More butternut squash!

I've been itching to make this soup for the longest time, so I'm so glad that I finally was able to make it. We made a roast chicken the other night so I used the left over scraps and bones to make a chicken stock (basically just simmered it for a while with garlic and ginger), and I used it to make butternut squash soup! I had about 5 cups of stock and a 3 lb butternut squash. First, I cut the butternut squash into 1 inch cubes and roasted it in a 450 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until they were soft. It's not really necessary to roast them first, you could alternatively just plop the butternut squash cubes straight into the stock and cook them that way. I just really enjoy the flavor of a roasted butternut squash and I LOVE the smell that comes out of the oven while roasting, perfuming my whole kitchen! So, while it's roasting, chop up a medium onion and a couple cloves of garlic. Saute in a bit of butter and olive oil, (if you wanted to add other flavors in, this is when you add additional veggies, such as carrots, celery, apples, parsnips..) and then add your roasted butternut squash. stir this for 30 seconds and add the stock. Once everything reaches the same temperature, the soup is pretty much done. Now all you need to do is blend it up, either in batches in your blender or with a hand immersion blender (if you are lucky enough to own one! and I'm jealous if you do). I also didn't blend all of the squash, I left some pieces in there whole, just to have some different textures. Obviously you can change this to whatever your preference is. After this, just add the puree back into your soup pot and if its a bit watery, you can just simmer it for a bit until you reach the consistency that you want. Here, you can also add some cream if you'd like. I didn't because the squash itself has an inherent creamy quality to it and that's enough for me! I truly love the simplicity of this soup and the pure butternut squash flavor that you get from it. This is definitely for the butternut squash lovers out there. Especially with winter coming up, this is perfect! I wish I lived in a cooler place to justify making this more often :)


I served the soup with some grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top and with a piece of baguette on the side for dunking. DELICIOUS! I drank about 3 bowls of this after I made it. I still have a lot leftover so I've been heating it up in the mornings, putting it in a cup and drinking it in my drive to school. Strange breakfast, yes, but it works for me and good alternative to coffee, haha.


This was a lunch that I made for myself this week.. basically just took what was available in the fridge to make this. Made a simple sauce with half a large tomato, garlic, corn and some garlic tops that my mom grows (like a green onion but more garlicky). Then, I sauteed this with al dente cooked pasta and finished with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Simple & fast.


This is the nail polish I am wearing now! There's nothing like a bright nail color to brighten your mood. This is Whitney from Zoya. LOVE IT. It's been on my nails for almost a week now, and it's barely chipped.

-J