Butternut Squash Soup

An Autumn Staple

At first glance, butternut squash is super intimidating. Your knife isn't big enough to slice through it; the amount of skin you have to remove is overwhelming - and there are seeds to remove, too!? But really, once you get the hang of it you will be able to prepare butternut squash in your sleep. My secret? Microwave the squash for one minute and then slice off the top and bottom to expose the flesh. Your (sharpened!) knife will slice right through it, and skinning and de-seeding will be a breeze. Here’s how I do it…

This Arm Work Out is Worth It

Read this first: CHOP EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU START TO COOK THIS ONE! This is a hands-on, all-in, no rest for the wicked type of recipe. If you stop stirring, it will burn. If you stop mixing, it will burn. If you stop combining, it will burn. Do you see a pattern here? This recipe is all about the steady flow of ingredients in and out of the pan to create a decadent sauce teaming with flavor. Are mushrooms really worth all this work, you ask? All I can say is, YES. And don't forget to pour yourself a glass of wine, I mean liquid motivation, before you start chopping. You're going to need it.

Turn Up on a Wednesday

I love any excuse to host a dinner party, and that includes weeknights! Since I have a full-time job, weeknight dinner parties require simple and flavorful dishes, that I can whip up in two hours or less. I also need to have a very organized and well thought-out plan for the evening. Check out how I crafted a four-dish menu that was ready to be devoured by 7:30pm on a Wednesday!