maple, squash and apple soup

chaos. my life over the past 2 weeks.

a loved one moved on, 2 babies were born, and 2nd grade math is kicking my butt.

let me give you some understanding to how a typical days goes here:

1. i have an hour to prepare and finish dinner before the sitter comes so i can go to work.

2. while i prep and cook and look for ingredients i nag my son to do his homework before his guitar lessons and the sitter comes.

3. while i nag and prep my daughter has a tantrum. over what? no one is sure, she’s 4.5.

4. i have food that needs to be eaten before it goes bad.

5. i walk past the things and stuff falls on me. don’t worry, i usually never get hurt.

6. the dogs, they are naughty. they love squirrels. and balls. and stuffed animals.

i then realized i am loosing the battle. i stop and give hugs. i tell my son to just put a question mark on the question he couldn’t read or understand. i let the dogs out. i pick up what fell and put it away (again). i throw things together and hope for the best.

and then ta-da. it’s magical. we all stop. it becomes quiet. we all look at each other and inhale.

amongst the chaos, it comes together. my kids have a warm dinner on a chilly day. their tummies are going to be full, and after all the yelling, screaming and crying there are smiles, hugs and kisses.

happy fall ya’ll.

butternut squash and apple soup

1 tbl canola oil
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 medium butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
2 apples (macoon)
salt
pepper
4 cups chicken or veg stock
1/4 cup maple syrup
(optional) 1 cup of heavy cream

in a big coup pot/dutch oven saute onion an garlic in one tbl of canola oil for a minute. season with a pinch of salt and pepper, add the cut up squash and apples. sauté for another 5 minutes.
add the syrup cook for another minute. add stock. bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 20-30 minutes or until squash is softened.
take an immersion blender and blend. simmer for another 5 minutes.

note on the cream. this is optional. it’s a lovely addition and adds a wonderful savory flavor. if you are adding cream, add after you blend.

happy friday