I am out of cinnamon again.

No, I didn't make Christmas cookies. The Ceylon cinnamon I get at Penzey's so flavorful, it is easy to throw into recipes with wild abandon, and it causes your food to taste monsterously more delicious.

In our farmshare last week, we got squash, potatoes and frozen tomotoes. Do you know the perfect winter recipe for potatoes squash and tomatoes, that tastes much sunnier than a winter recipe? This Moroccan Chickpea and Squash Stew. Not exactly that one, I tempered the whole situation for better use in the crockpot. ...and then I got so excited when I got home that all I had to do for dinner was make couscous, I forgot about the olives and lemons- not that I have pickled lemons. Even Matt, who doesn't like squash, enjoyed it. Since the recipe was very delicious, seasonal and easy on the waist-line, I thought I'd share.

I sauteed an onion with garlic and a tablespoon each of cinnamon and cumin. Obviously you could skip this, but toasting your spices adds a little depth. I loaded the crockpot with that, a diced (peeled) butternut squash, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of Chickpeas and diced potatoes. Then I filled in the space with chicken broth and V8 (for vitamins), and let it go all day on low. I served it with whole wheat couscous mixed with frozen cilantro cubes.