For real- you gotta try it!

Butternut Squash and Cinnamon Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled and seeded butternut squash , cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 large onion, cut into large dice
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pinch sugar
• 3 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth, homemade or from a carton or can
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half (or whole milk)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Garnish: store-bought apple chips

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep saute pan until shimmering.
2. Add butternut squash, then onion; saute, stirring very little at first, then more frequently, until squash start to turn golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to low and add butter, sugar and garlic; continue cooking until all vegetables are a rich spotty caramel color, about 10 minutes longer.
4. Add cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cayenne pepper; continue to saute until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute longer.
5. Add broth; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until squash is tender, about 10 minutes.
6. Using an immersion blender or traditional blender, puree until very smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (If using a traditional blender, vent it either by removing the lid's pop-out center or by lifting one edge of the lid. Drape the blender canister with a kitchen towel. To 'clean' the canister, pour in a little half-and-half, blend briefly, then add to the soup.)
7. Return to pan (or a soup pot); add enough half-and-half so the mixture is souplike, yet thick enough to float garnish. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed. Heat through, ladle into bowls, garnish and serve.

Yes, that was so good that I'm posting it here too, for all 5 of you reading it. :)

I love fall, I love cooking, I LOVE my NDW books, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the understandings I feel in regards to life, love, God, and just what we're doing here. I love all the endless possibilities in the world for us, I love the idea of homeschooling and using unit studies to do it, I love how absolutely sweet CJ and Josh are when they come home from school, and how clear it is when I'm on the right path with them by how they act (and I don't mean buy them something cool so they are happy, I mean having a homeschooling discussion and listening to their feedback, and then them thanking me for asking. Nice, huh?) . I love HGTV and the food channel. I love Cullen, and I LOVED laying in his lap last night while he played with my hair and I fell fast asleep. Apparently I was sleeping harder than I knew, also because he said I twitch like a crazy banshee when I'm sleeping. I had no idea. I LOVE fall, I LOVE fall smells, I LOVE raking, I LOVE that I get to see Allyssa tonight, I LOVE when it feels like all is right in the world. I LOVE that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that I'm going to do daycare. I am actually going to help raise other people's babies, and I'm going to get to love them, and help them to know how loved they are by the world and how powerful they are. I can't wait!
Don't you just feel all the good that is coming? It's all coming! THANK YOU WORLD!!!!