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Hi guys, I know I have been a bad, bad, blogger lately, sorry about that. But I really needed this time off to prepare my house for my supper duper end of the year. So there was loads of cleaning and organizing around here. Changing my summer outfits with fall and winter. You know…. dry-cleaning my winter stuff so they are all nice and snugly. Not that I will have much of a winter here at sunny California but still. Nice and snugly is a must for me.
I like to have a “spring cleaning” in every change of seasons, that way I never have an absurd amount of mess around me. My props though are becoming a big, huge situation here. I’m crazy about them, but they are getting a bit out of control. Well… what can I do? When I see beautiful little bowls or plates I can’t resist them. This week I organized all my kitchen utensils in pretty pitchers. It’s easier to use if they are not tucked inside drawers. And I think it looks darn cute. Non?
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Even my fridge was completely reorganized, so…. what I thought would take only 3 days actually took almost 3 weeks. But now I’m done and I can start fresh. It’s really impossible to ignore all the pumpkin around; it’s a pumpkin invasion. Everywhere you look there is a pile of pumpkins. So almost in a trance like state, I bought some too, and last night I was in the mood for some nice soup and it was also a chance to use my new yummy homemade chicken broth. You should definitely try to make your own. It’s totally worth the extra work.
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Roasted pumpkin Soup
- 2 medium butternut squash
- 8 garlic cloves
- 4 sage leaves
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- 2 cups of homemade chicken stock
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Peel the squash cut in half and clean up the seeds, then drizzle it with olive oil, add the garlic and the sage leaves. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, and roast for 30 minutes or until tender. When it’s done transfer to a soup pot and add the homemade chicken stock. Let it simmer for 8 minutes then with a hand immersion blender puree it. I garnished mine with bacon that I also roasted in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes or till crispy.
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Roasted chicken Stock
- 2 1/2 pounds chicken bones
- 1/4-cup olive oil
- 2 red onions, sliced
- 1 stalk celery
- 2 stalks leeks
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 8 cups water, or as needed
- 1 head garlic, halved
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F Arrange the chicken bones on a big ovenproof pot. Add the olive oil, onions, celery, leeks and carrots, garlic; roast everything for about 45 minutes, or until well browned. When it’s done fill the pot with enough water to cover the bones by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, and add the thyme, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Add more water if needed. Strain out all of the solids from the broth, drain off the fat, and refrigerate. You can also remove the fat after it has chilled. The stock will be thick. I like to use freezer bags for longer storage.