Okay!!!! I got the standup mixer question solved. i'm getting one soon. Not an expensive one, but for me, it will be just fine.

Now here's my new problem.

I recently purchased a nice sized Butternut squash because my lovely neighbor (who is 73 years old), made some, and gave me a little bowl filled with it. It was so delicious I said "give me the recipe".

So I got the butternut squash. It's a gourd so I know the outside is tough. I took my titan peeler, and peeled it. So far so good. Now I have knives in my house. I have paring knives, and fillet knives, and serrated (both long and regular), and cheap knives and expensive knives.

THIS WAS THE HARDEST JOB ON MY HANDS I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED.

I am going to ask my neighbor "how on earth did you cut up this squash".

this is completely different than zucchini which I have NO problem with.

So I finally (and this took me a LONG time), and it really was hard on my hands. But I cut it open, took out the seeds, cut it in circles (as she suggested), then cut it in cubes, and now it's cooking on my stove.

I was just thinking. "Why not use one of those electric knives". I went on youtube but the guy was cutting up a watermelon and it was ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE for him to do this. I don't know if it was the knife or it was him, but he wasn't having much luck. I didn't watch the whole video on youtube but believe me, the electric knife he was using DID NOT CUT THROUGH THAT WATERMELON.

So is there a particular electric knife (one better than another perhaps?), and I know they sell cordless ones.

Anyone have them, and do they make it easier to cut through a gourd (or any other hard to cut vegetable?

Much appreciated.

Melody