Day 23: What's Butternut???

So far, my favorite things about this Paleo deal are as follows:

1. I'm cooking again. And using real food. It's easy when you get used to a life of convenience, you just eat/make whatever's fastest. I fell into it's trap. Cooking actually food became something that only happened for special occasions. That is so sad to me!!! But that is how sooo many people are these days. Who has time to cook? The answer is, no one. You have to decide that cooking is a must, and a priority. So happy to be back in the kitchen!

   

   Found this is a Fitness magazine today and had
   to take a picture of it. Love it!

2. I'm trying new things, new recipes. I feel creative again! Even if I'm following someone else's recipe, I just feel...liberated. I'm trying recipes I would never, EVER try normally. And the really amazing thing is, so far I've loved all of it, save one recipe. And go figure, it was the once recipe I would be likely to try, Paleo or no. 
3. I'm eating vegetables!!! You don't understand. It's not that I dislike vegetables...it's just that I don't go out of my way to eat them. While it may not seem like it, I am eating way, WAY more vegetable than I ever have before. And while we're on the subject of vegetables....

I made a delicious soup today, using butternut squash. This falls under reason #2 in every way. Not only did I use a recipe I normally wouldn't, I used a vegetable I'm pretty sure I've never had. Hmmm....Yep, nope, I have definitely never had butternut squash. That doesn't even sound good to me. I don't even know what possessed me to make this soup! But I'm glad I did. 

Look at how hearty it looks! So thick and creamy...this soup would be perfect company on a snowy winter day as you sit curled up in blankets on a couch in front of a fire while reading a book (Oh my goodness, that sounds like heaven right now!). Besides peeling the the squash (who has two thumbs and needs a new vegetable peeler? This girl!), this was a super easy recipe. Here is how I made it. 

Just look at those beautifully roasted veggies! 

The recipe tells you to use an immersion blender, which I don't have. As you can see, this meant getting a little creative with my little Ninja blender. Worked just fine though!

And that is it! Just blend it all together and done! If you make the soup according the the instructions, using only 3 cups of chicken broth, it'll come out SUPER thick. I would recommend using just a bit more, maybe 1/2-3/4 cup more. Also, you'll notice the recipe calls for butter when you are combining the vegetables and broth. I just omitted it and didn't use anything in it's place. It wasn't missed at all. Good luck with your soup!

Food Log:
1 Carne Asada taco, minus the tortilla
A serving of black beans (technically not paleo, but a food considered by the diet to be okay every once in awhile. I was starving and at work. I went for it.)
Lots of cashews and walnuts
Celery and Almondbutter
Blackberries and Raspberries
A boiled egg
Soup
Baked chicken
Couple of pieces of 85% dark chocolate...my sweet tooth was in full force!