Thai Butternut Squash Soup

bowl of soup

Fall has officially arrived here in Ontario, the leaves are changing colour, the mornings are crisp and cool and the days are far too short.  It’s a favourite time for most because everyone is excited to break out their cozy sweaters and drink all the pumpkin spice lattes possible. It’s also the time of year when we are all craving cozy comfort food and we don’t mind the oven warming up the house.  

Soups are always a smart diner idea in the colder weather and can be prepared ahead of time to help with the everyday chaos we call life.   A warm bowl of soup is always a huge hit in my house. I used to be so intimidated by making soup until I actually started making them and they really couldn’t be easier.  I also just recently invested in an immersion blender and that is such a HUGE game changer. I question myself …why in the world did I wait so long to buy one. It has up’d my soup game BIG TIME!

I’m sharing one of my family’s favourite recipes with you guys.  A Thai Butternut Squash Soup. Not only is it packed with amazing curry and coconut flavours, it warms your body from head to toes. This recipe can be done on the stovetop or in the crockpot.  Oh, and the added bonus with this soup, your house smells AMAZING!!!!! You can definitely dial up the heat with this soup or leave it on the more mild coconutty side, either way, the flavours are not compromised.

Like most soups, this recipe is quite healthy loaded with vitamins.  Butternut Squash is high in antioxidants, low in calories and high in Vitamins A, B6, C,E and magnesium and potassium (who knew???).  The red thai curry paste reduces inflammation, helps with detoxification and aids in digestion. So not only is this soup packed with flavour, its bursting with health benefits.

This soup can be served as the main meal, the first course (which we did this year at Thanksgiving) or as a side dish.  Warm Naan bread for dipping makes this comfort food irresistible …

soup ingredients

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

  • Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes, 1-2inch cubes (about 4 cups)
  • ½ cup Cilantro
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tsp ginger, freshly grated
  • 1 yellow onion (medium)
  • 2 TBSP of RedThai curry paste
  • 1 15 ounce can of coconut milk
  • 2 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil
  • Optional  ½ cup peanuts (unsalted)
  • Sriracha

Directions

In a large soup pot, heat the oil on medium heat.  Saute the garlic and onion for about two to three minutes.  Add in the ginger and thai curry paste and cook for another five minutes.  Make sure when you are stirring you are scraping the bottom of the pot so none of the ingredients burn/stick.  

Pour in chicken or vegetable stock slowly,  stir well then add in the squash. Stir again making sure everything is combined and bring to a boil.  Once a nice rolling boil has been achieved, turn down the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes.

immersion blender for soup

Next use the immersion blender and pulse the soup making it a smooth velvety texture.  When using an immersion blender, place the blender at the bottom of the pot and pulse up with short strokes never bringing the head of the blender to the top.  I learned this the hard way…what a mess. If you don’t have an immersion blender, in batches pour into a blender until smooth.  

Once blended, pour in 90% of the coconut milk into the soup and stir.  Then squeeze the fresh lime juice into the soup and allow for the soup to simmer five minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
All done!…well almost…

When serving, pour the soup into the bowls (I know…thanks tips), drizzle the reserved coconut milk on top, garnish with cilantro and peanuts if desired and a swirl of Sriracha.

Serve with oven warmed Naan bread…you will thank me!

Tip: Before you pour the coconut milk into the soup, stir well!! If not, when you pour the majority of the milk without stirring, you are left with the watery portion of milk and that doesn’t look as pretty when swirling the remaining on top

Lori is a thirty something year old mom of four, living in the little town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Her passions include her family, fashion, and food. She loves preparing simple and delicious recipes that both kids and adults will enjoy.

Summer Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

When summer rolls around and berries are finally in season, this Summer Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp recipe is my go to dessert.

Raise your hand if you have a specific food that when you smell it, it immediately brings you back to your childhood days.

Smells trigger memories for me…turkey on Thanksgiving, pasta sauce simmering, but my most favourite is the smell of strawberry rhubarb crisp  It screams summer to me. So light, so fresh, and oh so delicious. It takes me back to my carefree (before having kids)…summer days.

But wait …it’s healthy too!!  My love language is definitely food, eating it yes, but more than that, preparing it for my family.

So when summer rolls around and berries are finally in season, this Summer Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp recipe is my go to dessert.  I even requested my mom plant rhubarb in her garden this past summer and it grew like crazy!!

Lets bake.

Summer Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Filling:

6 stalks of rhubarb, cut into ½ thick pieces

2 cups of strawberries, hulled and sliced

¼ cup of sugar (optional, I actually cut out the sugar because the sweetness of the strawberries is enough)

Topping:

1 cup of all purpose flour

½ cup of rolled oats

⅓ cup of sugar (again optional, i deleted the sugar here too)

⅓ cup of firmly packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of salt

½ cup of butter, melted

Instructions:

Heat your oven to 350 degrees and use a 9 x13 baking dish (if the baking dish is smaller that’s ok, it will be a thicker slice of heaven)

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together using a fork.  Then slowly add in the melted butter creating a crumb like mixture.

Spread the crumb mixture over the berries

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until you see the berries bubbling.  Bake it a bit longer if you like the crisp even crispier.

Best served warm with vanilla bean ice cream

Another yummy way to enjoy this is with vanilla Greek yogurt.  My kids have been eating it cold for breakfast with yogurt all summer long

A delicious fresh strawberry crisp is the perfect summer dessert.

Enjoy!!!

Tip ** buy the rhubarb in bulk and freeze it in batches of 6 stalks, that way it’s ready to go for this recipe

Lori is a thirty something year old mom of four, living in the little town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Her passions include her family, fashion, and food. She loves preparing simple and delicious recipes that both kids and adults will enjoy.

Baby Products You Can Use in Your Beauty Routine

How many times have you gone to wash your face at night or reached for your dry shampoo only to find out that they’re empty?

We are often so busy focused on everything else that we forget to keep our personal supplies stocked. The things we always make sure to never run out of, though, are baby products. It only takes one diaper change with an empty diaper wipe container to make sure things like that never happen!

So, since your baby supply is probably the equivalent of a fully stocked Costco, here are 5 baby products you can use in your beauty routine!

Baby Products you can use in your beauty routine - Elyse Morency for Nesting Story

Baby Wipes

When you’ve run out of makeup remover, baby wipes are a great replacement. They’re great at removing any makeup, dirty, and oils sitting on the skin. This is something that I keep in my makeup kit while working on clients because it does such a great job of cleaning the skin!

Baby Wash

Baby wash is one of those secret weapons that can be extremely useful in your beauty routine. It is designed to be gentle on the skin and makes a great face wash! Most baby washes are fragrance free, hypoallergenic, and have a moisturizing formula which ensures a great cleanse without stripping your skin of all the good oils.

Another great use for baby wash is cleaning your brushes. It cuts through makeup grime and maintains the quality of the bristles.

Baby wash is great for your face too -  Elyse Morency for Nesting Story

Body Lotion

If you’ve run out of face moisturizer, using a baby body lotion is a great alternative. Any scent free baby lotion works amazing since it won’t clog pores and is typically a light consistency. My favourite body lotions to use on my face when I’m in a pinch are Glaxal Base and Cerave. Both have done wonders for keeping my skin hydrated and clear.

 baby products you can use in your beauty routine - Elyse Morency for Nesting Story

Baby Powder

There is nothing worse than waking up in the morning and realizing you don’t have time to wash your hair. Grab some baby powder and sprinkle it on your roots and work it in to absorb the oils. It’ll take away the oily look and add a fresh scent to your scalp!

Diaper Cream

Diaper cream works really well as a spot treatment for dry skin. Before you go to bed, apply your moisturizer to a clean face, and then top the dry spots with diaper cream. In the morning when you wake up, remove the cream and your should find the dry patches have cleared up. Diaper cream does a great job of locking in moisture and creating a barrier so the skin can heal, perfect for any irritations you might have!

Unexpected beauty products mom's can use - Elyse Morency for Nesting Story

If you want to learn more quick makeup tips that you can add to your everyday makeup routine, check out www.elysemorency.com. You can also find Elyse on Instagram at www.instagram.com/elysemor/ where she talks about the real and raw life of motherhood and makeup!