Butternut Squash Soup

When we first got married, I got in the habit of making a monthly meal calendar at the beginning of each month. This helped me make more well-rounded meals and avoid the 'what should I make tonight?' battle I think we all face. I also incorporate a couple of 'FLEX DAYS' every month since things inevitably don't always go as planned. After learning about Grocery Smarts, I've changed the way I shop. Rather than making my meal calendar and then buying the needed ingredients to make those meals, I look at what I already have and base my meals off of that. This allows me to spend significantly less at the grocery store each trip. (I now shop the sales and use coupons to build up a supply of food I'll use for next month's meals. Confused yet?)

While making a meal calendar and researching sales prices on groceries does take time, and a lot of planning, we have saved hundreds of dollars by doing it. The 1.5 hours each month I spend sorting through things seems like a small price to pay for how much we ultimately save.

Over time, as I began to see an increased savings on our grocery bill I decided what I really wanted to do was branch out and try new things. (I get very frustrated when I feel like we repeat the same 12 meals over and over.) So, I made a goal to try 2 new things a month. By doing that, we found some meals that we really like which have become 'regulars' for us.

Most of the recipes I use, I get online. The problem with this is that I sometimes have a hard time finding them again. And, let's face it, I get frustrated storing a million cookbooks with only a few recipes I like...whether they are physical books or files on my computer.

This recipe, however, I am posting so that I will always know where to find it. I love it. I've made it twice in the past 3 weeks. I've had 2 bowls today after having it for dinner last night. Scott took it for lunch today and just asked me to e-mail him the recipe for a lady at work. It is wonderful and blissfully simple.

Butternut Squash Soup
2 TBSP. Butter
1.5 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
10-12 baby carrots, chopped
4 small potatoes, cubed
1 butternut squash--peeled, seeded and cubed
32 oz of chicken stock or broth
Salt & Pepper

Melt butter and cook the veggies for 5 minutes or until they are lightly brown. Pour enough of the stock/broth to cover the vegetables. Bring everything to a boil, cover and simmer on low for 40 minutes or until all veggies are tender. Transfer the mix to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot and add the remaining stock/broth until you get the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.