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. :)

Gingerbread Almond Butter - for the win!

When I was addicted to sugar, my blood sugar used to drop and spike all day every day. I could feel it my bones and in my brain. Terrible feelings. When I started eating clean, those swings basically disappeared and I felt like a normal person for maybe the first time ever. Every now and then, if I wait too long to eat or get out of line with my eating (too much sugar), it will happen. BUT, I have a new solution.

Let's rewind, shall we? At my last job before becoming a stay-at-home-mom, I used to go home for lunch and hit the gas station on the way back to the office; I would grab a candy bar; a 44oz DIET* soda; and some chips or another snack. Awesome, right? THAT way, if I reached that moment of blood sugar desperation I was...prepared? Now that I think of it, it was more of an "armed and dangerous" scenario. 

Now I know that if my blood sugar drops or if I just have a "need to eat" moment, a much better choice is to grab some protein! Hardboiled eggs are often my go-to, but I don't always have them ready. If my blood sugar has dropped - ain't nobody got time to boil eggs. SO, I like to have some type of natural almond or peanut butter around. Usually a spoonful brings me right back into the atmosphere and all is right again. 

The trouble with natural nut butters is this...they are seriously pricey. SERIOUSLY. I am guilty of paying $10-$12 a jar for a fancy blend. That's not really frugality, friends, which is what I aim for at the store. 

The good news is this - if you have a high-powered blender or food processor, making your own nut butter is easy! I want to share a recipe with you that I made a test-batch of earlier today. 

This recipe is meant to mimmic our favorite molasses cookies; our family loves these, but they aren't super good for you. This almond butter is a pretty tasty alternative, much healthier, too!! I am guesstimating measurements, below. Please adjust to your needs and taste preferences.

Gingerbread Almond Butter

• 1 cup roasted almonds (I roast mine for 3-4min at 350 on a cookie sheet)
• 1/4 cup fractionated/liquid coconut oil**
• 1-2 TB organic molasses 
• 2 TB pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp sea salt/kosher salt

Follow your manufacturer's directions for making nut butters in your food processor or blender. YouTubing videos may be helpful if you've never made homemade nut butter before. It's a trial and error process and requires patience - but it is so worth it in the end!

That entire bag of almonds, at Costco, was around $13. So far I've used them in a few batches of sesame cookies, this batch of almond butter and there's still plenty left. I think this DIY almond butter will be more delicious, nutritious and cost effective than anything you can get at the store.

Now for the asterisks...

*Diet soda. I drank diet soda every day for many years - through my teenage years and into adulthood.  I would be doing you a big disservice if I didn't share this info with you. It may not be confirmed as a carcinogen - but there are plenty of other reasons to avoid it. Read on to learn more. I have experience with all of these symptoms and can vouch that this isn't media sensationalism. Switch out your soda for water, tea or 100% fruit juice. 

**Liquid coconut oil/FCO is not the same as the solid coconut oil you probably buy (not the kind I buy and use for everything from makeup remover to recipes and household cleaners); FCO stays liquid! You can use traditional coconut oil in this recipe, but the consistency will not be as nice and it will solidify in some temperatures (like the fridge). I know the health benefits of FCO are probably not as great, BUT, it's my preference. I don't like my almond butter to get...funny. 

K? 

Just FYI, I used my Vitamix 5200's dry container to mix up this batch. Use of the tamper was required. YouTube Vitamix nut butter for more detailed instructions and demo videos. I ain't no pro, the kitchen is just my favorite room in the house.