Recipe #2: Success

I made this resolution to try 25 new recipes this year. The first one was baked apples and pretty lousy.

The second one, however, was yummy. I made butternut squash soup from the Weight Watchers site.

We get a produce bin delivered every other week, and we have two giant butternut squashes from our last delivery. I have learned that butternut squash is, like many other squashes, a pain in the ass to cut.

I finally got it whacked into chunks through a combination of two normal knives, an electric knife, the microwave, cursing, and brute strength. Next time, I shall know: peel it, put it in the microwave for a long time--maybe 7 minutes or so-- then try to cut it with a serrated knife. If it doesn't cut easily, put it back into the microwave. Let the magnetron tube do the work.

Anyway, the soup is just butternut squash, an onion, an apple, some vegetable broth, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. It's easy (not counting the squash cutting), it's really good for me, it's fairly quick, and it's tasty.

Oh, and it's a zero point soup. Granted, it wasn't zero points considering the amount of it I ate, but it was still under 2. I'll give those of you familiar with WW a moment to sit in awe.

After the squash, onion, and apple have gotten soft in the veg. broth (they say 10 minutes, but I think it's longer), I used my brand-new immersion blender in it.

It. Was. A. Whack. Of. Fun.

I love the immersion blender. It's fast! It's shiny! It made chunks of squash into creamy goodness! It goes in the dishwasher!

I am now seriously considering only making things on which I can use the immersion blender. It was that much fun.

Granted, it may become tiresome to only eat things that could be consumed with a straw, but think what an edge we'll have if either of us loses our teeth!

The immersion blender I have also comes with a chopper and a whisk. I cannot imagine using a motorized whisk without ending up with a kitchen that looks like it came out of that Facts of Life episode where Jo tries to open a pizza shop. However, I'm excited about the chopping. I may acquiesce to occasionally preparing food that has to be chopped instead of blended.

Maybe.

I figure I'm batting .500 right now, and that's pretty darn good.