Butternut Squash Soup

This is the soup I make EVERY Christmas and give away as gifts. It's that good. The ingredients are in season during this chilly time, it stores well in the freezer and it is delicious. I buy cute glass jars and wrap them with bows. Everyone loves it. Including myself. Giving presents you make with your heart is makes me happy. And this soup, makes everyone happy!

The time it takes to make this soup is worth it. 

Healthy, Clean and DELISH!

Winter is the best time to make this soup. Butternut squash is in season and in every market. Remember to always buy organic when possible. You are worth it!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Tbs Coconut oil
• 2 Tbs Balsamic vinegar
• 2 Butternut squashes, about 3 lbs total. Cut in half and seeded.
• 1-2 large granny smith apples halves and cored
• 2 yellow onions, cut into quarters
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• Pink himalayan salt and cracked pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup half and half OR plain full fat yogurt
• 1.5 Tbs Grass-fed Butter
  
  DIRECTIONS:
• Preheat oven to 425 F. 
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or a silicone matt.
• In a small bowl, mix oil and vinegar. Brush the cut sides of the squash, apples and onions with mixture.

Place squash and apples cut side down and the onions on baking sheet.

Bake, turning everything at least twice, until tender and light brown. About 30 minutes for the apples and 45-50 minutes for the veggies. 

Transfer everything to a cutting board and let it cool to the touch. 

Scoop out flesh from squash and discard the peel. Chop the apples and onions.

Transfer everything to a large sauce pan and add the chicken broth and nutmeg.

• Over medium-high heat, bring ingredients to a boil and reduce to simmer on medium-low. Simmer for about 30 minutes until VERY soft and tender.
• Remove from heat and let cool slightly. 
• Once cooled, place ingredients in a blender and puree the soup in batches until smooth. 
  
• Return puree to saucepan and stir in the half and half. 
• Season with pink salt and cracked pepper.
• Add grass-fed butter.
• Heat back up to on medium. 
  
  *This soup can be stored in the fridge for about 2 days and in the freezer for about 3 months. 

It's heavenly!

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Red Onions

WHY OH WHY DO ONIONS MAKE ME CRY?

I have never been a raw onion lover. Maybe it’s because my eyes are so sensitive to everything that the slightest smell of a raw onion makes my eyes tear.

I deal with it though and get puffy eyes anyways because I use onions to cook with often. And I am enjoying raw red onions more and more these days. They are packed with good stuff! 

Full of vitamins C and B6, iron, folate, and potassium and most importantly amazing phytochemicals. They are a super food along with garlic! They are an anti-allergic, anti-histaminic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant, rolled into 1 potent smelly ball. 

YUMMAY! 

So, why do these amazing super veg make your eyes BURN and tear so bad as soon as you cut into them? Well, I learned that when you cut into an onion, you’re breaking open microscopic cells filled with enzymes that turn into volatile gasses when cut. This causes a chemical reaction similar to the chemicals used in tear gas. WOH right? When the fumes reach the eye glands, your eyes begin to create tears trying to dilute and flush the chemical from your eyes. AMAZING FOOD!

I don’t know about you but, but it takes my eyes at the least an hour or more to recover after cutting onions!  And really there is nothing I have found that help with the fumes onions produce 100%. But, these small tricks give a tiny bit of relief.

• By using a sharp knife, less of the enzymes are released into the air.
• Cut onions in cold water. 
• Cut the root last!! The root has a higher concentration of enzymes.
• Chill or freeze onions. This minimizes the amount of gas released.
• Light a match before you start chopping. The sulfur disables the compounds in onions that make your eyes water.
• Use a food processor.
• Wear kitchen goggles to protect your eyes. (LOL! Yeah right. If you do this, you must send me a picture! :) )

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