 |
| *personal photo* |
Much love,
The Geeks
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Wordless Wednesday: Mickey Mouse
Much love,
The Geeks
Monday, November 17, 2014
Currently, Chief is... {1 year}
It's a month of celebration in our house this November! Last Monday, we celebrated our second wedding anniversary and Chief turned one! She had a birthday party at school and we opened some presents here at home, but the real party is happening on Thanksgiving Day, when all of her grandparents will be here to celebrate with us. Although it seems like just yesterday I wrote her 9 month post, she is already a whole year old. And what a year it has been! Let's talk about these last few months:
Growing chunkier by the minute, but her height growth has slowed down. The doctor said that genetics is starting to kick in- so she's probably going to be short like her Mommy. In the past week, she pretty much outgrew her whole 12 month sized wardrobe, so I took the opportunity to stock up the 18 month wardrobe :) I figure she should have an even wider selection, as she'll likely be in this size range for a while! Some of the 18 month stuff is still big- her jammies are rather roomy, and the parka I bought her for when it snows is definitely too long in the arms still, but her 12 month clothes were just getting too tight, so I don't mind pants that are a bit too long or sleeves that need to be rolled up.
Eating pretty much everything now. We have not yet done a proper peanut butter introduction, but we'll likely do that soon, but every other supposed allergen has been introduced now with no problems whatsoever. She has transitioned to cow's milk now during the day and doesn't seem to know the difference- but she prefers it in a bottle. We sort of skipped the traditional sippy cup and went straight to cups with straws in the lid, but the one she currently uses seems to frustrate her unless it has juice in it. I just bought some new straw cups yesterday, and sent them to day care this morning, so here's hoping she'll drink milk out of them today. I'm still nursing her when she wakes up and before she goes to sleep, and then whenever she wants it, and she has actually started asking for it when she's tired or cranky. I'm going on a business trip this week, so she'll be having cow's milk with her regular breakfast and then breast milk in a bottle at bed time- which hopefully is as effective as the breast at getting her in a comfortable, sleepy mood- so by the time I get back on Friday night, she may have weaned herself. I hope not! I didn't realize how much I would want to keep nursing- I hate pumping with the fire of a thousand suns, and I am very excited about a time in the near future when I can get dressed without worrying if my outfit is "boob accessible" as I like to call it, but I absolutely love the feeling of closeness we have when she's nursing, and it's definitely the most effective way to calm her when she's fussy or cheer her up when she's upset. Our goal was 1 year so she can wean at anytime and I'll be fine with that, but I hope it's not while I'm gone on this trip...
Talking about the puppy, all the time! Daddy has called her Puppy as a term of endearment since we brought her home from the hospital, and one day she started saying what sounded like "Bobby" over and over again. One day, he asked her, "Whatcha doin', Puppy?" and she repeated him- so that word was Puppy, not Bobby! We bought her a stuffed puppy for her birthday because we can't have the real thing right now, and she loves him! Until she names him something else, we call him Puppy, and she'll talk about him all the time- "Puppy, Puppy, Puppy, Puppy, Puuuuuuppy! Puh-PPY!" It's her favorite word, alongside Daddy and Mama, of course :) (The occasional Boogie and Booty get thrown in there still, for good measure, and she will wave and say Hi to people in public, which wins her a few Hi's in return.)
Making facial expressions which crack me up! She has this super cheesy grin that she puts on when she's trying to get you to smile- she's over-acting because she knows it will get a reaction from people, and it's the cutest thing I've ever seen. She also does this monkey routine if you ask her "Are you a monkey?" She'll put her hand under her armpit and pucker up her lips to say "ooh ooh ooh" and she makes us all laugh. When she's getting kind of tired, she starts acting really silly, and will do things like put her head in her hand and put her elbow on whatever surface she's nearest, like she's posing for a camera, or throw her head back until you kiss her under the chin and make her giggle. She's definitely reached the point where she knows how to make people smile and laugh, and she'll pull out every trick in her bag to keep her audience entertained.
Listening to Mommy sing Disney songs, as ever. She loves it when people sing anything, really, and apparently they do a lot of the traditional nursery rhymes at school, because she seemed to recognize "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" the first time I sang it to her (er, is it a song, or a chant?) and it's still her favorite, especially if you bounce her while you sing it. I'm more comfortable with the idea of her watching tv now, so we've put on a few Disney movies with the intention of watching them with her, but she'll only pay attention during the songs- otherwise she busies herself with her toys (as she should), or just falls asleep in your lap (which is even better). In addition to music, she loves being read to- and her favorite book is Sophie's Shapes that came with her Sophie the Giraffe toy. Mr. Geek and I both have it memorized because we've read it so many times, over and over and over again. The doctor said part of what she likes so much is the way we read it- I definitely recite it almost like a song, with the same inflection on the same words each time. We recited it together once, and she seemed a little startled at first, but then she clapped when it was over, like we'd just put on some performance for her. It's the only book in her library that she'll sit through the whole thing- she likes to hand you a book, let you read a couple of pages, then pick up a new one and ask for that instead.
Sleeping through the night still, and with a pretty regular routine. Between 7 and 8 I can put on her jammies, nurse her, and then put her in bed still awake and she'll fall asleep without a fight. This week when I'm out of town, Daddy has to do bedtime, and all he has is a bottle. We're both pretty nervous about how that's going to go, but I'm sure she'll be fine. Nap time is a bit of a battle, but we manage to get at least one 1 hour nap in every day- at school takes one nap that will last up to 3 hours, depending on how thoroughly they wear her out in the morning. Generally around 11 or so on Saturdays and Sundays I can nurse her and put her in bed, and she'll complain, throw all her stuffed animals on the floor, and even take off her pants, but after about 15 or 20 minutes, she falls asleep. On the rare occasion when she complains about bed time, I don't like to let her fuss for more than 5 minutes, but I'm more willing to let her cry at naptime, because she doesn't quite believe me when I tell her she's tired and she needs to work a bit of that energy out of her system. We're past the stage of an infant who needs immediate comfort every time she whines, and she is most definitely complaining about the fact that she's been placed in bed, away from her favorite toys- if the cry becomes more urgent than just a complaint, I'll pick her up and we'll try another nap time tactic, like a walk with the Ergo or stroller, or sitting in Mommy's lap to watch a movie. But bedtime is always smooth, and she doesn't wake up in the middle of the night anymore.
Loving her stuffed puppy; waving at people in public; her toy piano; saying "Hi" on her toy cellphone; dancing to music; turning light switches on and off (but mostly off); opening and closing doors and drawers; the eternal struggle for the electronic devices she's not supposed to have; Sophie's Shapes; standing on her own; pushing things around the room, but not actually walking on her own yet; giving big, slobbery, open-mouth kisses.
Hating naps; getting into and out of the car too many times in a row; sitting still.
So that was months 10-12! I'm not sure how often I'm going to do these updates anymore- we'll only be taking birthday pictures on her actual birthday from now on, no more monthly photos, and I'm sure you're getting sick of all-baby-all-the-time around here, so I'm going to try to cut back a little bit.
How has life been for your little one lately?
Much love,
The Geeks
Growing chunkier by the minute, but her height growth has slowed down. The doctor said that genetics is starting to kick in- so she's probably going to be short like her Mommy. In the past week, she pretty much outgrew her whole 12 month sized wardrobe, so I took the opportunity to stock up the 18 month wardrobe :) I figure she should have an even wider selection, as she'll likely be in this size range for a while! Some of the 18 month stuff is still big- her jammies are rather roomy, and the parka I bought her for when it snows is definitely too long in the arms still, but her 12 month clothes were just getting too tight, so I don't mind pants that are a bit too long or sleeves that need to be rolled up.
Eating pretty much everything now. We have not yet done a proper peanut butter introduction, but we'll likely do that soon, but every other supposed allergen has been introduced now with no problems whatsoever. She has transitioned to cow's milk now during the day and doesn't seem to know the difference- but she prefers it in a bottle. We sort of skipped the traditional sippy cup and went straight to cups with straws in the lid, but the one she currently uses seems to frustrate her unless it has juice in it. I just bought some new straw cups yesterday, and sent them to day care this morning, so here's hoping she'll drink milk out of them today. I'm still nursing her when she wakes up and before she goes to sleep, and then whenever she wants it, and she has actually started asking for it when she's tired or cranky. I'm going on a business trip this week, so she'll be having cow's milk with her regular breakfast and then breast milk in a bottle at bed time- which hopefully is as effective as the breast at getting her in a comfortable, sleepy mood- so by the time I get back on Friday night, she may have weaned herself. I hope not! I didn't realize how much I would want to keep nursing- I hate pumping with the fire of a thousand suns, and I am very excited about a time in the near future when I can get dressed without worrying if my outfit is "boob accessible" as I like to call it, but I absolutely love the feeling of closeness we have when she's nursing, and it's definitely the most effective way to calm her when she's fussy or cheer her up when she's upset. Our goal was 1 year so she can wean at anytime and I'll be fine with that, but I hope it's not while I'm gone on this trip...
Talking about the puppy, all the time! Daddy has called her Puppy as a term of endearment since we brought her home from the hospital, and one day she started saying what sounded like "Bobby" over and over again. One day, he asked her, "Whatcha doin', Puppy?" and she repeated him- so that word was Puppy, not Bobby! We bought her a stuffed puppy for her birthday because we can't have the real thing right now, and she loves him! Until she names him something else, we call him Puppy, and she'll talk about him all the time- "Puppy, Puppy, Puppy, Puppy, Puuuuuuppy! Puh-PPY!" It's her favorite word, alongside Daddy and Mama, of course :) (The occasional Boogie and Booty get thrown in there still, for good measure, and she will wave and say Hi to people in public, which wins her a few Hi's in return.)
Making facial expressions which crack me up! She has this super cheesy grin that she puts on when she's trying to get you to smile- she's over-acting because she knows it will get a reaction from people, and it's the cutest thing I've ever seen. She also does this monkey routine if you ask her "Are you a monkey?" She'll put her hand under her armpit and pucker up her lips to say "ooh ooh ooh" and she makes us all laugh. When she's getting kind of tired, she starts acting really silly, and will do things like put her head in her hand and put her elbow on whatever surface she's nearest, like she's posing for a camera, or throw her head back until you kiss her under the chin and make her giggle. She's definitely reached the point where she knows how to make people smile and laugh, and she'll pull out every trick in her bag to keep her audience entertained.
Listening to Mommy sing Disney songs, as ever. She loves it when people sing anything, really, and apparently they do a lot of the traditional nursery rhymes at school, because she seemed to recognize "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" the first time I sang it to her (er, is it a song, or a chant?) and it's still her favorite, especially if you bounce her while you sing it. I'm more comfortable with the idea of her watching tv now, so we've put on a few Disney movies with the intention of watching them with her, but she'll only pay attention during the songs- otherwise she busies herself with her toys (as she should), or just falls asleep in your lap (which is even better). In addition to music, she loves being read to- and her favorite book is Sophie's Shapes that came with her Sophie the Giraffe toy. Mr. Geek and I both have it memorized because we've read it so many times, over and over and over again. The doctor said part of what she likes so much is the way we read it- I definitely recite it almost like a song, with the same inflection on the same words each time. We recited it together once, and she seemed a little startled at first, but then she clapped when it was over, like we'd just put on some performance for her. It's the only book in her library that she'll sit through the whole thing- she likes to hand you a book, let you read a couple of pages, then pick up a new one and ask for that instead.
Sleeping through the night still, and with a pretty regular routine. Between 7 and 8 I can put on her jammies, nurse her, and then put her in bed still awake and she'll fall asleep without a fight. This week when I'm out of town, Daddy has to do bedtime, and all he has is a bottle. We're both pretty nervous about how that's going to go, but I'm sure she'll be fine. Nap time is a bit of a battle, but we manage to get at least one 1 hour nap in every day- at school takes one nap that will last up to 3 hours, depending on how thoroughly they wear her out in the morning. Generally around 11 or so on Saturdays and Sundays I can nurse her and put her in bed, and she'll complain, throw all her stuffed animals on the floor, and even take off her pants, but after about 15 or 20 minutes, she falls asleep. On the rare occasion when she complains about bed time, I don't like to let her fuss for more than 5 minutes, but I'm more willing to let her cry at naptime, because she doesn't quite believe me when I tell her she's tired and she needs to work a bit of that energy out of her system. We're past the stage of an infant who needs immediate comfort every time she whines, and she is most definitely complaining about the fact that she's been placed in bed, away from her favorite toys- if the cry becomes more urgent than just a complaint, I'll pick her up and we'll try another nap time tactic, like a walk with the Ergo or stroller, or sitting in Mommy's lap to watch a movie. But bedtime is always smooth, and she doesn't wake up in the middle of the night anymore.
Loving her stuffed puppy; waving at people in public; her toy piano; saying "Hi" on her toy cellphone; dancing to music; turning light switches on and off (but mostly off); opening and closing doors and drawers; the eternal struggle for the electronic devices she's not supposed to have; Sophie's Shapes; standing on her own; pushing things around the room, but not actually walking on her own yet; giving big, slobbery, open-mouth kisses.
Hating naps; getting into and out of the car too many times in a row; sitting still.
So that was months 10-12! I'm not sure how often I'm going to do these updates anymore- we'll only be taking birthday pictures on her actual birthday from now on, no more monthly photos, and I'm sure you're getting sick of all-baby-all-the-time around here, so I'm going to try to cut back a little bit.
How has life been for your little one lately?
Much love,
The Geeks
Friday, November 14, 2014
Oh, Internet... {58}
It was so nice having a day off this week. We slept in, lounged around all morning, and then went out and hit the sales! That's my idea of a good day :)
And here's my idea of a good week on the internet!
As always, Carrots for Michaelmas has a beautiful reflection on life on her blog this week- this time on marriage. (She posted it the same day as my anniversary post...and managed to say what I was trying to say but much more eloquently!)
What happened on your internet this week?
Much love,
The Geeks
And here's my idea of a good week on the internet!
 |
| I'm in the market for a new coat and I love this one from ModCloth! |
 |
| I think I may be getting this for Chief for Christmas... // via ThinkGeek |
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| Merry Pizzamas! // via DFTBA |
What happened on your internet this week?
Much love,
The Geeks
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Wordless Wednesday: Parade Fun
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| the end of Disney's Electrical Parade in Magic Kingdom // *personal photo* |
Much love,
The Geeks
Monday, November 10, 2014
Two.
 |
| photo by One Photo Gallery |
It's hardly any time at all, and yet it feels like we've been married forever. It feels so easy, so right, to wake up next to you each morning, to go about my day knowing that you'll be there when I get home each night. Our life is not easy, but it's our life- not my life separate from your life, but our life, experienced together, side by side, hand in hand.
You're a different person from the boy who got down on one knee in the parking lot after taking me to the ballet. I'm a different person from the girl who was too excited to even say the word yes. And we should be different people- we've grown and changed together, constantly challenging one another to become better people and better spouses.
And we've become parents! We've learned how to grow a baby, how to give birth to a baby, how to care for that baby, how to parent that baby. We were ready to be parents because we were ready to be married- we were mature enough to put the needs of another person before our own, to no longer think of ourselves as individuals, but as "us." That doesn't mean we were prepared for parenthood- we didn't know there would be a third person to devote ourselves to so soon. But we learned together- we're still learning together. And I think we're pretty good at it.
 |
| *personal photo* |
Being married to you.
Today is truly a celebration of us- today is the second anniversary of our marriage, and our daughter's first birthday. We'll eat chocolate cupcakes (and she'll eat a chocolate cupcake, and make a mess, and it will be adorable), we'll have a fancy little home-cooked dinner, we'll open presents and put on our jammies and cuddle up together and watch a movie. Today we celebrate this life that is so very different from the one we were living two years ago.
It's different, but I think it's even better.
 |
| photo by One Photo Gallery |
Much love,
Mrs Geek
Friday, November 7, 2014
Oh, Internet... {57}
We've reached the end of my first week of blogging on my new Surface Pro 3- and I love it!
Here's a look at some of my favorite things from the internet this week.
Kendra at Catholic All Year shared a beautiful reflection on death for Hallowtide.
Allie at Everyday Adventures took an adult tap class...with a bunch of kids. Would you have stayed for the whole class, or chickened out and went home?
ModCloth is having an INCREDIBLE giveaway! Go enter! (Except don't enter because I want to win ^_^)
What happened on your internet this week?
Much love,
The Geeks
Here's a look at some of my favorite things from the internet this week.
Kendra at Catholic All Year shared a beautiful reflection on death for Hallowtide.
Allie at Everyday Adventures took an adult tap class...with a bunch of kids. Would you have stayed for the whole class, or chickened out and went home?
ModCloth is having an INCREDIBLE giveaway! Go enter! (Except don't enter because I want to win ^_^)
What happened on your internet this week?
Much love,
The Geeks
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Culinary Adventures: Creamy Stove Top Mac n Cheese
Last night, I wanted to make a super quick, super easy dinner. Chief had already fallen asleep and it wasn't even 6:00 yet (she woke up a couple of hours later, but she just nursed for dinner and then went right back to sleep), so I knew that Mr. Geek and I had the luxury of eating something that was not-so-healthy- something that would be extra delicious with a glass of wine on the couch while we watched some Cutthroat Kitchen on the DVR.
Enter: macaroni and cheese.
I found Alton Brown's recipe for a stove top mac 'n' cheese and used it as a sort of guide- I didn't have evaporated milk or dry mustard, for example, and I'm anti-hot sauce, so I improvised with ingredients that are most definitely NOT the same thing, but the result was an ooey-gooey delicious pot of creamy macaroni and cheese which looks exactly like the stuff in the blue box, but tastes even better!
Stove Top Mac n Cheese
Adapted from Alton Brown
-1/2 lb macaroni pasta (I used bowtie pasta)
-4 Tbsp butter
-2 eggs
-1/4 C heavy cream
-1 tsp dijon mustard
-salt and pepper
-8 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
-Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil; cook pasta according to package directions (mine was 8-10 minutes for al dente)
-Drain the pasta and lower the heat to low. Melt the butter in the (now empty) pot; add the pasta back to the pot and coat with the butter.
-Mix the eggs, cream, mustard, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Remove the pot from the heat momentarily and stir this mixture in. Once it's thoroughly coated, return the pot to the heat and stir in the cheese. Keep stirring until all the cheese is melted and the sauce looks nice and creamy.
If this were a side dish, you could probably get 4 servings out of it. We managed to finish the pot as an entree :) I think next time I might add a dash of paprika- because while hot sauce may not be my thing, this dish could probably use a little kick of something.
It's definitely not the healthiest thing I've ever made, but it was quick, easy, and exactly the sort of indulgence I needed midway through the work week.
What's your favorite weeknight comfort food?
Much love,
The Geeks
**my apologies for the crummy cellphone photo- I had no intention of sharing this recipe (which was really just a "I want some mac and cheese...this looks interesting...what if I add a little of this...") but when I shared the picture on social media, a couple of people actually asked for it! So here you are!
Enter: macaroni and cheese.
I found Alton Brown's recipe for a stove top mac 'n' cheese and used it as a sort of guide- I didn't have evaporated milk or dry mustard, for example, and I'm anti-hot sauce, so I improvised with ingredients that are most definitely NOT the same thing, but the result was an ooey-gooey delicious pot of creamy macaroni and cheese which looks exactly like the stuff in the blue box, but tastes even better!
 |
| *personal photo* |
Adapted from Alton Brown
-1/2 lb macaroni pasta (I used bowtie pasta)
-4 Tbsp butter
-2 eggs
-1/4 C heavy cream
-1 tsp dijon mustard
-salt and pepper
-8 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
-Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil; cook pasta according to package directions (mine was 8-10 minutes for al dente)
-Drain the pasta and lower the heat to low. Melt the butter in the (now empty) pot; add the pasta back to the pot and coat with the butter.
-Mix the eggs, cream, mustard, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Remove the pot from the heat momentarily and stir this mixture in. Once it's thoroughly coated, return the pot to the heat and stir in the cheese. Keep stirring until all the cheese is melted and the sauce looks nice and creamy.
If this were a side dish, you could probably get 4 servings out of it. We managed to finish the pot as an entree :) I think next time I might add a dash of paprika- because while hot sauce may not be my thing, this dish could probably use a little kick of something.
It's definitely not the healthiest thing I've ever made, but it was quick, easy, and exactly the sort of indulgence I needed midway through the work week.
What's your favorite weeknight comfort food?
Much love,
The Geeks
**my apologies for the crummy cellphone photo- I had no intention of sharing this recipe (which was really just a "I want some mac and cheese...this looks interesting...what if I add a little of this...") but when I shared the picture on social media, a couple of people actually asked for it! So here you are!
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Fashion Adventures: Do Leggings Count as Pants?
I'll be honest with you- up until a couple of weeks ago, I was firmly on Team Leggings Are Not Pants. And then I bought this amazing, beautiful, comfy sweater, and was about to wear it with jeans...when I spotted these ridiculous faux leather leggings in my closet. I've only ever worn these leggings under a dress (and then only maybe twice total) but I thought I would give this outfit a try...
AND I LOVE IT. I'm not even sorry. This is probably my favorite outfit in my wardrobe right now.
I think this is technically the "basic white girl uniform"- all I need is a Pumpkin Spice Latte and I'd be good to go. No, I'm not in college anymore and no, I've never been in a sorority. I have a baby (who is almost a year old!) and a husband and a full-time job at a desk in a cubicle where a little bit of my soul dies everyday.
I'm a grown up.
And I'm wearing leggings as pants.
And I may just do it again.
earrings: gift
necklace: gift
sweater: Kohl's
blouse: gift
watch: Kate Spade
leggings: Decree via PLNDR
boots: Target
So where do you stand in this epic debate? Can you wear leggings as pants if you're a grown up? (Or at all?)
Much love,
The Geeks
*all photos personal*
AND I LOVE IT. I'm not even sorry. This is probably my favorite outfit in my wardrobe right now.
I think this is technically the "basic white girl uniform"- all I need is a Pumpkin Spice Latte and I'd be good to go. No, I'm not in college anymore and no, I've never been in a sorority. I have a baby (who is almost a year old!) and a husband and a full-time job at a desk in a cubicle where a little bit of my soul dies everyday.
I'm a grown up.
And I'm wearing leggings as pants.
And I may just do it again.
earrings: gift
necklace: gift
sweater: Kohl's
blouse: gift
watch: Kate Spade
leggings: Decree via PLNDR
boots: Target
So where do you stand in this epic debate? Can you wear leggings as pants if you're a grown up? (Or at all?)
Much love,
The Geeks
*all photos personal*
Monday, November 3, 2014
Culinary Adventures: Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
Brr it's cold! Did you get snow on Halloween where you are? We didn't, thankfully, but it was still awfully chilly! I really hate cold weather...but I really love all the trappings of fall- football season, cardigans and tights, pumpkin everything, and warm, delicious soup!
I picked up 4 acorn squash a few weeks ago for a recipe that I saw on Food Network's The Kitchen, but it turned out I only needed 2, so I decided to use the other 2 for a soup! This is especially delicious when served with an ooey gooey grilled cheese sandwich on thick-sliced crusty bread.
Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
-2 acorn squash
-olive oil
-salt
-pepper
-1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
-1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
-1 C low-sodium chicken stock
-2 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 tsp ginger
-1/2 tsp dried sage
-Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut each squash in half and scoop out the seeds- save them and toast them up later as a garnish for the soup! Place the squash halves in a baking dish, flesh side up, and drizzle each with olive oil. Generously season with salt and pepper. Roast about 40 minutes, then allow to cool enough so you can handle them.
-Scoop the roasted flesh into the bowl of a food processor. Add in the chunks of carrot and garlic. Puree until smooth, drizzling in chicken stock as you go until you get the desired consistency. (You may find that you want more stock to really thin it out, or less, if you squash were tiny to begin with.) Depending on the size of your food processor's bowl, you might have to start pulsing before you add in all of your ingredients.
-Pour into a large soup pot and add the seasoning. (For a little kick, add a pinch of red pepper flake or a dash of chili powder- or both!) Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Serve warm, topped with toasted seeds.
Once you add the puree to the pot, you can use an immersion blender to try and pulverize the mixture some more, but I left mine at a thicker texture. When I asked Mr. Geek what he thought, he put on his best Chopped-judge voice and said, "Your flavors are great, but I have a problem with you calling this a soup, when it's clearly a puree."
Fair enough.
What do you like to eat when the temperatures drop?
Much love,
The Geeks
I picked up 4 acorn squash a few weeks ago for a recipe that I saw on Food Network's The Kitchen, but it turned out I only needed 2, so I decided to use the other 2 for a soup! This is especially delicious when served with an ooey gooey grilled cheese sandwich on thick-sliced crusty bread.
 |
| *personal photo* |
-2 acorn squash
-olive oil
-salt
-pepper
-1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
-1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
-1 C low-sodium chicken stock
-2 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 tsp ginger
-1/2 tsp dried sage
-Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut each squash in half and scoop out the seeds- save them and toast them up later as a garnish for the soup! Place the squash halves in a baking dish, flesh side up, and drizzle each with olive oil. Generously season with salt and pepper. Roast about 40 minutes, then allow to cool enough so you can handle them.
-Scoop the roasted flesh into the bowl of a food processor. Add in the chunks of carrot and garlic. Puree until smooth, drizzling in chicken stock as you go until you get the desired consistency. (You may find that you want more stock to really thin it out, or less, if you squash were tiny to begin with.) Depending on the size of your food processor's bowl, you might have to start pulsing before you add in all of your ingredients.
-Pour into a large soup pot and add the seasoning. (For a little kick, add a pinch of red pepper flake or a dash of chili powder- or both!) Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Serve warm, topped with toasted seeds.
Once you add the puree to the pot, you can use an immersion blender to try and pulverize the mixture some more, but I left mine at a thicker texture. When I asked Mr. Geek what he thought, he put on his best Chopped-judge voice and said, "Your flavors are great, but I have a problem with you calling this a soup, when it's clearly a puree."
Fair enough.
What do you like to eat when the temperatures drop?
Much love,
The Geeks
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