With tan, green, and yellow skin that yields to bright orange insides, winter squash provide a cold-weather splash of color at farmers' market. Though they're closely related to melons and (of course) summer squash, winter squash have unique characteristics -- their tough skin, delicious seeds, and sweet flesh make them kitchen staples from the beginning of autumn until spring.

Whether you'll be singing along to Les Miz or cheering on Frodo and the dwarves, you'll want something to nibble on during those holiday blockbusters.

You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

You'll forgive us, I hope, if we're a little hyper today. You see, with Halloween weekend coming up, we've all got phantom sugar highs from the memory of candy bars past.

Today we head to the candy aisle to answer the question: What's your favorite Halloween candy? Bring on the Twix bars, the Warheads, and the Nerds! There'll be time for homemade caramel apples all fall.

It's a cross between summer and Meatless Monday in the twins' lunchboxes today -- although those apples are an omen of fall! We'll let Amanda explain:

There were still peppers and corn in the market so I decided it was time for a stew of them. That was the main course, just glistening sweet pepper stew. On the side, yogurt, and an apple. I figured they could get meat or fish at dinner.

What's in your lunchbox?