Warm up with Healthy Butternut Squash Soup!

Have you ever priced pre-made  butternut squash soup at the store?  It’s very expensive for a measly amount of soup.  Just wouldn’t do for our family.  This recipe is so very easy and sure to warm you up on a cold winter night.  Enjoy!

2 medium butternut squash (about 3 lbs)

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teas. cinnamon

1/4 teas. nutmeg

Salt & Pepper to taste                                                

Sour cream to garnish

Preheat oven to 350.  Cut squash in half lengthwise remove and discard seeds.  Place squash halves, cut side down in jellyroll pans.  Bake uncovered one hour.  Let cool to touch. Scrape out pulp and process in a food processor 2 minutes til smooth.  In large dutch oven combine 4 cups pureed squash, chicken broth, and next 6 ingredients.  Cook over low heat until thoroughly heated.  Serves about 11 cups of soup.

Homemade Playdough

Many years ago….when I was younger and full of energy, I was a pre-school teacher. I  used a teaching method that was in direct contrast to what I was taught in my child development classes.  My college professors put much emphases on developing self esteem in pre-school children.  In order to help develop this they told me I had to give the children many choices…all the time. I was taught that the classroom should be “Child-Centered. ”  I needed to to say something like,  “Johnny, would you like to work a puzzle, play at the kitchen, read a book in the library corner, or play at the playdough table?” Often times, I would ignore this rule and with a smile on my face,  enthusiastically announce  “Playdough Time!”  Usually the children would come running to the table.  I’d arrange soft balls of colorful homemade playdough with a variety of  cookie cutters, rolling pins, and even a tortilla press for them to play with.  On some especially hectic days wholesome playdough was a blessing from the Lord to me.  Children were happy, stayed at a table and worked creating playdough creatures or bakery treats for quite a while.  I would sit down with them and actually enjoyed it as well.  There’s just something about dough that is soothing and even therapeutic at times.  I hope you will find some use for this playdough recipe with your children. ~Anne

1 cup flour                                                                
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Food coloring by drops

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