Souper Sunday #9: Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Winter Soup

Healthy, quick, easy, delicious, butternut-squashy.  Those are the words that best describe this soup.

 

This is another Pinterest 'win' that was literally decided on in my car after leaving Costco and arriving at the grocery store.  At Costco I had braved the cold refrigerated produce section of the store to grab some blackberries (totally out of season, I know, but they called to me), the new packaged kale salad that everyone is raving about (yet to try!), and a two-pound container of pre-cubed butternut squash.  At the grocery store I realized that I had no idea how I was going to use this much butternut squash, and with Souper Sunday looming, I used the Pinterest app on my iPhone to quickly search for a butternut squash soup recipe that had other vegetables in it too.  I already have my own personal favourite pureed butternut squash soup recipe (recipe here), so I wanted to try something a little bit different.  I found this recipe, originally pinned from Cookin Canuck website, and it's a winner.

Lemongrass and Chili Beef in Cucumber Cups

Refreshing and delicious.

 

My brother and his girlfriend are on the caveman/paleo diet.  And at their house for dinner last Sunday night, so were we.  And, wow, was it ever an amazing dinner.  I didn't know that cavemen ate cayenne pepper infused chocolate cake (so good - I will post the recipe once I get it) or sweet potato soufflé with roast beef, or dairy-free spinach and artichoke dip made with cashew cream instead of milk.

Souper Sunday #8: Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

This mushroom soup is extremely delicious.

 

My girlfriends and I are lucky to have a friend name Cleary whose parents have a beautiful vacation home in Sechelt, where we relaxed this weekend.  And when I say beautiful, I mean:

Souper Sunday #7: Black Bean Soup

You know what's the best?

 

When the province that you live in decides to add a new statutory holiday this year, and it's tomorrow.

Also the best?  A super sunny warm day in February on this new long weekend.

And up there with the best things ever too?  Not having a hangover after your brother-in-law's surprise 30th birthday last night where you were drinking tequila, on this super sunny warm day in February, on this new long weekend.

My Granny's Sweet & Sour Meatballs

This one reminds me of my childhood.  

 

I've been waiting to post this recipe for a long, long time.  Sorry to my brother, who has been waiting to get it from me.  But see, we got a new computer, and the pictures were on the old computer.  And so, it would have required me to plug in the old computer to get a charge going, and then upload the photos from there.  Which would have taken like five minutes or maybe even a little bit more than five minutes.  So, it's understandable.

Growing up, my grandparents lived in Victoria, but as my brother and I got a little bit older, my Granny and Grandpa moved to a home about seven minutes away from our house.  My dad was their only child, and thus my brother and I were their only grandchildren, so we were a tad spoiled by them.  Actually, no, not spoiled, just loved.  A lot.  It was a nice feeling to have my grandparents at things like my softball games or piano recitals, or at my brother's lacrosse games.  We felt like we were their entire world.    

Souper Sunday #6: Italian Sausage Soup

I'm still not getting tired of soup (eating or making).

What I love in particular about soup today is that I basically was able to just take everything that was already in my fridge, chop it up, and throw it into a pot.  The Italian sausage and spinach were leftovers from a delicious Italian Sausage and Tomato Risotto that I made last night for dinner.  It's one of The Hubby's favourite things to eat, and we were having his parents over for dinner and cards, so I let his dreams become a reality.  I'm a risotto dream-maker.  It's just what I do.