One of the Season's Best

What Do You Stay Awake For was a blog posting on August 29th. Caribou, a local coffee shop in our region, printed this question on their coffee cups. Reading a variety of customer answers scattered around the cup certainly gives one pause to think about what is worth staying awake for. Today when I made one of my repeat trips to the shop they have out another creative idea. It is such a simple concept but effective as a interactive coffee bonding activity. It is Tic Tac Toe game printed on a napkin. Now I realize many people may already have it as a mobile app or a downloaded game but I liked the idea of having it on a napkin. It encourages you to challenge someone to a game while enjoying your cup of coffee.

Butternut Squash Soup

adapted from The Lion a NYC eatery

Ingredients:

• 5 Tb. butter
• 6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 1 cup brown sugar (I cut back to 3/4 cup)
• 2 granny Smith apple peeled, cored and chopped
• 5 cups water (an optional suggestion chicken broth-low sodium)
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp dried sage leaves
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg for garnish

Directions:

• Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat
• Saute squash and brown sugar, stirring occasionally until slightly softened
• Add apples, water, cider, sage and cloves-bring to a boil
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 30 minutes
• Working in batches, puree soup in blender
• Return soup to pan and stir in heavy cream-heat but not to boil
• Optional: Add dollop of sour cream-dust with nutmeg

Butternut Squash Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium onion diced
• 1 small Butternut squash about 1 LB.
• 1 LB. fettuccine or bow tie pasta
• 6 TB. butter
• 7-10 whole sage leaves (depends on individual taste)
• 1/3 toasted pine nuts
• 1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Peel and cube squash
• Spray PAM on a cookie sheet
• Mix in a bowl 3 TB. melted butter, 2 tsp. brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon-baste squash with this mixture
• Cook @ 400 for about 15 -20 minutes
• In a fry pan add rest of butter, sage leaves and onions
• Caramelize onions till soft
• Cook and drain pasta-add it to butter/sage mixture with cooked squash and heat through
• To serve add shaved Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts