Heavenly Butternut Squash Soup

Mmmmm what makes me think of fall more than Butternut Squash Soup? Not many things especially because my soup includes pumpkin and sweetpotatoes. We took a trip to the farmers market and found some delicious looking squash! Here is how you (painstakingly) make the most delicious butternut squash soup ever!

Heavenly Butternut Squash Soup

To begin, preheat your oven to 375 

degrees Fahrenheit. Slice your butternut squash length wise and place face down on a pan. I oiled the flat side before baking to help keep the moisture in. Bake at 375F for 1hr.

While the squash bakes, sautée 1/2 of a chopped onion in 4 TBS of butter until tender.

Remove from oven & Flip the squash over. Once they've cooled down a bit, scoop out and discard the seeds and stringy bits. Remove the skin and place butternut squash in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add sautéed onions and butter. Fill pot with chicken stock until just covering the squash. I added 1/2 a cup of pumpkin purée and one large yam (cooked in microwave and removed from skin) to the squash. Cook ingredients on a simmer for 20 minutes. During this time add: 

1 TBS minced garlic

2 TBS brown sugar

2 tsp of Marjoram

Cinnamon & Nutmeg to taste

1 8oz package of fat free cream cheese

Once cooked and combined run the soup through the food processor in batches to smooth it out.

Then pour through the finest strainer you have and scrape as you go.

Any thick bits that can't go through the strainer go back in the food processor or blender. Once the whole batch is processed and strained, place in a large serving bowl.

The extra work is more than worth it! Play with this recipe to make it your own and tell me all about your adjustments! 

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Suburban Chicken Raising

All of my friends know that I have wanted chickens since seeing my sister in law get them down in Alabama. We have done the research, visited the local hatchery, and gotten advice on chicken raising. Last night I stumbled upon my husband looking at coop designs. Since it's the fall (and not the spring as we had planned) it could only mean one thing! I'm getting a chicken coop and chickens for my birthday!!! My birthday is only a month away and I don't think I can stand the wait!! Bless his heart, it's impossible to surprise me. 

We are calling the hatchery on Monday to order three Golden Buff pullets. It's all very exciting. Start saving those egg cartons for me :)

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Indian Costume For Parties

Are you aware that halloween stores run clearances before it's even October? I wasn't but now I am a fan! The hubby, toddler, and I went on a trip to the halloween store yesterday. We ended picking up a play costume for Elena. Even though I made one myself, it turns out that it is beautiful to look at and put her in but she can't really play in it. Not to mention, it creates a glitter bomb in my house just breathing on it. (; Not so practical when attending halloween parties at friends' houses. So anyways, I was completely blown away to find a clearance section a halloween store. It was even better that my favorite costume I found for Elena was marked down to a cool ten dollars -SCORE! 

So I have two Disney inspire costumes for her this year; Pocahontas & Tinkerbell.

I'd say she's a lucky girl either way and I'm a lucky mommy :)

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The 30-Day Lipstick Challenge

I am a lipgloss girl. I just am. I have never worn lipstick unless you count the unspeakable teen years; let's not go there! Something got into me today (let's hope I'm pregnant) and I bought my first tube of red lipstick. It's taken me 25 years to get here but here I am. Knowing me and my "go big or go home" attitude, I naturally went from clear lipgloss to Revlon's Really Red Matte Lipstick in 2 seconds flat. I did a little google search since my teeth aren't the whitest and chose this color for its blue undertones; whatever that means! 

My little challenge will be to wear my red lipstick everyday (not in the gym) from morning till I brush my teeth for bed. Will you take the challenge? Tonight doesn't count as I just tried applying it for the first time but I am scared/excited/thrilled/nervous but ready to find out if I can rock the red! 

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Oh Autumn, how I love thee.

Oh let me count the ways...

Seriously. This is my favorite time of year. Throw open the windows and let that crispy fall air blow through. I love everything about this time of year! Today, during nap time, I started to bring out my fall decor.

I even purchased the super cute scrapbook paper for my kitchen drawer windows. Color me obsessed. 

Even my bookshelves are made over at this time of year. 

My fall decor is endless and it takes awhile to clean and place all the items. 

I also bought a Pumpkin Buttercream scented Yankee Candle Tart for my warmer and let's just say it smells heavenly in my house today. Time to get on Pinterest  for all those amazing pumpkin recipes! Tootles! 

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Tinkerbell Halloween Homemade Costuming

When I think of homemade costumes I think of falling apart, ragged, crappy looking 80s prom dresses that your mom took in and hemmed to fit you when you were eight years old. I never  thought that I would be making my daughter her Halloween costume now but that day has come my friends, scared yet? The truth is it was easy and actually turned out really nicely, much to my memory's dismay ;). 

And so Elena will be Tinkerbell this year, much to my hubby's dismay. He somehow got it in his head that we were going to be a zombie family. Just wait till he finds out that he's going to be Peter Pan... Hehe in tights! What kind of homemade costumes will all of you be making?

-Jenn

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Welcome home y'all. My name is Jenn and I am a northern born southern girl. My blog it all about child raising, family feeding, crazy crafting, and all around Baker Family nuttiness. 

I have a SUPER family. My wonderful husband, sweet daughter, and I just moved back to Ohio from Alabama. 

So happy to be back home!

-Jenn B