Cranberry Orange Butternut Squash Noodles

Someday I'm going to start a non food blog.  I've decided it's going to be called "The Little Things".  Or, something along those lines because I'm sure that name has been claimed.  I love it though because I find great joy in the little things in life.  I think it's important to notice them and recognize them.  That being said, I had a pretty amazing week last week full of "little" things.  It all started on Sunday morning.  Josh and I almost always go grab breakfast at our favorite Mexican restaurant before church and enjoy some breakfast tacos.  Instead of date night, we have date morning and I love it.  Anyway, there was another couple sitting at a table nearby and they asked if we were from Kansas.  As I looked down thinking I had totally lost it and forgot to change out of my KState sweats for church he mentioned he noticed our license plate.  In case you're keeping track, that's the second person who has noticed our out of state license plate and said something about it and welcomed us to Texas.  I think it's going to be my new go to move for trying to be kind.  I mean, seriously, it is a good way to welcome people!  Anyway, we talked a bit, but then went about our eating.  When we went to leave, they had paid for our breakfast!  I'm telling you, the nicest people live here.  And, I really think that's saying a lot because the Midwest is pretty stinkin' friendly as well. 
 
While that completely made my day that's not the end of my fantastic Sunday.  We headed to church and turns out I was in for a delightful sermon.  One of the assistant pastors was teaching.  Don't get me wrong, I love our pastor.  However, when Austin preaches, I'm really all ears.  Allow me to paint a little picture for you.   Actually, just look at this one. 
 
 

 
I think we can all agree Mr. Mcconaughey is not only good looking, but his voice is unlike any other. (Cue the radio ad for beef he did.  Yowzas.)  It's his smooth, southern, sexy voice that makes you just want to close your eyes and listen.  Well, his voice double was preaching right here in Temple, TX and it was glorious.  Can I get an amen?!

Just those two items on Sunday were enough to make a girl thankful, but it got even better later in the week when I tried out my new SPIRALIZER.  If you follow me on Instagram you know my excitement.  Yes, I'm that girl who always posts food picture and no, I will never apologize for it. 
 
I would like to introduce you to the new item that you should all go buy immediately.

 

It looks intimidating, but it's super easy to use.  I first heard about it from www.ohsheglows.com and it's been on my wish list for months.  Once I went gluten free I knew I just had to try it.  You can find it here.

 

I made cranberry orange butternut squash noodles.  Honestly, I would not have picked this recipe except for the fact that when I decided to use my spiralizer I needed a recipe that I already had all the ingredients for.  Otherwise, I would have looked at it and thought it would be too sweet for me.  WRONG.  It was superb!  So delicious, in fact, that I made it again that night for dinner.  I was so excited I literally had visions of throwing a Spiralizer party.  I'm cool like that.  (Can you say, nerd alert?!)
 

 

Cranberry Orange Butternut Squash Noodles
Recipe from: www.inspiralized.com

Ingredients
 

For the glaze:
 

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup water

1/4 cranberry juice (I used 100% pure apple juice because I had some leftover from another recipe)

1 cup cranberries (I used a mix of cranberries and currants and used a little less than this recipe calls for to cut down on sugar)

1 tsp orange zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice from your orange

salt and pepper, to taste

 

For the rest:

1 butternut squash, peeled and made into noodles

cooking spray

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup pecans

honey, to drizzle (I didn't do this as I didn't feel it needed it)

 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

 

Place a medium saucepan over high heat and place in all of the ingredients for the orange-cranberry glaze. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes or until sauce thickens and liquids reduce. When done, turn off the heat, pour into a bowl and let thicken as it cools.

 

While the glaze is cooking, get ready to bake your noodles. Place them in a baking tray coated with cooking spray. Season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside.

 

Once the glaze is done and you've turned off the heat and set it aside in a bowl, bake the noodles for 5-7 minutes or until noodles wilt and become soft. Remove from the oven and pour into a serving bowl.

 

Then, in one of the baking trays used, add in the pecans. Drizzle with oil and place in the oven for 3 minutes.

 

While the pecans are roasting, stir your glaze and pour it on top of your noodles, carefully. Once the pecans are done, place them on top of the glazed noodles.

 

Before serving, toss the noodles, glaze and pecans so that the glaze coats all of the noodles.

That's it!  It really was very simple and oh so tasty!

 



 

This picture is ugly (okay, even uglier than my pics usually are), but I also made some zucchini noodles with black beans, tomatoes, peppers and plantains on top a couple days later.  I felt super fancy and it was so yummy.  You all will come to my Spiralizer party, right?!  I'll share this recipe later because you all need some time to go buy your own noodle maker!

  
In case you're wondering, my amazing little things streak did end yesterday.  No worries, my life is still very blessed, but I did want to snap at the Lulu sales chick that was making me crazy.  Here's the deal.  In my mind, the perfect salesperson at a retail store greets you and then hangs out in sight somewhere so that should I need you I can find you and ask a question.  Until then, back off.  I'm a big girl who can make my own decisions.  I'll ask you if I care for your input.  I am not kidding when I say, everything I touched she had a comment for.
 
Oh, those ear warmers are the best.  You know they have a reflective trim?  (I held back my angry eyes by not looking at her when spoke to me hoping she'd get the hint)
 
That jacket is soooo great.  It even has a hood.  Super perfect for a rainy day like today. (I'm sorry, what part of me as I read the tag that says it's a water resistant jacket made me look like I was still in question?)
 
Those shorts are fabulous.  Can I start you a fitting room? (No, you can't because they aren't my size and just because I touch something doesn't mean I want it or want your help!)
 
Don't worry.  I didn't really respond with those answers.  I was polite, but come on!  Anyway, instead of going to Lulu you should go to Amazon and buy a Spiralizer so you can make this recipe!  Enjoy!

Kelly Ripa's Butternut Squash Soup

 

 

In a perfect world, I would wake up each morning and share a morning cup of coffee with Kelly at 9 a.m.  Instead, reality arrives and I DVR her and Reg...I mean, Michael each day and usually end up watching many days worth at once towards the end of the week.  I love how she is so quick on her feet with her banter and her story telling ability is always entertaining.  Basically, she's everything I'm not, which is probably why I find her so entertaining.  I bore people with my stories, there's never a punchline, and quick on my feet?  Never.  I always think of "funny" things 10 minutes later when it doesn't matter anymore.  Personality wise, we are quite opposite, but I must stick with my fellow flat chested females.  She rocks it and I love it.  Oooh, and our husbands are hotties.  Love you, Josh.  Lastly, she shares some spectacular recipes on her show.  I don't know if that means she likes to cook, but I'm going with it as our third similarity.  With those similarities I'm sure she could overcome my dullness and we'd be great friends if we met.  For sure. 

 

Tonight was soup night at my parents and my mom made a recipe Kelly shared on the show last week and it was the bomb.  Seriously, you need to make this as soon as you can.  I liked it so much I'm blogging the recipe for you a few short hours after I ate it. 

 

 

 

This isn't the butternut squash soup.  This is a dish we only get a few times a year and my dad made some for us.  We used to have an Asian restaurant and this is our hot and sour soup.  Top secret recipe, sorry, I can't share, but it was a special treat so I had to put a picture on here!

 

 



 

This is the butternut squash soup.  Isn't it pretty?  Props to my mama for presentation.  She swirled our honey on top and I've got a story about those pecans.  When we went to the TCU game a couple weeks ago we went to her friends sons house before the game to tailgate.  He had two huge pecan trees in his yard and pecans were everywhere.  I mean, all over the yard.  We each grabbed a ziploc and filled it up as pecans were literally falling from the tree all around us.  When we got home we both cracked open some of those bad boys and the taste was incomparable to any pecan I've eaten.  Fresh is best.  Sadly, although there was an abundance of them, we each only took one bag.  I'm rationing mine and I might have to hide some soon because Josh eats them like crazy as well.  The fact that my mom shared them with me and garnished my soup with freshly cracked pecans shows how much she loves me.  A lot. 

 

Next time you go to the store, grab these ingredients and make yourself some of Kelly Ripa's soup.

 

 

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients For Herb Pouch

• 3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 4 Whole Cloves
• 1 Star Anise Pod*
• 1 Teaspoon Peppercorn

*I didn't know what star anise was until a few years ago when I worked at an Asian restaurant in Vegas and we used it. It's a Chinese spice that's shaped like a star, hence it's name.  My mom couldn't find the pods at the store, but she found the spice ground up so we used a little bit of that and it worked just fine. 

Ingredients For Soup

• 2 Tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Shallots
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 4 cups Chicken Broth (My mom used vegetable)
• 1 Large Butternut Squash
• 3/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Steps

• Cook finely chopped garlic and shallots in olive oil until translucent, about 2-5 minutes.
• Add chicken broth, then the herb pouch (simply wrap herbs in cheese cloth to make the pouch). Then add salt and pepper to taste, and cubed squash.
• Partially cover and let simmer for 25-30 minutes until soft.
• Remove herb pouch and use an emulsifier to blend until smooth.
• Top with a drizzle of honey and toasted pepitas.  (We didn't have pepitas so we substituted pecans)

Here's a picture of star anise in case you're wondering.  Enjoy your soup!