This past weekend was the first weekend that actually felt like fall.  The weather was crisp and there were obvious gold, red and brown tones taking over the green of the summer and a freshness to the air that only fall can bring.  I spent the weekend in jeans and a t-shirt…with some nice bright sun sprinkled in, I could live with this weather all year long!  But I do love the changing seasons…a parallel to life and the changing seasons we encounter.

Some seasons sneak in and before you know it, you are there.  Smack in the middle of a season you didn’t even know was coming.  That is what happened this winter.  I could feel the shift then, but I had no idea what was coming when my friend yelled to me from the next room “Hey, we are going to start a social enterprise!”.  My response….”Ok!”.  The past 7 months were a whirlwind.  A season that brought 7 women together and birthed a non-profit and social enterprise built on empowering women in homelessness, building relationships, learning stories, and loving those in front of us.  For me it was a season fraught with uncertainty, excitement, hard work and hope…hope for what was to come, hope that all of this work was going to pay off!  Last week our social enterprise endeavor ended the first chapter of planning, dreaming, casting vision and we are now entering the “let’s get this thing started” phase!  I can feel the shift and the new season to come.  I reflected on the verse Isaiah 43:19 “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”   As much as I want to know what this new season will bring, as much as I want certainty and a well laid out plan, I hang my hat on Faith.  Faith that God will provide in this season in His time.  He will equip us with what is good and what we need to fulfill His work. I ended my time of reflection with this sunset on a perfect fall evening. So friends, I urge you to say yes and take the leap into a new season!

So let’s talk about food a moment.  I LOVE fall produce.  It is my favorite….winter squash, root vegetables and slow, simmered deep flavors.  The house smells fabulous all day when I cook in the fall. The summer vegetables can’t hold up to that kind of cooking!  And not to mention hot coffees and teas and switch back to red wine!  I love the rich flavors of fall!  This soup is a very easy weeknight soup and freezes well for lunches.  My Aunt and Uncle gave me a gigantic butternut squash from their garden.  I made this soup and had enough left over to roast and use in a roasted butternut squash, goat choose and arugula salad…can’t go wrong with that!  I used celery root and turnips but you can easily use celery and potatoes or add an apple and other spices for some sweetness.  Have fun with it and enjoy!

Ingredients:

4-6 cups of peeled, diced butternut squash

1 celery root, peeled and rough chopped (or 2 stalks of celery)

1 or 2 medium onions, rough chopped

2 turnips or potatoes, peeled and rough chopped

4-6 cups of chicken stock (homemade if you have it!)

handful of fresh sage, chopped

salt and peper

1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper (optional)

Chop all of your vegetables.  Add olive oil to a stockpot and cook onions and salt and pepper until translucent.  Add the other vegetables, chicken stock, sage and other spices including more salt.  Simmer until all of the vegetables are tender.  Puree the soup in batches or use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.  Eat with a drizzle of cream and olive oil (trust me, don’t skip this!).  This soup is even better the next day, so make ahead for an easy meal!

The leaves are turning, the air is crisp and it’s the perfect time to eat acorn squash or carnival squash. They are so plentiful, you can get them everywhere.  For the love, please do not just let these delicious squash sit around as your fall decor! They are so tasty, simple to make and inexpensive this time of year.  Stock up and use them this winter!  I stuffed this carnival squash with my all time favorite taco filing. I use this filling for taco night on tortillas, on top of a sweet potato or squash, on a taco salad or on it’s own.  Ground beef, turkey or chicken can be used and it tastes great every time.

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground beef, turkey or chicken

1 small onion, diced

1 jalapeno, diced (keep seeds and ribs if you like it hot)

1 sweet pepper, diced

1 15 oz can of black beans, drained

1 tablespoon chilli powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 cups of chopped spinach (or other leafy green)

salt and pepper

2 acorn or carnival squash, cut in half, seeds removed

olive oil

cheese (optional)

In a skillet, brown the beef and onion with some salt, add the pepper and continue to cook until soft.  Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to cook until the veggies are soft and the flavors are incorporated.

For the squash, place the cut squash on a cookie sheet flesh side up skin side down.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes.

When the squash is soft and cooked through, scoop the filling into each, sprinkle with cheese if desired and place back into the oven for 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Scoop out with a spoon to eat and enjoy!