My books did say to wait until the frost, but we're going on holiday and I didn't want to come back to them and find them damaged (it also said they suffer from sitting in soil below 50 degrees). Last year we went away this time of year and we had a whopper of a storm: hail, rain, and winds. We lost a maple tree in that one, and two more in the unseasonable snow later that year.
I garden mainly by benign neglect and that worked well for the sweet potatoes. The vines were truly lovely, though, I think next year I'll plant them somewhere that they can be more like edible landscaping. I did put them in a little earlier than the russets (around St. Patty's day is good for my area) but they survived a few frosts.
For butternut squash recipes, this is my favorite
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/1216
Oh, looks simple and yummy. Cheers. And edible landscaping also sounds nice.
Next year get yourself a chicken or two, to control the bug population, fertilize the garden and lay eggs.
Next year I'm going to have my own farm and far more than a chicken or two! I'll make sure to let the ladies have some supervised time in the garden. And I'll see if I can convince my friend to get some.