Is it fall yet?

I think maybe that I should just go on vacation to Saskatchewan for the months of July and August.

I’m not a fan of heat. I prefer chilly and breezy. I’d rather wear a sweater than a pair of shorts. I sunburn with ridiculous, crispy ease. And when it comes to the sunny, sweltering heat of the dog days of late summer, I am not at my best. I’m not sure how many 100+ degree days we’ve had thus far, but I do know that it’s too many, and that it’s not stopping soon.  Monday is supposed to be a high of 105.

{aren’t my cupcakes pretty? I made them for a work event. They were really tasty!}

I am longing for the temperatures to slink back into the 80s, as they will in late September. I’m beginning to scour blog posts and craft forums for mentions of fall projects (pumpkins! scarecrows!). I have picked out my Halloween costume already.  Plus, I saw a notice about choosing yarn for holiday gifts yesterday and it made me deliriously happy. Soon! I thought. Soon there will be an end to summer!

{here’s Callie, practicing the ancient feline art of Being Where She’s Not Supposed to Be while Pretending She Belongs There Anyway}

Heat appears to suck my creativity and energy out through my ears, leaving scattered unfinished projects in its wake, projects I cannot imagine wanting to ever complete. I can’t say that I’ve managed to summon more than a passing interest in my crochet hooks or sewing machine for weeks now. Heat also makes me irritable. If you’ve ever wanted to start an argument with me, I’d recommend catching me outside at 3:30 pm on a 100-degree Thursday in late July.  Today, for example.

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Heat is why I decided to make butternut squash soup the other day. It was a frustrated longing for fall, combined with the timely arrival of a butternut squash and some sweet potatoes in my weekly vegetable delivery. Although I realize squash is a summer vegetable, I’ve always associated it with fall, along with other items like sweet potatoes and yams. The lovely golden color makes me think of harvest, and October.

I’ve always intended to make this soup, but for some reason I never have, and wow! I have a new favorite food, I think. It was really tasty. What I eventually made was an amalgamation of several recipes - all, and yet none of them. I will tell you what sold me on making soup was the quote at the top of one recipe: “this soup is the perfect way to warm up on a cool autumn day.” Just what I needed at the end of July.

Here’s what I did - it makes enough for 2:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 3/4 cup diced red or yellow onion
• 3 cups vegetable broth/stock
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 10 sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped from stems
• 1 hot pepper (serrano or cayenne), deseeded & deveined, diced (optional)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 c. milk

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender. Add the butternut squash and sweet potatoes (should make about four cups) to the pot, the thyme, the turmeric and the hot pepper (if you want a bit of spice) and pour in the vegetable stock/broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the vetegables are tender, stirring occasionally.

After the vegetables are tender, cool until no longer boiling. Then puree it in a blender or food processor. If you have too much, you may have to do this step in batches. When the mixture is smooth, return it to the soup pot and stir in a half-cup of milk and heat through.

Serve warm with a sprinkling of parmesan and some crusty toasted bread on the side. Mmmm, fall!  (if only in my mind)