You Gotta Try This

I'm obsessed with this soup. You've gotta try this one. I've tweaked a basic Butternut Squash Soup and added some leeks and chicken. It's so easy and so scrumptious!!! So go out and get you a squash like this one and start a cookin'!


BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

1 Butternut squash
1/2 Clove of Garlic (already canned minced garlic wont work cause you need to roast the whole half a clove with skin on)
some chicken bouillon cubes (not canned chicken stock)
thyme
pepper
2 small sweet potatoes
1 leek
1 chicken breast

1. Halve the squash lengthwise, and seed it. If you are really adventurous, wash the seeds and roast them with salt on their own pan for 10 minutes or so while you bake the squash...you can use them as a cute topper to the soup, and they are yummy.
2. Place squash face down in a glass baking dish, throw the half a garlic clove on top of the squash, throw in the whole sweet potatoes and throw it in the oven at 350 for an hour or so, until the squash meat is very soft and you can scoop it out of the skin.
3. Meanwhile make up some chicken bouillon....start with 8 cups according to the directions.
4. Scoop out squash meat in to a bowl, skin the cooked sweet potatoes and throw in same bowl, and peel the garlic...put in same bowl.
5. In a blender, start blending the squash/potato/garlic with the bouillon until all of it is pureed to the soup consistency that you prefer. 8 cups of bouillon may not be enough liquid to your desiring.
6. Add about a tsp of thyme and some pepper to the soup and cook it up until warm.

If you want to get adventurous and flavor things up a bit, cook some chicken while you are baking the squash, then cut it up in tiny chunks and add to the soup. Also, chop up leeks very small and cook them in a pan over med heat with oil until they begin to soften and "sweat". Add them to the soup as well.

YUM YUM in my TUM.

I met up with the boys this afternoon down the street behind one of the local schools. When I arrived they had set up a makeshift baseball field and I joined in the game. Since we were so limited on players, if you made it on to base then you'd bat again and a "ghost batter" would stand in your place on the base. We named my ghosts "Ghost Frau's" to keep a little flavor to it. Finally the sun is out today and shining bright, it just makes you want to be out in it. It's so amazing here this time of year with the trees turning yellow and orange, leaves everywhere and the air so cool and crisp. Definitely the best time of year. We have to soak up these REAL seasons while we can get them.