A Wonderful Fall Evening

So tonight I made the most perfect supper for a fall evening. Butternut squash soup and an Apple-Almond salad. This is more time than I usually like to spend on a meal, but it was pretty simple otherwise:

Butternut Squash Soup:

1 3-pound butternut squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1 32-ounce container low-sodium chicken broth

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel and seed the squash. Cut it into 1-inch cubes and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and the pepper and toss to coat. Spread on a single layer and roast for 15 minutes. Turn and continue to roast until softened, about 15 minutes more. Meanwhile, heat the butter and the remaining oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and sage and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the broth, 2 cups of water, the remaining salt, and the squash and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth.

Apple-Almond Salad:

1/4 cup salad oil
2 tablespoons white sugar (I only used one because I had sweet apples)
2 tablespoons malt or cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
6 cups mixed greens
3 medium-sized apples, cut into wedges
1 cup thinly sliced celery (I didn't use this because I used the rest of my celery in the soup!)
2 tablespoons sliced scallions (I had fresh ones from my garden, even better)
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted (I only had whole raw almonds, so I cut them up then toasted)

In a screw-top jar, combine the oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and almond extract. Cover the jar and shake well until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Chill in the refrigerator for a half hour to several hours. Just before serving, combine the greens, apple wedges, celery, and scallions in a salad bowl. Sprinkle with the almonds. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Serve immediately.

Although this was a yummy supper, after it was done I was really grouchy. Both of my kids were a little "off" today and I just felt testy and like I'd reached my limit. But THEN I went for a run, for the first time in a long time. MAGIC!! I was cured!! I'd only been running 5 minutes when I couldn't stop thinking about how awesome my life is and how blessed I am. It was beautiful, just before dusk, the smell and the leaves and the blue sky and being in nature for a while. I was so happy. Best of all, I came home and the kids were in bed, and Brad had the kitchen perfectly CLEAN!! I didn't have to lift a finger. Then I had a nice long hot shower and voila. It's only 8:00pm and tonight I am just going to relax.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...