Today I published the second part of the journal that I kept when my husband and I went to Russia to adopt our daughter from an orphanage when she was five years old. I also included several pictures, and if you would like to check it out, click here:
To Russia For Love, Part 2
With our daughter Makayla in front
of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow.
I enjoy cooking with pumpkins and squash in the fall, and today I have a recipe that uses butternut squash and several other vegetables.
The first time I made this soup, I liked it, but I wanted it to be even better. My goal was for it to taste good enough to be served in the dining room on a cruise ship. I’ve had some wonderful soups on the cruises we’ve been on, and all of them had tons of flavor. I decided to spice up this butternut squash soup, and I added cayenne pepper and ginger in addition to adding more of the spices that were already in it. It made a big difference.
Another thing about those dining rooms on the cruise ships, they always garnish the foods in a beautiful way. To garnish this soup, I put sour cream in a squeeze bottle (they can be purchased at Michael’s for about a dollar), and used it to make a pretty design in the center of the soup.
Then I just placed an Italian parsley leaf on top of it.
Happy Fall!
Recipe By: Origin Unknown/Adapted by Winner Dinners
Serves 6-8
1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1-3/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
32 ounces vegetable stock
1 pint half and half
Chop the vegetables. The butternut squash might be easier to peel if you cut it into three or four pieces. It can be peeled with a potato peeler. In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the vegetables for 5 minutes. Add the seasonings. Cover the vegetables with the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes or until everything is very tender. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender (in batches) and blend until smooth. Return to the pot; bring to a simmer and add the half and half.
