A Soup for the Season - Apple Butternut Squash

When I hear snow in the forecast it always makes me long for lazy days inside and hot soup and bread. They are my comfort foods against the blustery weather outside. This is one of my very favorites.

So far this month I've made this yummy soup twice. It is unexpectedly delicious!

Until a few years ago I hadn't tried Butternut Squash Soup, when I was introduced to it by my good friend Gail Jones. She shared this super recipe with me and now we are hooked! Even my husband who otherwise is not a squash eater enjoys this mild, slightly sweet Autumn soup.

I've seen other recipes that are difficult to prepare, this one is SOOOOO easy! You do have to plan in advance as the squash does take about 1 1/2 hours to bake, but the actual preparation is very simple.

Autumn Butternut and Granny Smith Apple Soup

3-4 pounds of Butternut Squash (usually one large)

3-4 Granny Smith apples

fresh thyme

2-15 oz cans chicken stock

1 can evaporated skim milk

1 1/2 t garlic powder

salt

pepper

garnishes / toppings: pine nuts and sour cream

Quarter the butternut squash and place on a cookie sheet to roast. Spray lightly with Pam cooking spray. Roughly chop a couple tablespoons of thyme and sprinkle onto the squash. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Midway through baking the squash, peel and core the apples, add to the cookie sheet - sprinkle apples and squash with salt and pepper and 1 t. garlic powder. Continue roasting for another 30-40 minutes until apples are soft also.

Scrape meat of the squash off the skins into a blender, discarding about 1/2 the thyme. Place roasted apples also into the blender. Add one can of chicken stock and puree apples and squash until mostly smooth. Transfer puree to a soup pot, continue adding the rest of the chicken stock and the can of evaporated skim milk, whisking in the liquids until smooth and the right thickness that you prefer. You can thin with additional water or regular milk to your preference. Add additional salt, pepper or garlic salt to taste. (I don't usually add any more).

Serve heated through with garnishes of sour cream and pine nuts.

Enjoy!

This is making me crave it again, guess I better stop at the store for more butternut squash . . .

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Three Cups of Tea - Book Review

I'm just completing the best selling book by Greg MOrtenson entitled "Three Cups of Tea". It was the book of the month for our book club for October. I initially had a hard time getting into the book but the author, Greg Mortenson was coming to speak at the devotional at BYU and I wanted to finish the book by the time I had the opportunity to hear him speak.

I didn't finish the book in time, but still enjoyed his message so much. The more I read the more I appreciate the book, and the more meaningful it became in my life. Especially now I think, as the holidays are drawing near, and the season always lends me to ponder upon my many blessings and the fact that there are so many without all the blessings I enjoy in my life.

It is a true story about how ONE person can make a difference in the world. Not just the author, but each one of us. Each one of us can have an impact for good and in some way, however small leave our impact upon the world around us.

The book also shares an important message about education and peace. The author believes and has documented through his experience and travels how educating the people (particularly the women) has led to increased peace in the world. He believes (and it is my belief also) that it is through education that we can make the greatest strides in decreasing the terrorist activities and other intolerances of the world today. An additional theme would be finding value and appreciating each individual without reference to culture or religion.

I found the book to be an excellent example of how to "eat an elephant", just one bite at a time. For me it was not an easy read, but it did become a real page turner. It's full of adventure, history, geography, romance and suspense. I was inspired and encouraged to aspire to higher things and I'm sure you will be too if you take the time to read this book.

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I am in Awe . . .

(Upper Room, School of the Prophets - Newell K Whitney Store)

(Schoolhouse sight - Isaac Morley Farm)

(Upstairs room - John Johnson Farm)

(Kirtland Temple)

I can't believe I didn't know . . .


(my children who have been on Heritage Tours - I expect you "to get" this one . . .)

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Away from My Desk

Maybe you noticed:

I am currently away from my desk:)

From Oct vacation favorites

This is an automatic reply from the blog page of Kristin – aka Just Me the Mom. I am currently away from my deck spending time in Ohio and North Carolina with my children who have moved clear across the country.

From Oct vacation favorites

From Oct vacation favorites

I am having such a great time and may not return anytime soon.

If you have reached this blog page in error, please stay and visit for a while.

Please leave me LOTS of bloggy comments and I'll be sure to get back to you.

Ta rah!

From Oct vacation favorites

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Sara . . . Sara . . . Smile

There's someone very special I really must introduce:

Meet Sara!



She is engaged to my son Cory and they will be getting married in January.

We are so excited.

She is so darling and brings out all the best qualities in my son (and that certainly makes a mama happy!)

It's really fun thank you to youtube.com, you can view their proposal right here online.



Cory proposed at the Jon Schmidt concert at Thanksgiving Point. Jon was introducing his latest greatest hit, "Love Story Meet Love Story" from his new album "Bonus Tracks", and called Cory down out of the audience to come make an announcement, and finished by dedicating the song to Cory & Sara.

Little did we know that Cory had made arrangements with Jon Schmidt in advance (he actually got to speak with him . . . sigh . . . I'm so impressed . . . thank you Jon!) and they had it all planned out, what a perfect song for a proposal. Once again, I am a lucky mom, I got to be present at another wedding proposal, I'm really liking this! I think it should be a family tradition :)

Sara will fit into our family perfectly - she likes ballroom dancing, reading and hiking! She is a busy student, working and now planning a wedding. In fact she reminds me a lot of the lyrics to one of my favorite songs about a Sara - "It's you and me forever - Sara Smile!"

We love you Sara!

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Light Thoughts . . .

What is your favorite kind of Halloween candy?

You know I think I like it all. I'm so sad this year that I will have no trick-or-treaters at home to raid their candy bags. I tried to persuade my college freshman daughter to come home with her roommates and trick-or-treat but they prefer to attend the college Halloween activities there instead - go figure . . .

Can you be addicted to chocolate chip cookies?

I know for certain that I am. If I don't have them frequently I get all headachy, can't concentrate, daydream of chocolate chip cookies hot out of the oven . . .

What does one do about a chocolate chip cookie addiction? Chocolate Chip Cookies Anonymous anyone?

I so wish I could cat nap like my cat . . .

I've just been watching the cat all day - do NOTHING!

It hasn't even budged for the last 5 hours. I think it's still breathing. Wish I could sleep that well, even in the middle of the night . . . I don't sleep that well. (I do have another new funny, well, maybe not SO funny cat story, but that is a blog for another day . . .)

I thought the Visiting Teaching message this month was beautiful:

"Nurture the Rising Generation"

A little Halloween candy here, a few warm chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk there, and a cat nap in the sun with a little one . . . that's my kind of nurturing . . . the rising generation:)

“Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these His little ones. … Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." -- President Gordon B HInckley, Ensign, July '97

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