Thanksgiving

I spent this Thanksgiving in Wisconsin with my Dad's family.  The tradition is we have Thanksgiving dinner then open Christmas gifts, since we don't usually see each other in December.  This year my cousin Mandy, who recently had a baby, and her husband hosted.  I finally got to meet Roman, and what a fun, happy baby he was!

Grandma and Grandpa learning the ins and out of their IPad.  This picture makes me smile :)

All the Stephens boys - been way too long since we've all been together.

Grandma, Grandpa and Roman.  Cute!

Look at all that delicious food!  

Makes me hungry!!  Everything was so tasty.

Onto presents.  I got a snow scraper for my car, which will come in handy in hot Arizona. Ha! 

Slicing into our deserts. Cheesecake was the winner this year, although I didn't have any issue tasting all of them.

It was great to see everyone, having us all together made Thanksgiving a lot of fun!

5 Things I Loved about Thanksgiving

Fall, leaves, and cold weather.  Very different from Phoenix and perfect for the holidays.

Wisconsin classics - Spotted Cow beer and some venison sausage.

Generation picture of all the boys!  Including new addition, Roman.

Turkeyyyyyy. 

Don't get me wrong - I'm a apple and pumpkin pie fan on Thanksgiving, but this was my favorite dessert yesterday.  Caramel cheesecake...ahhh I can still taste it! 

Have a great holiday weekend! 

Apple Butternut Squash Soup

I can't believe it's already the week of Thanksgiving!  The holiday season seems especially off this year because of how nice the weather is still in Arizona.  Thankfully I am on my way to the Midwest for the long weekend, so I'll finally have a taste of some fall/winter weather.  I'm really excited!  It's the perfect week to post about this soup, it's very fall and the perfect first course for any holiday dinners you have coming up. 

Peel, seed and dice the butternut squash. 

Do the same for the apples and set aside.

Melt butter over medium heat in a large pot, being careful not to burn it.  Add the onion and saute until soft.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, around a minute.

Mix in the diced squash and apples and stir to coat with the butter mixture.

Then add the stock, juice, thyme, bay leaf and cinnamon.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for around 25 minutes until the squash and apples are soft. 

Remove from the heat and let cool.  Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth like above.  Add the cream as you puree. Return to heat and add salt and pepper to taste.  

Garnish with a dash of nutmeg.  I loved how creamy this turned out, and you can really taste the apple and squash.  Their flavors mix really well together.  The other great thing about this soup is it doesn't have to cook for more than 25 minutes, so it's relatively quick to make.  Enjoy! 

Apple Butternut Squash Soup

Adapted from The Black Dog Cookbook

Serves 5-6

1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds)

2 Granny Smith apples

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup apple juice

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup light cream

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of nutmeg 

Peel, seed and dice the butternut squash and apples, set aside. 

Melt butter over medium heat in a large pot, being careful not to burn it.  

Add the onion and saute until soft.  

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, around a minute.

Mix in the diced squash and apples and stir to coat with the butter mixture.

Then add the stock, juice, thyme, bay leaf and cinnamon.  
Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for around 25 minutes until the squash and apples are soft. 
Remove from the heat and let cool.  
Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth like above.  
Add the cream as you puree. 
Return to heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with nutmeg.

Thanksgiving in the UP

My Thanksgiving.

My puppy.

Family.

Turkey.

Pie.

Snow (not a lot, but some.)

My Mom.

Happiness.

Home

C and I are on our way to my hometown to spend Thanksgiving with my family.  I'm so excited to be back in Michigan, and more specifically in the U.P.  I haven't been all the way north since before I moved to Dallas, and am really looking forward to taking in all my favorites of home for the next five days.  

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!  I hope you eat turkey until you can't possibly eat one more bite and soak up time with your loved ones.  See you back here next week.