Squash Lentil Soup and Muffins

I originally made this Squash Lentil Soup and Squash Feta Muffins back in October but never got around to posting the recipe. The soup was really delicious so I decided to make it again over the weekend, only this time I added carrots, celery, and spinach which made it even better!



I had originally found the Squash Feta Muffin recipe on 101 Cookbooks where Heidi Swanson shared with her readers a self-published cookbook called Martha Goes Green. It was my first time making savory muffins so I wasn't entirely sure what to suspect. But since I had a huge 25 pound sweet meat squash sitting in my kitchen waiting to be roasted, I figured I had nothing to lose.



The muffins turned out incredibly scrumptious and they paired up so perfectly with the lentil soup. My husband really enjoyed it and he usually doesn't care much for soups. But after eating this meal, he was really stuffed! Any leftover muffins I froze and they actually do really well when you re-heat them in the microwave.



Its been really fun planning for the holidays lately and thinking about all the yummy recipes that I want to make and share with my family. During the entire month of November I thought of all the things I was grateful for in my life--my husband, my marriage, my home, my family, my job, my health and my friendships. I really wanted to keep a jar and drop a note of all the things I was grateful for each day to share the day of Thanksgiving aloud. Unfortunately I didn't get around to doing it so I think I will definitely do it next year.

This past weekend when we celebrated Thanksgiving, I was really happy spending time with loved ones. I felt like my heart was just swelling with emotion. The only family member missing was my step father since he spent Thanksgiving at the hospital. His health has been declining and he was hospitalized 2 weeks ago after having a colostomy reversal. Since his sugery, he hasn't been allowed to eat or drink anything--not even water. But I spent a few hours with him the day before Thanksgiving, reading to him the life of Gordon B. Hinckly at his bedside. I was hoping it would bring him some comfort and entertainment. Sitting next to him made me think of how grateful I was that he took care of my mother and helped her become the person that she wanted to be--spiritual, confident in speaking her mind, and generous.



Source: Inspired by The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Soup

Squash Feta Muffins

Source: Martha Goes Green.

Zucchini Ribbon Lasagna

This morning it was cold. It made it hard to climb out of my warm bed. I guess the chilly climate finally decided to come. In September the weather started to cool off, but then it changed its mind and it got warm again. The same thing happened in October. I thought for sure it would get cold by Halloween...but no, instead it was cool. We even had some rain in October. But today, the winds have finally changed. Now I can officially wear my cozy sweaters. Soon I'll have to start thinking about how I can avoid the flu season.

So in celebration of the cold, I decided to post this great zucchini lasagna recipe I found in my whole living magazine (A Martha Stewart Publication). Squash is in season so this dish is most appropriate. This delicious easy to make lasagna is very healthy and gluten free. You can even leave out the meat to make it vegetarian.



Source: Wholeliving.com.

Pear, Prosciutto, and Gorgonzola Pizza

Lately all of my recipes have been inspired by the fruits and veggies that I receive in my food co-op basket. A few weeks ago I received a nice batch of pears and I immediately thought of the Pear and Arugula Pizza I often get at Sammy's Woodfire pizza. So I figured I would try to make a version of that.



This amazing dish is such a delicious surprise since you would never expect pears on pizza. But trust me, its AMAZING!



But instead of using arugula, I used sunflower sprouts and purple basil. These are my favorite and I am always sure to pick up a small bundle at Molto's Farmers Market on Thursdays. But you can probably use any other kind of herbs like pea shoots.



Source: allrecipe.com