Faith-filled Friday: Soup review and more

Good morning, Crushers!

What a week? I'm so glad I spent most of Tuesday night making soup and food ahead for the rest of the week. It's been crazy around here in, mostly, good ways.

Have you ever, as an adult, had one of those days where you're all, "I don't want to be a grown up any more!" That was my day yesterday. If you've been a reader since March, you know that we're trying to sell our house. It's been a bit of a bumpy process. Yesterday, we got some information on our house that is basically telling us that we're going to need a new roof.

You know what? I don't want to have to buy a new roof. I don't want to have to be all responsible and junk. I just want a bowl of soup, some comfy clothes and a good episode of Grey's Anatomy. Yes, I know that Grey's isn't a child-friendly show, but all of my Disney movies are packed. When I was thinking of today's posting, I thought of 1 Corinthians 13:11:

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

I have definitely grown up. I have a career, a house, a husband, and a really cool new frying pan from William-Sonoma. I'm all responsible and stuff. I called a contractor for an estimate on our roof. I put on my big girl pants and moved on.

Gorgeous new Calphalon 12-inch fry pan to replace the one that got all scratched up.

However, I'd like to point out that thinking like a child isn't always a bad thing. Matthew 19:14 says:

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

A child-like faith isn't just something to hope for, it should be something you actively seek. Kids are so trusting that it makes you want to be the kind of person that they think you are. Jesus is that person. We can have faith in him because he is exactly what we expect of him and so much more. We too can be "heirs of eternal life" and have the kingdom of Heaven belong to us!

In between calling a contractor and wanting to hide in my couch-cushion fort, there is a happy medium. I can do both. I can watch my show and eat soup. You can too!

Speaking of soup, here is the 4th place winner dish from our office cooking contest! I think that if it had been vegetarian, I would have gotten more votes. If you want, you can omit the sausage and you'd be fine serving it to vegetarians. I know because I asked. I got this recipe from Chow.com, but I used Italian sausage instead of bratwurst. I also used 9 oz of spinach instead of 6 oz because I love spinach! The recipe below is how I made it, not how it is on the website.

Sausage and Butternut Squash Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 (1-pound) butternut squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound of uncased Italian Sausage (about 3-4 sausages)
• 1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
• 4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 10 ounces red potatoes, large dice
• 3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes and their juices
• 3 cups water
• 9 ounces baby spinach

Gear you'll need : 1 big soup pot, a good knife for slicing veggies, a strong veggie peeler (I have an OXO one that I love), a cutting board, a paper-towel-lined plate, measuring cups and spoons and one big spoon for stirring.

Instructions:
Get the squash ready: Peel off the skin with a vegetable peeler. Trim the top and bottom. Cut the neck from the bulb of the squash. Halve each piece lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes and set aside. This is the best way I've found to cut a butternut squash. They even did a video feature on CNN about it!

Love that color. I should paint a room that color...

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned all over, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. This lets all the grease drip off. I hate when you pull soup out of the fridge and there is grease globs floating on the top. Gross. 

Sausage sizzling away

Return the pan to medium heat, add the onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. I'd go heavier on the pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the squash and potatoes and cook until the potatoes are just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the caraway and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the tomatoes, their juices, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are fork tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add the sausage back to the pan along with the spinach. Cook until the sausage is heated through and the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. 

So good, bright and colorful!

Serve up with a big hunk of bread and enjoy! So good!