Last weekend I shared that Adam and I are expecting a baby, which is super exciting. But, even more exciting is that Adam’s brother’s wife and Adam’s sister are also expecting babies in early 2016. Emily is having a son and Amanda is expecting triplets!
It’s going to be so fun.
Actually, it’s already been a lot of fun.
It’s neat to share this time with everyone, compare notes, and just laugh about how wild and loud our lives are going to become. We have all spent the last couple weekends together celebrating the upcoming arrivals of Amanda and Emily’s babies at their baby showers.
Emily’s sisters hosted a great shower this past weekend that had a precious “Little Pumpkin” theme. It was really fitting not just because of the time of year, but because her bump is so perfect and cute; it seriously looks like she has a pumpkin under her shirt.
And then, Adam’s oldest sister, Aimee, hosted a luncheon shower for Amanda at her home the first weekend of October while Emily and I helped with some of the food.
When trying to determine what to serve for lunch at Amanda shower, Aimee and I talked about a handful of recipes that we have liked at other family events. We narrowed it down to a light, super-fresh avocado chicken salad and a very autumnal salad. Both taste great, are easy to do for crowds, and I had actually made both in September for another shower and a dinner with friends.
As I began to prep for the shower and sat down to make my grocery lists, I had to laugh: Both recipes we planned on preparing were introduced to the three of us by Amanda.
In fact, a lot of my favorite recipes have been introduced to me by Amanda.
Amanda is a great cook and is always trying new things. She is particularly good at baking and really shines as a hostess. Her husband, Mike, even gets into the action serving as the family mixologist at the Holiday’s whipping up fun and festive drinks… Although, this year, he may be out of a job with all these pregnant gals!
Last fall, Adam came home from work with one of Amanda’s recipes for a butternut squash soup.
Adam is a major soup fan; but, I had always been on the fence about butternut squash. I couldn’t really tell you what it was about butternut squash… maybe it was the sweetness or the texture? Maybe the color? Honestly, it was probably the name. But, I had never purchased one as an adult and, in the past, I have even dissed butternut squash right here on Bloom.
But, thanks to Adam’s persistence and Amanda’s history of great recipes, I gave the soup a try.
And… LOVED IT.
The combination of apples, butternut squash and spice marry well and create a flavor that is so perfectly, “Harvest.” I also enjoyed the addition of the spicy pepper and cool sour cream as a garnish as it adds even more depth of flavor but also dimension to the texture of the smooth soup.
I loved this soup so much it changed my whole perspective on butternut squash and I am now proud to say that I am a BIG butternut squash fan. (Although, maybe we could get somebody to still work on the name…?)
I even made it a point to make room for butternut squash in this year’s garden.
A budding butternut squash from August.
Room is one of the main things that butternut squash will need in a backyard garden because the plant’s vines can run longer than fifteen feet.
But, for the most part, good sun, well fertilized soil, protection from pests and moderate moisture is a good recipe for butternut squash plants. Be advised that the growing season is long; somewhere between 110-120 days. We started our butternut squash seedlings inside to ensure fruit maturation by fall.
This fall, our vines are full of great looking butternut squash and I can’t believe I resisted them for so long. They will be in the garden for years to come… Thanks to my favorite recipe curator, Amanda.
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into chunks
- 4 apples, peeled, core and chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 hot chili pepper (Jalapeño, poblano), finely diced or thinly sliced for garnish
- Sour Cream, for garnish
- In a large sauce pan, melt butter and add onion, cooking until tender.
- Add squash and cook, stirring occasionally until soft. (About ten minutes)
- Add apples, salt, cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, black pepper, stock and the water. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about thirty minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
- Puree using an immersion blender or in batches using a food processor or blender and then return to the pan.
- Heat pureed soup on low and thin with more water, if needed.
- Serve in bowls and garnish with hot pepper and sour cream.
- An immersion blender is a game changer for homemade soups. It's one of my favorite tools.