Berson-Levinson and Susan Beth Weizman, published this cute children’s book about manatees. After I reviewed it, I wanted to share it with my readers —especially those of you who might have kids or grandkids in the 2–6 age range. 

If interested, you can take a look at the book on Amazon.com: A Maximillian Manatee Adventure!:

Sharing this post on Saturday's Critters with Eileen 

Disclaimer: I was not asked to write a review and do not profit from its sales.  I really like the book after reading it and simply wanted to share it. All the opinions are my own, and I'll be giving it as gifts this holiday season to some special little ones. 

Birds, Birds, Birds....But No Turkey

Have you seen any turkey's lately? In Pennsylvania we have neighborhoods with lots of wild turkeys around. 

Even though I’m a complete amateur when it comes to bird-watching, (and I can barley identify one from the other) I’ve always loved spotting any feathered visitor that crosses my path. 

In Pennsylvania, I faithfully hang bird feeders in my backyard, hoping to attract interesting birds—though, if I’m honest, the squirrels seem to often clean us out before the birds get a chance. 

Florida is a completely different world. Living on the beach during the winter months, I’m used to the regular cast of characters: lots of squabbling gulls, graceful gliding pelicans, and different kinds birds chirping in the sea grape bushes, mostly small birds I’ve never quite managed to identify. 

But the moment I go even a little inland, the birds I see in South Florida quietly transforms. I will begin to see herons standing around like little statues, ibises pecking and marching in little armies, stately wood storks standing majestically, sleek cormorants basking their wings in the sun, and lots of turkey buzzard circling lazily overhead.

Just the other day, I was driving only a couple of miles from the beach, passing an ordinary neighborhood with a man-made lake tucked between the houses. I almost kept going without a second glance—until something caught my eye. Flocks of birds were gathering at the water’s edge, as if the lake were holding some kind of secret meeting

 Egrets or Ibises, storks, herons—all of them clustered together in the morning light. It was such an unexpected, beautiful sight that I pulled over to get some photos, feeling as if I had stumbled onto a little hidden wildlife sanctuary in the middle of suburbia.

Q: As we are approaching Thanksgiving and express our thanks for so many blessings, I wanted to ask if you know what turkeys are thankful for? 

The answer :  Vegetarians.... ha ha 

Sharing on Saturday's Critters With Eileen 

ff