hate the cold, love the veggies

I hate the cold weather.

The dead leaves that litter the ground make me sad. The bare branches are downright depressing. While I do love the first snowfall, particularly if it happens at night, I would trade the first snow for a longer summer any day of the week.

Maybe I need to learn how to ski. Or snowboard. Or, just accept the fact that I will never really like the cold weather.

But I do love the cold weather veggies.

Veggies make me happy. I don't eat them for the health benefits, that is just a bonus. I eat them because they are so damn good. Tomatoes, brussel sprouts, asparagus, zuchinni...good stuff. Veggies are versatile and, if you buy them in season, they are cheap. Usually, there is at least one choice of organic veggie on sale each week. If possible, buy organic, they are better for you and I happen to think that they taste a little better. But, examine them carefully. A lot of times, the markets will put the organic produce for sale because they are not in the best shape.

Winter veggies are no exception to this. There is less variety in the colder months, but there is still an endless assortment of recipes that can be made with them. Roots veggies are readily available and lend themselves to soups, stews, tarts, and a ton of side dishes. My husband and I are huge fans of squash and I made a recipe that can be altered to fit several diet types. The ingredients for this soup are cheap and you may already have most of them on hand.

Butternut squash soup

4 cups butternut squash, cut into small cubes
12 ounzes reduced sodium chicken stock (or veggie stock for vegan recipe)
1/2 cup milk (or coconut milk for vegan recipe)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

Combine all in a large saucepan and cook, covered, on medium heat until the squash is mushy. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until a smooth puree. Return to saucepan, reduce heat to med-low and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the soup has thickened slightly. Enjoy.

Notes:
1) The spices are all to taste. Play with them and find out what you like.
2) Most people prefer a slightly sweeter soup, but I do not. If you like things a little sweeter, add a little more brown sugar, but taste it first.
3) For a really decadent soup, you can replace the milk with half and half.
4) If you cannot find reduced sodium chicken stock, purchase regular, but do not add any salt to the soup. Once the soup is pureed, taste it and add more if needed.

Hope you guys like this soup as much as we do.