Soup! You know why...

I was going to name this post Unpleasant Dental Surgery - Part Two, but decided no one would want to try a recipe with that title. I know I wouldn't. That said, I am currently suffering through the aftermath of another less-than-fun trip to the dentist. For the time being I am off most foods (and wine), so you can imagine how fun it is to write about restaurants and recipes.

Lucky for me, I do have a wonderful recipe for Butternut Squash Soup, that I will be enjoying quite a bit this week. I hope that you enjoy it as well, even if you can eat solid foods.

This recipe is REALLY good with chunks of green apples included right before serving. Maybe next week...

Butternut Squash Soup

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion

1 medium carrot

1 medium sweet potato

2 medium butternut squash

32 ounces chicken stock

salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

Peel and cut the butternut squash into cubes. Chop the onion, carrot and sweet potato. Melt the butter in a large pot and add all of the vegetables for 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the chicken stock and seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 40 minutes.

Pour soup into a blender and puree until smooth. You may add milk or any remaining chicken stock for desired consistency.

Nutty for the holidays...

Years ago Marsha made this dish to help celebrate in the New Year. I loved it so much, I could have eaten it all year long. As we are getting closer to the holidays, I found myself thinking about it again. So much so that we had it for dinner. I love holiday memories, especially the ones with food.

Butternut Squash Mash

2 medium Butternut Squashes

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

1 cup of baby arugula

1/4 cup of blue cheese crumbles

1/3 cup of pine nuts

Cut the Butternut Squash into quarters and lightly coat with olive oil and a little sea salt. Bake the squash at 400-degrees for 45 minutes, or until soft.

Toast the pine nuts with olive oil until browned.

Remove the skin from the butternut squash and mash. Mix in the pine nuts and blue cheese. Top with the baby arugula right before serving.

Enjoy!