Come home to a nice bowl of "Squash Soup and Sage Orzo"

Recipe: Squash Soup with Sage and Orzo
Song: "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

A friend of mine works for Free People, and while I had been familiar with their brand before, she's the one who got me very into their clothing. If you're not familiar with the brand, their clothes follow a bohemian theme. I'm always careful with my money, but the last time I visited their store, I just had to splurge a little bit on a couple shirts. But enough about their clothing. I didn't know this at first, but their website features a variety of different recipes for everyone to make. When my friend told me about this butternut squash soup recipe, I thought I would give it a try. This recipe was posted on Free People's website, and it was created by a woman named Jill. I've posted the recipe below, but you can find the original post here:

Squash Soup with Sage and Orzo | Free People Blog http://blog.freepeople.com/2013/09/squash-soup-sage-orzo/#ixzz2l93n0sHI


What You'll Need For the Soup:

2 medium butternut squash (about 3 lbs)
1 large onion, diced
4 cups vegetable stock
1 tbs vegan butter
2 tbs olive oil
2 tsp ground coriander, divided
1 tsp white pepper
2 tbs fresh sage, chopped, plus additional for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups orzo, cooked

How to Make It:

Preheat oven to 425°. Peel and halve both squash, scooping out the centers. Coarsely chop three halves of squash and set aside for the soup. Dice the remaining half, into large pieces for roasting (approximately 3/4” squares). Toss the cut pieces with 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp coriander, and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Roast the squash on two baking sheets for 30 minutes, flipping the pieces, and rotating the pan halfway through. When squash is done roasting, set aside for serving on top of the soup.

In a large dutch oven, heat 1 tbs vegan butter over medium heat. Cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the coarsely chopped squash, vegetable stock, 1 tsp coriander, sage, white pepper and generous shakes of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove soup from heat and either using a stick blender or working in small batches in a convention blender, puree until smooth. Depending on the size of your squash, your puree may be very thick. If this is the case, thin soup with water, adding one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

To serve, place 1/2 cup of cooked orzo in a bowl and top with roasted squash. Pour the squash soup around the orzo and garnish with fresh sage and freshly cracked pepper.

The song that I've decided to pair with this recipe is "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. When I visited Free People the past few times, I got a happy and relaxed vibe. If you listen closely to the lyrics, this song is definitely  filled with happiness. To me, the song is about being with people you love. When you watch the music video, you'll also see the band living a fun and relaxed lifestyle. Here's the music video for "Home."


I like this soup because it has a bit of a spicy twist to it, and it's on the healthy side. "Home" is the perfect song for this recipe, because when it's a freezing day out, this soup will be perfect for you to make for your family or significant other. A nice bowl of warm soup can bring people together, making them happy after a long and cold miserable today. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is also an indie folk band, so I wouldn't be surprised if their music was playing in a Free People store!

This soup is perfect for the butternut squash season (fall/winter). It's a bit too spicy for my taste, but I would probably make it again. While this is my very first homemade soup from scratch, I was very proud of the way it turned out!

* Chopping up butternut squash is just as annoying as carving a pumpkin is. My friend recommended that I buy it chopped, and next time I will! I would strongly suggest that you do the same. My friend and I also used regular butter instead of vegan butter.


All credit for this recipe goes to Jillian Guyette and Robert Luessen of "a Better Happier St. Sebastian."

All rights to the song "Home" belong to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Song: "Valentine," by Kina Grannis
Recipe: Betty Crocker's Valentine Chex Mix (1/2 Recipe)

Hey guys! So today is Valentine's Day, and I'll admit that I had trouble finding a song that was about this holiday. I was able to find one by a talented musician named Kina Grannis. I like this song because the lyrics are sweet, the tune is nice, and the animation that's featured in the music video is amazing. To see her video click here.

Today, I decided to make what Betty Crocker calls "Valentine Chex Mix." You might know it as "Valentine's Day Puppy Chow" or "Valentine's Day Muddy Buddies." I'm glad that Betty Crocker posted a smaller version of this recipe, because I hate having a lot of food leftover. Usually, I like to bake something for a party, but I thought that I would try something different for a change. The first time I was introduced to muddy buddies was at a hobbit-themed college party that my friends were having, and it was so good that I had to make it. Mine came out differently than theirs did, but it was still yummy. I also thought that this recipe would be appropriate for today, because I'm happy to say that I'm going to a friend's Valentine's Day party later on. This chex mix looks like it would be the perfect thing to share with a bunch of people!

The recipe can be found on Betty Crocker's website. Unfortunately, I wasn't sure what to make for the party until two days ago. That meant that all of the Valentine's Day M&Ms were sold out. I also forgot to get pink and red sprinkles or "jimmies" as Betty Crocker calls them. I ended up altering the recipe a little bit. I was short on sprinkles, so I used less than two tablespoons. I also used white chocolate chips because I didn't have vanilla baking chips. The recipe still came out good, though! I mean, come on. What really makes up this recipe is the chocolate and the peanut butter in my opinion. My brother even noted that the whole downstairs smelled like peanut butter!


"Valentine Chex Mix"


What You'll Need:

• 4 1/2 cups Rice Chex® cereal
• 1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup red, white and pink candy-coated chocolate candies
• 2 tablespoons red or pink "jimmies" or sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Place cereal in medium bowl. In small microwavable bowl, microwave vanilla chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.

They look like frosted chex...

2. Place 1/2 of the cereal mixture in 1-gallon food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil; cool about 15 minutes.








3. Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread on waxed paper or foil; cool about 15 minutes.

4. In serving bowl, mix both cereal mixtures. Store in airtight container.

   

I chose Grannis's song to go with the recipe, because it obviously fits the Valentine's Day theme. My version of the recipe may not look like it's Valentine's Day related, but it still tastes delicious and looks colorful! Feel free to try this party mix, whether you're making it for your loved one, family, or friends. There's also nothing wrong with making it just for you-it's very important to love yourself! Happy Valentine's Day! Let's not forget Saint Valentine, the person that this holiday is honored for!

*All rights to the song "Valentine" go to Kina Grannis
*All rights to the "Valentine Chex Mix" go to Betty Crocker