Archive for the ‘ Fall ’ Category

Simple Butternut Squash Soup

It has been pretty frigid in upstate NY! Homemade soup was necessary! I made my first soup (yes, first!) It was really simple, and it came out really well. Not only is this soup nutrient dense, but it can be used in many different ways! I think that it would make a really nice sauce over butternut squash ravioli, or any other simple pasta. By adding a bit of cream this could turn into a tasty main course! Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

original recipe

Whatcha Need:

  • 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to do it:

  1. In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
  4. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage.
  5. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
  6. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  7. Keep the soup warm over low heat.
  8. Serve as is, or with a bit of cheddar cheese or bacon on top.

**Note

If you have never cooked with a butternut squash, invest in a good peeler! And watch this video on how to get the most out of your squash.

Weekend Wanderings

Over the weekend, Chris and I met up with his cousin Erik and his girlfriend Danielle. We grabbed lunch and visited Thacher Park, located just outside of Albany, NY. It was a beautiful fall day!
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Peanut Butter Doggie Biscuits

I made dog biscuits!!
They were so fun (and CHEAP) to make!
The Recipe
Dry Ingredients
Peanut Butter & Milk
After miking the dry & wet ingredients in my kitchen aid, the dough was ready for rollin’!
I added sunflower seeds, but they aren’t necessary, they actually made the dough a bit difficult to use.
Using any cookie cutter, divide the biscuits!
and you will have one very happy pooch!

Farmers market find

I have never, in my 22 years, had brussels sprouts before! (Since when are the slept brussels sprouts??)  So, when I stumbled across them at the farmers market, I had to have them! Have you ever seen brussels sprouts on the stalk? They are adorable, tiny little cabbages.
The first thing that I did was cut the little bitty bites off the stalk and put them in a strainer
I then pealed off all of the nasty looking outer leaves (this took a while…)
Brussels sprouts & my favorite- Butternut Squash!
After tossing them in olive oil and salt & paper, I roasted them individually at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes
The sprouts were alright. The squash was amazing, as usual.
I like how they turned out, but preferred the squash.
Question(s) of the night:
Do you like Brussels Sprouts?

Do you prepare them in a different way?

10 Minute Spaghetti Squash

steamy microwaved squash!
seeds removed
I recently made spaghetti squash for the first time! I decided to make it last minute, and found that you could make it in the microwave! All I did was poke several holes in it and place it in a microwave safe dish. I microwaved it for 7 minutes and let it cool for 5. We then sliced it open and removed the seeds, leaving the “spaghetti” to be forked out. It was good! I will try making it in the oven next time, but this was a great last minute meal! When I have kids (in the way distant future) I will be mixing this into regular spaghetti, they’ll never figure it out!