The Butternut Squash Adventure

I’ve written a little about my efforts to exercise, and this summer, I ordered a set of Pilates DVDs, thinking I could work out in my air-conditioned living room while the boys played.  That hasn’t happened yet, but the DVDs came with a recipe and eating guide, so I decided to try the recipe for Creamy Butternut Squash Soup.  I’m a soup girl, and it’s feeling like Fall, so why not?

I must disclose that while I’ve eaten butternut squash before, I had never prepared it myself, so I really didn’t know what I was getting into.  I also didn’t know how intimidating a gourd could be.

My plan was to prepare the soup while the boys were at school, and I found this video on slicing butternut squash.

I’m really bad with a knife and have sliced myself pretty deep a few times, so this literally made me step away from the squash for a day or two, in fear.

Then, I read that you can actually bake an entire squash, whole, in the oven, and I decided that was a fool-proof method, even for someone as inept as me.  The recipe I found said that you don’t have to poke holes in the squash, but it was gigantic, and I was scared it might explode.

So I poked a few holes and put it in the oven at 400 degrees for about an hour.

I should add that our new oven looks likes this (I don’t know, Ryan picked it out),

so I was anticipating a huge, “Boom!”  But it never came.  Instead, the squash sizzled and fizzed a bit, and actually smelled really good.

So I cut it in half and let it cool as I prepared the rest of the ingredients, which were just onions, steamed carrots, and milk, with a few random spices thrown in for good measure.

Then I mixed all the ingredients together in the blender, of all places.  And let me tell you, there is something so wrong about putting hot foods in a blender, which should be reserved for ice cream only.  James asked if we were having smoothies, and I said, “Yes, with carrots and onions.”  Delish!

And finally, after two hours of this nonsense, the soup was ready.

The verdict: it tasted like bland, orange baby food, and I could have bought the exact same thing at the store, in a box, for around $3.  I’m convinced I burned calories sweating over that knife video and waiting for the squash to explode in my oven, so I don’t think it was a complete waste of time.

But it was a waste of a squash.

Ryan suggested adding bacon, but I don’t think there will be a next time.