Definitely a soup day.

Ava and I got chilled to the bone trying to hurry up and plant some thornless blackberry starts ahead of the rain.  After stoking up a good fire, I decided soup was definitely on the menu for the evening!

I planted 16 Waltham butternut squash vines this summer and they were very prolific.  I ended up with a stockpile of nearly 100 squash heaped in a dark corner of my basement.  Certainly enough to last through winter.  Don't be surprised if I give you squash for Christmas!

Potato soup has long been my favorite, but last year I came up with the following recipe for butternut squash soup, which in my book far surpasses potato.  This is my own version and after a several batches, I believe I have finally reached perfection.  The coffee shop I used to work for in college served homemade butternut squash soup and I was always too picky to try it.  I did not realize what I was missing out on!  It is creamy and savory, slightly sweet and the ginger makes for a pleasing accent.  Serve it up with the firmest, crustiest bread you can find, like a chewy french or artisan bread, lightly toasted and buttered.  Good stuff! 

Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 large or 2 small butternut squash


• 2 medium yellow onions, sliced


• 2 (14 oz.) cans of chicken broth


• 1/2 stick of butter, plus 2 tbsp.


• 1 tsp. of ginger (or more, to taste)


• 1 tbsp. salt


• 1/2 tsp. black pepper


• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Using a veggie peeler, remove all skin from squash, cut into 1-2" cubes.


2. Place squash in a large soup pot and add just enough water to barely cover, toss in a little salt, cover with lid and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender.


3. Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt 2 tbsp of butter and saute onion until caramelized.


4. Drain squash, reserving the water.  Add in carmelized onion and puree in blender until completely smooth.


5. Return puree to pot and add the chicken broth, 1/2 stick of butter, ginger, salt and pepper.  Add enough of the reserved cooking water to reach desired consistency.


6. Over medium-low heat, slowly bring the soup back up to a simmer, stirring occasionally.


7. Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream.  Serve with bread and enjoy!

Also, I recently learned that you can eat butternut squash seeds, just like pumpkin seeds.  (They are related.)  Wash your seeds, drain and spread out on a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with a little melted butter and salt to taste.  Toast in a 325 degree oven, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted.  These are great just to snack on or would make a crunchy addition to a salad.

A tribute to my father-in-law and his roses.

Today is the one year anniversary of my husband's father passing.  I wanted to post some pictures of his famous roses in his honor.  At the time of his death he was maintaining 67 rose bushes planted on the hillside behind his house.  He was one of the most amazing greenthumbs I've ever known and it is a tremendous loss to me to no longer have him around and his garden wisdom.

He was a retired coal miner, school bus driver, former boxer and Vietnam Vet.  To look at him, you would never guess what a love he had for flowers, roses in particular. 

He tended to his roses almost daily, cutting blooms every other day to keep them prolific.  He did not like to use sprays on his roses because he wanted you to be able to smell them without burying your nose in pesticides.  He faithfully picked japanese beetles by hand. 

While he had many beautiful varieties of floribundas,  grandifloras and hybrid teas, what he valued most in a rose was its scent.  And it was his joy to give them away!  He was known around town for his roses and made many a lady's day by unexpectedly presenting her with a bouquet.  He'd give them to the nurses in the doctor's offices, which he frequented often because of his health problems and melted the icy hearts of many a receptionist at the VA clinics.

This was a hobby he took up as he was recovering from a brainstem stroke suffered at the young age of 50.  It is known now that his exposure to Agent Orange is linked to stroke.  He was such a big, strong, bear of a man and his doctors believe that his exceptional health at the time, in addition to early detection allowed him to survive this kind of stroke when most die from it.

This time last year, after a successful week of ginseng hunting, he went to bed, had another stroke in his sleep and was gone.  He had made an amazing recovery from the first stroke, but we knew the threat of another was always there.  But we never expected to lose him so soon.  He was only 57 years old.

We still have his rose garden to help keep his memory blooming in our hearts.  My brother-in-law does his best to give it the care it deserves.

Here are a few shots of his roses from a couple years ago.  I used these to make coasters for Christmas presents one year.  My mother-in-law has commissioned me to make 7 more to give in memorial to his close family and friends.

[gallery link="file"]

Honey bees on white cosmos.

My dad says it has gotten too cold to open up the bee boxes now and that I should give them an entrance feeder and leave them alone until spring.  Given the weight of honey in the boxes and the vigorous bee activity visible from the outside, we believe they are quite healthy.  I do have to replace the bottom board though, as mice have made swiss cheese of it.  A couple bales of straw behind it for a windbreak and we should be set for winter. 

I really look forward to getting a look inside next spring!  I am going to purchase a second hat and veil and set of gloves for my husband so we can work them together.  He is really finding himself fascinated with these amazing little insects.  Their intricate design is a wonderful testimony to God's Creation.  I can't wait until I can get my daughter in a little bee suit of her own.  This will be a really cool educational experience for her someday.

The thrill of victory!

I got 'em home.  Took lots of duct tape, but we made it!

This was a very complicated scenario for a bee-ginner's first experience handling bees.  Aside from the hive being knocked over at an angle, there were also holes in 3 of the 4 corners from mice chewing.  It took me FOREVER to get it closed up enough to pick up the hive and move it.  Then we had to come through brush, briars and mud to get it on the truck.  I lost my boot in the mud at one point and had a really hard time pulling it out!

But we came out of it with very few stings (3 for me, hand and both wrists), and one for Brandon on the bee-hind after sitting down in the truck.  LOL.  (Forgive the puns!  I can't help myself!!)

Having the veil and other protective clothing on makes one very brave!  I feel as if I just conquered the world.

Once we got back home, we decided to leave the hive sitting in the truck bed for right now.  Tomorrow I will need to build another hive bottom before I set them up permanently.

I am eager to open it up and see how they're doing inside!  I hope they are healthy.