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Entries in Thanksgiving (3)

Monday
Nov082010

Martie's Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

My Butternut Squash Soup recipe is perfect for the classic soup and sandwich menu.  It’s hearty enough for a casual lunch, yet smooth and rich enough for a special occasion. With a hint of cayenne pepper and a drizzle of maple syrup, this will be your go-to recipe for fall entertaining. A little bit of sweet, a little bit of heat, and a lot of flavor... it is wonderful. Add some crisp apples, a bottle of wine, and you’re all set!  Enjoy!  

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Makes enough for about 5-6 servings, depending on the size. I usually double this recipe.

1 (2 to 2 1/2 pound) butternut squash, halved and seeded
2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4-5 cups low-sodium chicken broth- depending on how thick you want the soup
¼ cup organic maple syrup
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Dash cayenne pepper (I use a couple of dashes)
½ cup heavy cream (more if you like)

Preheat oven to 425 F. Brush insides and outsides of squash halves with 1 T of oil and place, cut sides up, on cookie sheet or in roasting pan. Bake for one hour or until the squash is tender. Remove from oven and cool.

Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot. Cook the onion until softened. Scoop out the squash from the peel and add to onion, stirring. Add the parsley. Stir in chicken broth and simmer, about 20 minutes. Add the syrup, salt and both peppers. Whisk in the cream. If you like your soup with some texture, stop here.  I like this soup really smooth so I use an immersion blender to make it velvety before I add the heavy cream. I add a tablespoon of butter at the end to create a smooth texture and feel. I top it with

Thursday
Nov192009

Thanksgiving How-To: The Complete Thanksgiving 911

From our Thanksgiving table photo shoot with Vietri & Bromberg's for Birmingham Home & Garden MagazineOK, I am crazy busy these days--- like most people. Video shoots, photo shoots, recipe development, party planning sessions, meetings, meetings about the meetings, etc, etc! And I don't have to carpool or take a dog to the vet, go to the soccer game, and all of those other things most women I know have on their schedule every day. WOW. How doyou have time to do it all? Well, I started looking for a resource to help some readers who've asked me for help for their Thanksgiving get-togethers. Instead of piecing the information together, my friends at MyRecipes.com have come up with a complete how-to guide to Thanksgiving. You can find answers to your most asked questions: everything from problems with lumpy gravy to thawing your bird, dry dressing and lots more. If you can't find the answer to your Thanksgiving dilemma here-- shoot me an email and we'll help you!

Go to MyRecipes.com Thanksgiving 911 slideshow

More Thanksgiving resources:

Pumpkin Pie Recipes & Tips

Turkey Hotline

Favorite Holiday Casserole Recipes

USDA Food Safety Hotline

Saturday
Nov292008

Holiday Decorations for the Kids

Once again my precious niece Kaitlin has put together some adorable decorations for our family's holiday gathering. She used apples, peanuts, almonds, some googly craft eyes and a paper napkin folded as the big bird's tail feathers. Aren't they great? Keep these apple turkey centerpieces in mind for next year, or add a wide black, some cotton and you've got a cute Santa. We'll have photos of those soon for your kid's holiday party decorations. And there's no waste because you can peel and eat these later! Thanks Katie! You're the best!