Butternut Squash Soup...my way

     So I made this on Friday. I made this before with my buddy Lauren and our soup turned out delicious except we had added a little more cinnamon than we had intended but it was still scrumptious! Here is the recipe from AllRecipes.com for "Butternut Squash Soup II".

     Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed (I used 3 to give the soup more texture)
• 1 medium butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock (I actually made my own chicken stock, see below)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• (I added ground cinnamon, a couple of dashes)
• (...I added a little bit of Fat Free Half & Half)
  
  
  
  My homemade chicken stock. I made a huge stock pot and froze the rest of use for other soups this winter
  
  I decided to cut up some apples and throw them in to add some more texture and sweetness

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot...
   
   ...and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned....
   
   
   
   It may be hard to see all the ingredients hidden underneath the butternut squash but I promise- they are there!
   
   Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil.
   Like I said, I used my own chicken stock. All I do is fill up this big ol' pot with potatoes, celery, onions, salt and pepper, water and chicken. I used chicken legs and thighs and I keep the broth I am creating on a rolling boil for about an hour then I let it simmer for awhile. Your whole house will start to smell A-MAZING!
   
   Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
   
   
2. Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth.
   
   I use my immersion blender. I bought this (well, technically my mama did!) on sale at Target for $34.00 about a year ago. Great purchase!
   
   
   Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. 
   Let me know if you make this and enjoy it! :)
   
   
   
   I made homemade, completely from scratch Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Icing tonight for JJ to take with him to work tomorrow. I also ended up making homemade Banana Pudding with a twist...I will post these soon! :)
   
   Sincerely,
   Marcy