Simple and Delicious Butternut Squash Soup

I know it's not everyone's favorite food, but I LOVE SQUASH. It's delicious roasted; in lasagna; and especially amazing in soup!

It's been a while since we've had butternut squash soup - probably a good two years! I was so excited to see that my mom put together a fresh batch to share with us this past weekend. I had a bowl at her house and two bowls the next day; it didn't take long for me to realize the squash I purchased earlier in the week to roast was going to have to be soup instead.

My mom sent me the recipe she used from All Recipes; it was a GREAT version and I would totally have made it just like she did - except - I needed it to be less fuss.  I am not against fussy recipes, but today I probably could have taken a nap if I just blinked long enough. So tired.

I needed to make the soup plus another dinner for the rest of our family. So, here's what I did. It was an amazing and tasty alternative. I can't wait to finish off the leftovers tomorrow. Even my non-soup-eating husband enjoyed a serving of this recipe.

Here's the scoop (or would that be ladle?).

What you need:

• Butternut squash. I used 2lbs, pre-cut, from Costco. 
• 1 rib of celery, diced
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1-2 handfuls of baby carrots.
• Sea salt and pepper to taste. Heavy on the pepper, if you please!
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1-1.5 cups of water

What you do: 

• In a skillet, sauté the celery and onion (seasoned with s&p) until translucent. 
• In a sauce pot, coat the squash and carrots with EVOO, salt, pepper and start sauteeing.
• Once all veggies are tender,  combine in sauce pot and add water. 
• After everything is broken down and flavors have combined, drain off any water that seems excessive (there may be none) and transfer soup to a blender to smooth out. 
• I used my Blend Tec 570 on a slow speed so I could watch the consistency as I went along.
• Transfer back to stock pot and serve or cool slightly and store for later. 

Also? Here's what I had for dessert. It's like a faux ice cream sundae. Ice cream cone, fruit and a few chocolate chips with a sugar cone on the side. It has many of the flavors you want, with less guilt. 

So, that's it for today! Hope you are brave enough to try this tasty soup. If you like potato soup, chances are you'll like this, too.

Good luck and comment with questions if you have any. :)

I'm not obsessed with Costco.

No, really. I'm not. I *do* mention it a lot on Facebook because, well, Costco is new to our area and inquiring minds want to know. I've been shopping at Costco for almost two years (thankful I no longer have to make a 40 min trek each way to do so). I've learned about many great products during that time and I try to share what I find and spread the good foodie news.

That is all.

Because we have a family of six (soon seven), I just take my grocery money straight to Costco each week and buy-big for a great value. I rarely go to other grocery stores now and usually end up spending less stocking up at Costco and the food usually lasts us more than one week because of quantity. I went this evening and stocked up on lots of fresh fruit; some frozen fruit; fresh veggies; eggs; cheese; chicken for my family; and...as one of my friends lovingly pointed out, on Instagram, bulk Oreos. They are for the kids, not me. I promise. I am totally grossed out by Oreos this pregnancy. Thanks, little baby. Looking out for mom already.

What are we going to do with all that food, you ask? Oh, I have plans for it....

• You'll note about 12 pounds of bananas up next to the eggs. Two of our children have been channeling Curious George and there's no limit to the number of bananas they put down in one day. I also usually have one per day in a smoothie and blend some into smoothies for the other kids as well. 
• Eggs. Our two-year-old begs for eggs (ooh, a rhyme) every day. So, we need to make sure we have plenty around. Also, if I'm out of ideas for dinner, eggs and waffles or pancakes it is. I keep the ginormous bag of Costco pancake mix on-hand for such desperate times. We also love hard-boiled eggs and egg breakfast sandwiches. I also love to scramble eggs and add them to rice and veggies, like we did this evening.
• Cutie oranges, strawberries, and grapefruit are all for snacking. 
• I have a couple big bags of frozen fruit in there - pretty much just for blending with spinach and coconut water. 
• Lemons - for enhancing water or smoothies.
• Broccoli and mushrooms - for endless things. Crustless quiche, roasting, stir-fry, rice casserole, etc.
• Onions - I love to have a big bag of onions on-hand because...well...it's hard for me to imagine most dinners without the taste and smell of onion included.
• Cheese - grilled cheese, of course! The kids love it and it's a quick and easy lunch for them (and me) to put together. It's also great for a quick snack if someone is losing their blood sugar and starting to get grouchy. 
• Ginormous bottle of vinegar - cleaning the house, making buttermilk and dressing salads! :) 
• Sweet Kale Salad - so, so delicious
• Rotisserie chicken - part of tomorrow's dinner! I have no idea what the other part is yet...

Yum, yum, yum. I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and start blending and cooking some of these delicious Costco finds. 

I plan to make some chocolate almond butter as well, so look for a post on that. :)

But first? Coffee. 

Hope you all have a lovely week and eat some great and healthy meals!

This week's meal plan - (mostly) all from Costco. :)

Did I mention that I love Costco? I think I did...maybe once or twice. I usually go during the week with all four kids and we do our weekly grocery run. My husband had some errands to run this morning, so he dropped two of the kids and I off at Costco for A WHOLE HOUR. Did you know that taking two kids to Costco for an hour is like equivalent to being there for ten minutes with four kids? Don't do the math...just trust me. It was like a leisurely stroll in the park.

As a result, we got to look at ALL THE THINGS and I actually have this week's dinners planned and purchased for this coming week. It feels great to be ahead of the game, but it doesn't usually happen that way for us. I was going to post something else today, but pushed it back till tomorrow so you can check out my weekly meal plan and glean some ideas from it if you like! I know when I'm at a loss for what to cook, I read blog after blog via Pinterest until it's figured out.

Ready? Here we go! 

• Monday - Oven seared salmon with roasted butternut squash, broccoli and crimini mushrooms and maybe some brown rice on the side - I have to decide if rice is necessary. 
• Tuesday - Spinach and cheese ravioli with homemade bread and garlic butter - maybe some roasted veggies on the side.
• Wendesday - Slow cooker Italian chicken with rigatoni or angel hair.
• Thursday - Garlic butter quinoa and shrimp
• Friday - Company is coming! Menu TBD
• Saturday - Chipotle (hoooray!!)

Also, if I get a second, I'm going to make some more viscotta (Italian sesame cookies) for the hubs and I do dip in our morning coffees. :) 

Creamy Tortellini and Roasted Veggies

Okay, so I have some disclaimers to make.

Our ugly and delicious dinner.

1. I am a portrait photographer. I am not a food photographer. The following photo, of tonight's dinner, does not represent my skills as a photographer nor any culinary skills that I may or may not have.
2. The only healthy thing about the following meal was the roasted veggies. This is probably an excellent meal to eat while you're carb-loading for a race. I'm most certainly not. I'm just eating this way because it's fall. And it's fun. I did get to shower today, though. So, that's something.

Onward and upward....sometimes when I'm at the grocery I just grab random stuff for that night of the week (and there's usually always at least one) that I have NO CLUE what we're going to make for dinner. Like...my brain just can't process what we have available to make or I'm not hungry for anything and/or I am just out of time. Whatever the case, I grab a few things I can throw in the freezer for such days as this. 

We had to take a full sick day on Friday because our baby (two-year-old) was battling a respiratory infection of some sort and needed me on the couch with her ALL DAY LONG. She was really sick, you guys, and it was really sad. What? Snuggle a sweet buttercup baby on the couch all day? Twist my arm. So...we did that. We watched show after show and learned that she REALLY loves the movie/musical Annie. She was still sniffly Saturday and by Sunday the other kids had whatever she was having. SO...we got behind on basically everything and I had to kick it into high gear today. We got a bunch of school work underway, laundry folded, other junk cleaned and I started dinner early, LIKE A BOSS. 

I remembered the tortellini (cue the harps, bells and trumpets). I've never made anything with tortellini before. So, I did the only truly logical thing. I made a cheese sauce for it. Friends, when in doubt, cover dinner with cheese and you'll be everybody's favorite mom. Just saying. 

Cheese sauce went like this-ish: 2c almond milk (or whatever you have); 1 brick of cream cheese; a handful of Romano; some butter; pepper; a bunch of garlic; flour and...I think that's it. Melt it all down on medium heat and stir it all together till it's thick and smooth. If you can't get the flour lumps out - stir a figure 8 in the pot until they start to thin out. That's not witchcraft; it works. 

Also? I know some of you Type A people are freaking out because there are no measurements listed and you're probably scrolling down to leave a comment right now and tell me there are no measurements. You know why? I have no idea how much of what I threw in there (I even guessed on the 2c of milk). And? It really doesn't matter. You have to trust me. Start with a 1/4 of flour and don't go nuts with the other stuff. You will be okay. Just  keep smelling it and taking taste tests. 

I threw the tortellini (frozen) in my crock and poured the sauce over. I cooked it on high for a while (a few hours) and checked for doneness. Once it was nice and cooked through, I left the crock on keep warm till dinner. 

On the side, we had my favorite Costco veggies (roasted in the oven with: olive oil, sea salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, Hungarian paprika, and dried minced onion). YUM. Listen to me...all you really need is salt, pepper and olive oil and your veggies. Add what you like!!! I cooked these around 425 for...you guessed it...a while. I don't know. 40 minutes maybe? Watch for doneness and don't burn 'em. 

Finally, my last starchy component - the Sister Schubert roll. If you like rolls. Please do yourself a favor and get some from the freezer section!! Delicious yeasty amazing rolls ready in 10 minutes. YUM!!

As always, enjoy!!! 

Did you *really* think I was going to quit eating meat?

Well, I totally did. It's been one month since I the last time I had meat and I'm feeling really good about it. Liberated, even. Here are five fun things that have happened since adopting a vegetarian lifestyle:

1. I don't have to freak out about the possibility of consuming raw or undercooked meat at each meal. Yuck, right? That's one of the big things that grosses me out about meat. I've had food poisoning before and I can't say I ever want it again. I know one can still get food poisoning from other non-meat items, but at least I've knocked a few possibilities off the docket, right?

Garlic Zucchini, Feta Omelet and Fresh Cherries

2. The very first week of my "vegetarian lifestyle," one of those steak solicitors started up the drive way. Now, if filet mignon grosses me out, buying steaks from a door-to-door guy with a clipboard and a box of meat chillin' in his truck is definitely not on the agenda. Thankfully, my hubs was able to pull the herbivore card real quick and go, "sorry, my wife is a vegetarian." Steak dude took his clipboard ran for the hills. 

Quinoa Tacos - You won't even miss the meat!

3. I'm not tempted to stop at a fast food place. Yeah, it does hurt my heart a little that Chick-Fil-A sammies are off the list, but it's for the best! Being a vegetarian means no Big Macs, no nuggets, no Whoppers, no General Tso's chicken, no pepperoni pizza and no wild wings. It feels good to have boundaries! I don't need those things any way!

Quinoa Salad - Just like an Italian Salad without the Greens

4. I'm consuming much more of what's better for me. More veggies; more salads; more plain yogurt; more nuts; more fruit; more Sriracha popcorn; more quinoa; more healthy oils; more water and more Shakeology. I'm coming up with creative ways to use these healthy foods and to make the most of them - make them delicious and amazing. Eating healthy does NOT have to be boring if you just give it a little thought. I feel much more balanced than before...if that speaks to you in any way. 

Shakeology - Every. Single. Day. Msg me with questions!

5. This might be too much information, but I feel like my food is digesting really well. Something happens when you get to be about thirty (so my friends say) and you can't just throw back any old cookie, doughnut or onion ring without consequence. No, no...there are TUMS to be taken, my friends. There is tea to be consumed. There are foods to be avoided. I don't know why it happens, but I feel like taking extra special care of my digestive system these days, because I don't have extra time to feel disgusting as a result of my food choices. Do you?

Loaded Sweet Potato - Quinoa, black beans, Sriracha, cheese, etc.

I'm not pushing you (or anyone, honestly) into vegetarianism, but for me....it's been great! I didn't eat that much meat to begin with, so giving it up was really very easy. There hasn't been one time I've felt deprived without it, honestly, and it's helped me clean up my diet even more. Questions? Ask me! 

Everybody has that friend...

That's totally my hand; not a kid's. 

Who is an awesome gardener and brings over delicious garden fresh produce all season long. Right? If you don't have a friend like that, you totally need to find one. Yesterday we were blessed with three ginormous zucchini. I kid you not. These zucchinis were bigger than our newborn babies. 

I love zucchini and I've made quite a few zucchini recipes over the years (remember the zoats I posted about not long ago? How about the zucchini brownies?), but today I was on a quest for something new. I gave Pinterest a whirl for a little bit, but when dinner time came around, I ended up modifying another tried and true recipe that our family loves.

I present to you, Garden Style Fried Rice

This recipe was super flavorful and really the only effort included is sauteeing some veggies and scrambling some eggs. Anyone can make this amazing, flavorful dish. I'll cut to the chase and tell you how.

1.) Cook your (brown) rice (2c uncooked). You guys know white rice is over the foul line, right? Also? If you don't have a rice maker, please get a rice maker. You can even get the el cheapo rice maker at Target. It will make your task of achieving perfect brown rice, easier; promise!

2.) When your rice is nearing the finish line, warm up some oil in your favorite skillet (I used grapeseed). Slice, sauté and season your veggies over med-low heat . I used chopped carrots; sliced onion; and sliced zucchini (when using carrots, add them in way before everything else as they take the longest to cook). Season to taste with: sea salt, cayenne, minced onions (I don't know why I seasoned onion with onion, I just did. Sue me.).

3.) When your veggies are getting nice and tender, crack and whisk some eggs in a bowl, I used four for my hungry hungry hippos. Besides, there's never enough egg in fried rice. Amen? Then, when you're ready, scramble those suckers up in another (non-stick - this is no time to make a mess) pan.

4.) When your rice dinger goes off, add the rice (gently, now) to the veggies. Still gently, incorporate all, then add egg. After that, I gave it all another once over with the salt, soy sauce (about 1/4 cup - don't saturate the rice) and added some tumeric for color, flavor and lots of interest. I LOVE tumeric. It gives the dish that "I'm not really eating brown rice" feel.

Serve and enjoy!!! I really did have to stop myself from eating more of this. I enjoyed every second and I hope you to, too. :) 

This meal is kid and husband approved.

I don't care about meat.

For a long time now, I've said "I could totally be a vegetarian." I really don't like preparing meat. I frequently get grossed out when I'm eating it, and the threat of food poisoning is always lurking in the back of my mind. Besides? I love ALL other food. It's not like I'd be missing much (except maybe meatballs...I could make an exception there. No?).

So, maybe I'll just stop eating it. 

I know. I know. Meat = protein. But, guess what? Meat is ONE source of protein, not the only source. I went meat-free today and actually exceeded my daily protein recommendation by like 17g. I think I'll make it. 

As far as my carnivorous family is concerned, I'll keep making the meat for them and I'll just pick it out or eat something else. I do this often anyway. So, for the three or so nights a week that include meat in our meals, I'll just skip out. 

Here's to eating an even more refined plant-based diet. With the lack of meat and calories in my diet, I'll be further encouraged to eat more vegetables. 

Curious about what this scenario looks like? Tonight, I made my husband and kids bow-tie garlic pasta with sautéed zucchini squash and chicken sausage - seasoned and topped with Romano. I skipped this dish entirely and prepared an omelette. 

1 egg

2 egg whites

1/4 cup shredded cheddar 

1/4 cup black beans

2 TB sliced jalapeneos

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Seriously...so delicious and I didn't miss the chicken or pasta at all. Also? Very little effort to prepare. 

Have any good vegetarian recipes to share? Post in the comments section below.