This past week, upstate NY has gotten the winter weather that we have been missing for the past 4 months! Nothing like a snow storm on March 1st to shake things up a bit. Because we have been without snow for so long, schools basically closed with the anticipation that snow was coming (they have lots of snow days they haven’t used!). My work closed for the day and my class was cancelled for the evening. It was awesome. It felt so good to have so much nothing to do.

I spent the day by making muffins, playing with my Squashington outside, and venturing to Target and buying new sheets and a muscle massage stick.  I have been looking for one of these for a while, seeing that my distances running are increasing I wanted to get one soon. I have nine miles on the docket for today, so I will let you guys know if it helps!

I am writing a post on how my running has been, as well as a couple of recipe posts. See you all soon!

Beans & Greens! This hearty dish is filling and can be altered for specific diets.

Did I mention that it makes a LOT of food for very little money?

Whatcha Need:

• 1 Bag Frozen Spinach
• 1 Can cannellini beans
• 1 (or more) clove garlic
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 Whole roasted Red Peppers
• 1 Italian sausage — Pre cooked!! (You can brown the sausage in the same pan prior to adding the spinach!)
• Gnocchi

How to do it:

1. Sauté spinach and garlic until fragrant
2. Add cannellini beans, sausage & roasted red peppers
3. Continue cooking, about 5 minutes.
4. Serve over cooked gnocchi, or any other pasta.

Enjoy! Have a wonderful weekend.

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.