Author: Carrie

Butternut Squash Soup

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One of my favorite soups to make during the fall season is butternut squash soup.  It is very healthful as Rachel Ray would say.  It is simple and to make and easy on the waistline.  In fact, I usually use this as my afternoon snack instead of reaching for a carb.

Ingredients

Two butternut squash (peeled and cut into cubes), one diced onion, two quarts of chicken stock, olive oil, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt

Directions

1. Coat the bottom of a soup pot with olive oil.  Sauté onion with a touch of salt until tender.

2. Add the butternut squash to the pot.  Add chicken stock to cover the squash.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the squash is tender.

3.  Once the squash is tender, use an immersion blender to puree the contents of the pot.  If you do not have an immersion blender, you can place small batches of the soup in a regular blender.  Be careful not to fill it too full because you don’t want a squash explosion.

4.  Once the soup is pureed, add fresh ground nutmeg and black pepper to your liking.

American Reunion: Middle Township Style

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Last night was my ten year high school reunion.  I made the right decision when I decided to go because I learned a lot from everything that happened last night.  Here are 3 major discoveries that I made.

1.  If  you see an old high school classmate out at the bar and they don’t say hi to you, it doesn’t mean that they are avoiding you.  In fact, I learned that it is quite the opposite.  I was told that I intimidated them.  Who knew?  All this time I was intimidated by them, so I never said hi when in fact I think they wanted to say hi to me.  Why do we let ourselves become so terrified of social rejection that it makes us incapable of human interaction.  Resolution #1:  I will always say hi to someone I would like to start a conversation with in the future.

2.  Classmates you thought were “popular” in high school, weren’t really popular at all.  They were only popular because you placed them on the pedestal that they stood on.  Resolution #2: I will only show respect to those that deserve it.

3. People don’t really change that much after high school.  Yes we grow older and become more educated in life, but we are still the same people.  We have the same personalities that are the backbone of our selves. If you didn’t want to initiate conversation with a classmate then, you still won’t care to talk to them ten years later. Resolution #3: I will only take the time to talk to people who make me laugh instead of cry.

Middle Township Class of 2002…see you in another ten years.

 

Hidden Treasures of Grandma’s Attic

Carrie1 Comment

If you ever have to clean out an elderly person’s house, please don’t pass up the chance.  Though it can be a lot of work, you can find a lot of wonderful things hidden in the closets and attic.  Remember, they have lived a long life and collected many treasures over the years.  While cleaning out my grandma’s attic I have found many diamonds in the rough.  Here is one I found last week.  I found it in this old beat up cardboard box as a frame and many strands of crystals.  After a little TLC, it turned into this wonderful chandelier.  Now, I just need to find the perfect place to hang it and a good electrician to install it.  I am not that handy…that’s why I need to find a handy husband.  If you know of any, send them my way.