Butternaut Squash Soup

We belong to a local CSA, which we pick up from every week. So this week when B grabbed up some Butternaut Squash, I knew I wanted to make something fall esque and comforting. My first thought was just to roast it as a side, but the more I thought about it... the more I wanted to try a soup. It turned out to be everything I love in a soup, and I think this is a good "base" soup where you can experiment with different spices. This will definitely be on rotation in our house.

What you need :

• 1 Medium Onion (chopped)
• 2 Potatoes (peeled & chopped)
• 1 Medium Carrot (chopped)
• 1 Celery Stalk (chopped) - I did use leeks instead since we didn't have celery
• 1 Medium Butternaut Squash (chopped)
• 32oz Chicken Stock
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Any other spices you wish!

What to do:

• Melt butter in large pot
• Toss all chopped veggies into pot for 5 minutes
• Pour Chicken stock in (enough to cover the veggies)
• Bring to a boil
• Turn down heat, Cover, & Simmer for 40 minutes or until veggies are tender
• Pour soup into blender & Blend (do small batches, it's hot & can go EVERYWHERE)
• Pour back into Pot, and add additional chicken stock if needed
• Add seasonings to taste
• Garnish with Parsely & ENJOY!!!

Keeping it real....as I mentioned... do small batches.. it WILL go everywhere... and it's hot ( I have a burn mark to prove it!) DOH!

Recreate- Baltimore Bomb Pie

This wonderful deliciousness... is made from Berger Cookies. Which are nothing short of amazingness... they are basically shortbread cookies dipped in delicious decadent chocolate. They are a Maryland Staple. There is also a shop in Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore that is called Dangerously Delicious and they are known for this pie. So I decided I needed to try and recreate it for our family cookout this past weekend using this recipe.  And...yes... yes... imagine that... It was a HUGE hit!

What you Need:

• Unbaked Deep Dish Pie Crust (or if you want you can make your own)
• 1 1/2 packages of Berger Cookies
• 1/2 Cup Butter Softened
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 TBSP Cornmeal (flour, almond meal, etc)
• 1 TBSP Vinegar
• 1TSP Vanilla

What to Do:

• Chop up Berger Cookies and toss into pie crust
• Whisk all remaining ingredients together
• Pour the wet mixture (called Chess) over the Pie
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes
• It's best warm, but still delicious at room temperature as well

A few sidenotes, I added a little more vanilla to my pie, about 1 tsp. Also, don't forget to place your pie on a cookie sheet WITH edges... these pies will bubble over some.

I ended up  making 2 of these, and there is nothing left....

run... do not walk to make this!

Easy Banana Oatmeal Muffins

The other night I had an urge to make something, and when I saw this recipe , realized I had all the ingredients ( especially two almost overly ripe bananas!).... I decided to make B & I breakfast for the week.

What you need:

2.5 Cups of Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

1 Cup low fat (or non-fat) plain Greek yogurt

2 eggs

3/4 cup of Sugar or substitute

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 Ripe Bananas

I also added about 1/2 tsp of cinnamon for a little more flavor, and topped them with chopped walnuts before baking.

What to do:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray (12) or use foil liners ( that's what I used)
2. Place all ingredients in a Blender or food processor until the oats are smooth. I also sliced my bananas and put the oats in 1/2 a cup at a time.
3. Pour the mixture in the pan or liners (this is where I added the walnut toppings) and cook until a toothpick comes out clean or about 20-25 minutes.
4. ENJOY!!!!

That's it! Super duper easy and ridiculously yummy! They are a little more dense than a normal muffin but still just as moist and filling due to the oats and the Greek yogurt. This is definitely added to my list of keepers, and the good thing is you can change it up by adding different spices etc. to change the flavor profile. I'm already thinking my next batch will include some mini chocolate chips... mmm mmm!