I love fall.  I love squash.  I love to cook on cold, dreary days.  This soup sounded so good.  It was a little bit of work, but well worth it.  No one else in my house will eat this, but I am going to bring it into work this week and share with my co-workers.  I also bought a large baguette loaf of bread to dip into it.  Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup:

1 large buttenut squash, diced and roasted

1/2 onion, diced

1 large granny smith apple, peeled and diced

4 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup milk

1 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1 T olive oil

Peel and dice the squash.  Place on a roasting pan.  Sprinkle with salt and cinnamon.  Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.  While roasting, pour olive oil into dutch oven.  Cook apple and onion until soft, about 15 minutes.  Pour vegetable stock and milk over apple mix.  Add roasted squash when done.  Bring to a boil.  Decrease temp and let simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to puree soup.  Enjoy!

I love shortbread cookies.  I especially love plain vanilla shortbread cookies.  I found this recipe online today and it was so easy!  Only a couple ingredients and took less than 30 minutes total to make. These will definitely be on the Christmas Gift Trays this year.  I cut these really small today so I could walk past every five minutes and pop one in my mouth.  Because, you know, you consume way less calories if you eat 50 bite size pieces than if you’d just eat 2 regular size cookies 🙂  Enjoy!

Shortbread Cookies:

2 cups flour

3/4 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter (room temp)

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. baking powder

Mix all ingredients by hand until mixed.  Press into a 9×13 ungreased pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Do not overcook.  Cool, cut and enjoy!