Halloween!

Here are some Halloween tunes to get you through the rest of the night.

First, the Canadian classic "C'est l'Halloween" by Matt Maxwell

"Don't Ghost My House" by Fresh Talks (also Canadian!)

Earth Kitt's "I Want To Be Evil"

Tom Petty's "Zombie Zoo"

Happy Halloween all!

Squash Everything!

Winter squash are some of my favourite foods.  I love almost everything about them!  While this time of year tends to focus on pumpkins, there are so many delicious squashes, I can't stop at this popular variety!
Here are the links to the two squash-related blog posts I've done previously:
Butternut Squash Risotto
Pumpkin Bread or Muffins

As this past weekend was Thanksgiving here in Canada, I had plenty of opportunity to enjoy several different squash varieties.  For Thanksgiving dinner, I made a pumpkin pie (from an actual pumpkin), and an apple crumble (I know, not squash, but very delicious!).  We also had baked hubbard squash, and spaghetti squash.

Then, for dinner tonight, I made butternut squash soup (using up some of the leftover whipping cream to thicken the soup).

To make your own soup, you will need
1 baked, mashed butternut squash (cut in half, scoop out seeds, bake face-down in a 375F oven for 45-60 minutes)
half of one medium onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 apple, peeled and cut into large dice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp dry mustard
water
oil
milk/cream
salt & pepper to taste

Put a little bit of oil in the bottom of a large saucepot over medium heat.  Add your diced onion.  When the onion has softened, add the apple, carrot and celery.  Give those a minute or two to get soft, and then add your squash, spices, and then top up with 2-3 cups of water (or more, if you want more soup).  Let simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Remove from heat temporarily, and if you want a smooth soup, immersion blend away!  If you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer small batches of hot soup to a regular blender and do it in batches, being careful of steam.
Stir in 1 cup of milk or cream, and put back on low heat, and stir until everything is heated through.

If you have a delicious squash-related recipe, feel free to give me a link to it!