Butternut Soup with Pear, Cider, and Vanilla

Last time the girls were is town we made 3 separate dishes with cream. I have never seen so much cream at one time in the grocery store, much less in my fridge.

When we were shopping for cream (and a few other non essentials such as flour and eggs) a beautiful butternut squash jumped into my hands at Trader Joe's; I cradled it to my chest and rocked it back and forth in excitement. Katie was the unwilling witness to the scene and she laughed so hard that she almost fell on the ground. What an actress. Sheesh. I tell ya....

The girls eventually left and when I had recovered from being worn ragged (seriously - how do you parents with more than 2 kids do it??) I realized that there was still 1 full carton of cream in the fridge.

What on earth do you do with so much cream?? I used it instead of milk on cereal, hoping that my jeans wouldn't get any ideas and start to shrink. That's what happens when they get really, really tight, right?

Then I noticed the butternut squash sitting as quiet as a church mouse in the cupboard. It was time to make butternut squash and pear soup. It is so hearty and filling and utterly delicious. It goes great with a grilled turkey sandwich or a crusty piece of baguette. Or regular toast. Toast is the miracle cure-all food.

It really is too bad that the girls weren't here to enjoy the soup with me. There's a pretty good chance that they wouldn't have eaten it anyways, but I could have told them how good it was, and they could have raised their eyebrows, laughed, and asked for a PB&J. Good times.

Butternut Soup with Pear, Cider, and Vanilla

3 T olive oil

1 2-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (4 generous cups)

2 firm-ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 C apple cider

4 C chicken broth

1/2 t salt

1/2 c half and half or cream

1 t vanilla

Heat the oil in a small stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the squash, pears and onions and stir to coat with oil. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and transparent and the pears are starting to fall apart.

Add the cider and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the broth, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the mixture, partially covered for about 30 minutes until the squash is tender.

Using a stick blender (or a regular blender and working in small batches) puree until very smooth. Return the soup to the stockpot and add the salt. Continue to cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat, until the soup has reduced to about 1/2 to 1/3 of it's original volume. The final consistency is up to you - when it reaches a thickness that seems right it's ready.

When the soup has reduced, add the cream and vanilla. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with fresh chives if desired.