Butternut squash soup

What's for supper?/ Freeze ahead Butternut squash soup

I made butternut squash soup for the first time. I don't like squash, but I thought I should gets some Vitamin A into my diet. I used Alton Browns Squash Soup recipe from foodnetwork.com. I wish I had a stick blender. That would have been really handy. I used a small blender and had to do my blending a little bit at a time. I was the only member of my family willing to taste it. I thought it was pretty good, but what do I know, I have never had butternut squash soup before. I took some to a friend who said it was the best she had ever had. I froze a couple cups to eat another time. The recipe is as follows:

3 to 3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, approximately 2, seeded and quartered
Unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, plus 1,2 teaspoon
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the quartered squash onto a half sheet pan, brush the flesh of the squash with a little butter and season with 1 tablespoon of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the white pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until the flesh is soft and tender.

Scoop the flesh from the skin into a 6-quart pot. Add the broth, honey and ginger. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Using a stick blender, puree the mixture until smooth*. Stir in the heavy cream and return to a low simmer. Season with the remaining salt, pepper and nutmeg.

*When blending hot liquids: Revove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release on corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effects that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.


Tonight we are having meatball subs. The meatballs were left over from Superbowl Sunday. I froze them in a ziplock container hoping for a quick yummy meal another night. Looks like tonight is that night.

Back to blogging

It is time to start blogging for real. A lot has changed in our family since I have last blogged so here we go. In July 2011 we welcomed Hannah into our family. In October 2011 we moved to the country. We are now a larger family with a larger home and a much larger yard to run and play. I am happy to report that I have a sewing room in this house which is something that I have been wanting for awhile.

Now that the dust has settled from the move and I am a stay at home mom, I have decided that it is time to get started creating. I feel it is what I need to do. My blogs will be more regular and will consist of the following:

Hot Topics for those who want to chat.
Nutrition topics- vitamins and minerals- the basics
Food- What's for dinner (literally) and freezeable meals (by request)
God- as the Spirit moves me.
Product reviews (because I REALLY want to try stuff out & chat about it)
Sewing and crafts (I will include you in my crafting journeys- it will be a real trip!)
Parenting (at this time it will mostly be "Conversations with Cole" which are always interesting)
Diet & Exercise (I do this sometimes)

Check in with me tomorrow for a full review of Vitamin A and my review on What's for dinner tonight which will also drive the hot topic. Dinner tonight is Chicken Pot Pie Paula Dean style.