Thanksgiving Menu and Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Soup II

As Thanksgiving eve draws ever near (and our thawing turkeys take up what little space is left in the refrigerator), I've just started warming up my oven for a long evening of baking. Certainly I've switched the knob to preheat, but many a motivational speech has also been given. My oven has a mighty important job to do in the next 18 hours. If there was as much pressure on me to perform, I'd wish for a cheerleader too.

Tonight, however, I've decided to share a different kind of recipe with you. It has nothing to do with Turkey Day and does not pair well with sweet potato casserole and spoonfuls of gravy. In fact, I've specifically chosen not to share a Thanksgiving recipe with you (if you are lucky enough to cook the feast, the very last thing I want to do is send you off to the grocery store again). This particular recipe, instead, is reserved for after the holiday. Once tomorrow's long period of gluttony is over, I think I might need a little detox for a couple days (and maybe you feel this way too).

When that happens, this Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup will be waiting for you.

I've actually posted a very similar recipe before, but this time around I've made a few changes that might have made it even better. It features a puree of roasted vegetables and is filling enough to keep you satisfied until the next meal. Plus, since this is a vegetarian soup, I'm absolutely certain it would go perfectly with a side of leftover turkey sandwiches.

But, since Thanksgiving isn't over yet (and thousands of calories are still sitting in my kitchen waiting to be eaten), I would like to share my traditional holiday menu with you. Our house was chosen this year to host the main event and although it isn't nearly big enough to hold the 20 invited guests comfortably, I'm certain we'll manage just fine. Food does bring everyone together—figuratively and literally.

Thanksgiving Menu

Appetizers
Honey Rolls
Whole Wheat Rolls
Spicy Pumpkin Taco Dip

The Main Event
Turkey (the star of the show)
Ham
Cranberry Sauce
Grandma's Famous Stuffing (I could eat this and only this all day and be completely satisfied)
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Bean Casserole
Fruit Salad

Desserts & Snacks
Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas
Ranch Roasted Chickpeas
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake
Cranberry White Chocolate Tarts
Chocolate Gingersnap Tart
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (for the kids!)

Since I was aptly placed on dessert duty (and I can't seem to keep myself away from the butter and sugar), it turns out there will be nearly as many desserts as real dishes. Typical me. I just hope my guests leave room for dessert. I'll even settle for "willing to look for extra space that may or may not exist" (are you listening, dear relatives? Save space. It will be worth it, I promise).

If you came here this evening looking for a few last minute Thanksgiving recipes, I urge you to check out How Sweet It Is's list of 101 Thanksgiving Recipes. Oh, this is such a beautiful list!

What Thanksgiving dish do you most look forward to?

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup is a sweet and hardy soup. It features a thick puree of roasted vegetables, where the squash and apple take center stage. A little bit of cinnamon and nutmeg help to round out the flavors. This soup is delicious and nutritionally sound, making this a good meal for any autumn day. The flavors of the mushrooms and celery are hidden beneath the squash and apple, which makes this soup easily adaptable (you could easily add cauliflower or any other vegetable with a subtle flavor to pack in more nutrients).

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Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce

I don't do well with scary movies. In many ways, I'm the person scary movies were designed for. My fear is real. It doesn't matter if the film is about a mad man, zombies, or a haunted house—in every case, I'll want to sleep with the lights on (if I can sleep at all).

My first introduction to scary movies was the movie Signs (and, really, it's not even intended to be a scary film). During the final scenes, I literally hid beneath the couch cushions with my eyes shut tight and my hands over my ears. Up until that point, Disney villains marked my experience with frightening scenes. I had much to learn.

Despite the fact that I shouldn't watch scary movies, this weekend my mother and I rented the movie Rose Red, based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. It's a four hour mini-series (meaning four hours of pure terror for me) in which a group of people with psychic powers spend the night in a haunted house. It didn't matter that the special effects were cheesy, half the ghosts/bad guys were puppets, and the storyline didn't always make sense—I was genuinely afraid.

I hid my eyes when the scary music started, regardless of whether or not something scary was actually happening. I jumped at all the right moments. Halfway through, I shut the doors leading to the room, just in case something happened to sneak in when I wasn't looking. My mother had to repeatedly tell me that "it's not real, calm down" when I'd start to get jumpy. Three hours in, I had to shut off the movie because I couldn't handle the fear, much to my mother's dismay.

I told you I don't do well with scary movies. Maybe I should start watching them in the middle of the day.

These poached eggs in tomato sauce make a perfect light breakfast or lunch (and eggs look like suns, which is something I desperately want to see after a night of scary movies). Tomatoes compliment the eggs in an unexpected way. Serve with a side of veggies for a balanced meal. Alternatively, if you have leftover spaghetti sauce from the evening before, top poached or scrambled eggs with it and achieve the same effect. Simple, yet delicious!

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Savory Sundays: Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup is standard fare throughout the upper Midwest. In the middle of our cold and frigid winters, we look for hot and hearty foods to keep our insides nice and warm. Soup does just the trick.

It has become somewhat of a tradition in my family to make a big pot of soup on Sunday mornings. We all sit down to a big bowl and with a side of fresh bread and eat as much as we can possibly stand. My mom always loved these soup Sundays because there were so many leftovers it would feed us again on Monday and Tuesday. Plus, I always think soup tastes better the second time around. The flavors have really had a chance to meld together.

Wild rice is notorious for being extremely healthy. It has fewer calories than white rice and brown rice and still manages to hold far more nutrients in its small grains. Wild rice has three times as much fiber and twice as much protein as white rice. Compared to brown rice, wild rice has a third of the fat and half the sodium. Wild rice is packed with vitamins and minerals that contribute to a healthy and balanced diet.

Wild rice really has a unique and chewy texture. Even if you don't get around to making this soup, I still think you should give wild rice a try. You would be missing out on a flavor experience if you didn't give it a chance.

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup is a rich and hearty soup that will keep your insides warm when it's cold outside. The wild rice gives this soup an interesting texture and a subtle nutty flavor that complements the vegetables well. The addition of chicken turns this soup into a well-rounded meal. Find yourself some wild rice and make this today!

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