Cinnamon Apple Honeynut Squash -A Fall Delight

It's officially fall! So it's out with the zucchini and in with the winter squash!

This cinnamon apple honeynut squash recipe is an easy and delicious way to enjoy these sweet little winter "honeynut squashes" that are now seasonally available in supermarkets and farmer's markets.

I was at my local farmers market last week and spotted a farmer selling honeynut squash. I had never cooked one before, so I picked one up—and now I wish I had bought more! It was absolutely delicious.

If you are thinking that it is a mini butternut squash, it's not!! Honeynut squash is a hybrid made by crossing two other winter squashes: butternut and buttercup. The buttercup gives the flesh a heavier consistency and sweeter.  

It looks like a miniature butternut squash and has a naturally sweet, creamy flavor. It's also the perfect size for one or two portions, and it cooks surprisingly quickly. This honeynut squash takes just about 20 minutes to bake, making it an easy side dish for a weeknight dinner.

I actually enjoyed turning on the oven this morning. It was only 39 degrees outside, and we haven't turned on the heat yet, so the warmth from the oven felt pretty good!

Like most winter squash, honeynut squash is a nutrient-rich vegetable. It's particularly known for its beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. And because it has so much natural sweetness, you don't need to add sugar to make it delicious.

However, I wanted to fancy it up a little, so I turned this simple roasted honeynut squash into a colorful fall side dish. I sprinkled the squash with cinnamon and topped it with grated red apple,  along with some frozen pomegranate seeds that comes in a bag frozen from Wegmans.

Frozen pomegranate seeds in bag - so convenient to use as needed 

Grated apple, cinnamon, and pomegranate seeds

The combination of sweet squash, crisp apple, cinnamon, and juicy pomegranate seeds was delicious. It smelled so appealing  that I could hardly wait to dig in!

Ingredients: 

1 honeynut squash

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Wash the squash well and cut in half. Scoop out the seeds. Use a fork and pierce both halves a few times. Place face down on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 until squash is soft. 

This cinnamon apple honeynut squash makes a simple, healthy side dish that's perfect for fall and winter. It's easy enough for a regular weeknight but pretty enough to serve when you're having guests.

Next time, I may think of creating a recipe to make stuffed honeynut squash. 

Have you ever made the honeynut squash? How do you prepare it? 

My Notes: 

1. The frozen pomegranate seeds defrosted in minutes

2. I did not peel the apple for the grated apple

3.  This squash is very easy to cut and scoop

4. All of my recipes are gluten-free, vegan, and oil-free (after 2021)

Autopay — Easy To Get In But Hard To Get Out

Beware of ordering online and using Autopay!! It's easy to get in but hard to get out!!

Advertisements on Instagram, Facebook, and even pop-ups are designed to grab our attention. If you start reading and then click on “Learn More,” you can easily find yourself pulled into a long, convincing, interesting, high-pressure sales pitch.

I know because I got sucked in—and I can tell you once you are in, it's hard to get out!!!!

 In this case, the product and program itself was legitimate. The problem was getting out of the autopay once I signed up and then immediately cancelled.

The advertisement offered a “30-day, no-questions-asked return policy,” so I felt comfortable giving it a try. What I didn't realize was how difficult it would be to actually stop the recurring charges.

Trying to Cancel Wasn't Easy

The product was a little mis-advertised. It certainly was not appropriate for vegans nor anyone out of shape especially seniors. When I took a look and immediately decided I wanted to cancel, finding the right customer service information wasn't easy. I spent a lot of time searching, waiting and waiting and waiting on hold, and trying to get through to an actual person.

Eventually after an hour of searching,  I did speak with someone who assured me that my subscription was canceled. I was still well within the 30-day period, so I thought, Okay, that's that. I'm done.

Except it wasn't!!!!

The following month, I noticed another $59 charge on my account again.

So I called again. Once again, after a lot of time waiting on hold and a lot of effort, I finally reached a person. They were apologetic and assured me that everything would be taken care of.

I thought I was finally home free.

Then the $59 charge appeared again the following month and again following month.

At that point, I had had enough. I searched online and of course there were a ton of complaints about that company and their tactics.

PayPal to the Rescue

Fortunately, I had originally paid through PayPal. I went into my PayPal account and stopped future payments to the company. I also had PayPal deal with the company directly.

Eventually, after all that time and frustration, I noticed that once PayPal got involved the three charges were actually credited back to me.

But honestly, it shouldn't have been that upsetting and difficult to get out.

The frustrating part wasn't simply paying for something I didn't want within the return period. It was spending so much time trying to figure out who to contact, how to cancel, and how to actually make the charges stop.

Have I Learned? 

 Recently I Saw Another Convincing Advertisement- and almost got sucked in....

This time it featured what appeared to be Oprah and a famous doctor. 

It was extremely believable and very engaging. I actually wanted to buy the product. And because Oprah herself, in person, appeared to be endorsing it and the advertisement seemed to have her speaking directly to the viewer, I assumed it must be legitimate.

But this time, I decided to check with AI before I clicked the “Buy Now” button.

NOPE!

There were mucho numerous complaints about the product and its advertising. Even more shocking, the well known people who were actually appearing in the advertisement and endorsing the product had never agreed to it.

The images and videos had apparently been created or manipulated using AI.

Can you believe it?

** I learned that Oprah has reportedly stated that she did not endorse the product and that claims about her personal experience with it were not true.

How are they able to do this? I honestly don't know. But apparently, the technology has become sophisticated enough that these advertisements can look incredibly convincing.

The Old Rule of Consumer Beware !!

The whole experience has definitely changed the way I shop online.

My biggest lesson isn't necessarily “don't buy anything you see advertised.” It's more like-  don't automatically trust what you see—and be especially careful with autopay.

Because baby- once you get in autopay, they've got you and your credit card and getting out can be surprisingly difficult.

So now, if I see something that looks interesting, I'll do a little research before I buy. And if I can possibly avoid it, I will never ever sign up for autopay again.

Sometimes a few minutes of research can save you a whole lot of time, money, and frustration.

Have you ever had trouble canceling an autopay subscription from something you purchased through an advertisement?

I'd love to hear your experiences.

What do you think?

IN MY KITCHEN- OCTOBER 2026

I'm joining Sherri at her monthly IN MY KITCHEN at Sherri's Pickings blog share where anyone can join in and showcase what's in their kitchen that month.

I totally love this cheerful French Provincial looking tablecloth which gives the appearance of cloth, but is actually a wipeable plastic oil cloth with a soft  under liner that the surface can be wiped down. It's pretty, colorful, and uplifting.

Carrot Ginger Zucchini Soup – Cozy Fall Vegetable Soup Recipe

A Chilly Fall Day Calls for Cozy Soup

Do you like the taste of fresh ginger? I do, and this easy carrot ginger zucchini soup feels cozy, soothing, and tastes delicious. 

My son's garden is still flourishing with zucchini, even though fall has officially arrived. When he gifted me three zucchini yesterday- two yellow and one green, I knew I wanted to put them to good use.