Butternut Squash Soup

This was a version of a fun recipe I watched Tyler Florence make on the Food Network. It is so sweet and so delicious on a cold winter afternoon. It is really much better than you could imagine and so easy to make. Make sure your knife is sharp though- butternut squash is a pain to cut up.
Ingredients.
2 medium butter nut squash, pealed and diced into 1 inch cubes
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped into same size as onion
3 cloves garlic
6 cups chicken broth
3 T sage
Salt and black pepper

In a large pot, saute onion and carrot in olive oil and butter for 5 minutes. Add in garlic, stir for another minute. Add the butternut squash and the chicken broth. Boil for about 15-20 minutes until the squash is fork tender. Add in sage.
Use an immersion blender, a food processor or a blender. I used a blender. Blend 2 cups at a time in a blender until smooth. (10-15 seconds) *be careful, liquids are hot and will want to jump out at you.

Serve with toasted Crostini
baguette sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
garlic
1 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan or other white cheese
Kosher salt
Line baguettes on cookie sheet, add toppings and toast at 400 for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Clairissa's Brocolli Salad

This is by far my favorite recipe ever created. I can't begin to describe the flavor explosion that is set off on your tongue with one bite of this salad. Because this salad is so expensive to make, I rarely make it, but when I do, I can't get enough. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I owe my gratitude for this salad recipe to my SIL Clairissa. She brought this to a family dinner the year Lindsey was born. (2002) I know this, because my mom rented a house in Gilbert right next to Highland High School for one year while my lil sister Ashley finished her senior year of high school in Arizona. My mom and Ashley watched baby Lindsey for 3 weeks while I went to real estate school and studied for my real estate exams. It was in this same home, I tried Clairissa's broccoli salad. I vividly remember the yellow kitchen in eye sight of a TV playing Food Network 24/7 and we were all in love with Rachelle Ray's 30 Minute Meals. Many happy memories were shared in this home enjoying weekly Sunday dinners & eating our newly loved favorite, broccoli salad. For one year, I experienced one of life's greatest treasures... living close to my Mom.

2 large heads of broccoli... (about 4 cups of broccoli, small sliced florets only.)
3/4 cup diced celery
1/2 red onion, diced very small
1 cup red grapes cut in half
1 package of bacon, cooked and chopped
1 cup craisins
1/2 cup sun flower seed kernels (salted)
1/2 cup cashews cut up
1/2 cup graded cheddar cheese

Dressing:
1 cup real mayonnaise
1 T vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Do NOT toss in dressing more than 30 minutes before serving.

Casey's Pretzel Jello Salad

SO YUMMY!

Crust
2 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
3 T Brown Sugar
3/4 cup butter
Mix together, place in well sprayed 9X13 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool in fridge until cold. Break crust into large pieces using a square spatula (2x2 inches).

Cream layer
8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 small container cool whip
Cream the cream cheese and sugar well. Mix in cool whip until creamy. Scoop several large spoons onto pretzel crust. Spread gently, not to pick up pretzel crust into cream mixture. Cool in fridge.

Jello layer
6 ounce box raspberry jello
4 cups water
2 cups frozen strawberries or raspberries (sliced)
Make jello as directed. add in strawberries. *Let set in fridge for 15-20 minutes before pouring onto cream layer, so jello won't sink to bottom and float pretzels and cream layers. Serve COLD.