YUMMMMMMMMY!

First of all, thanks so much to Danielle who has been on a creative tear lately! I have enjoyed so much reading about all your creative pursuits. We haven't done much on the creative side lately, but I did want to share a recipe that we really liked and that would be great for fall. It's Butternut Squash-Leek soup. I have to warn you, it looks awful when you serve it, but it is DELISH. Matt even liked it, which really surprised me. Enjoy! Happy fall!!!


INGREDIENTS
• 1 whole garlic, head• 4 tsp olive oil• 6 cup(s) leek(s), thinly sliced• 4 cup(s) butternut squash, cubed and peeled• 2 cup(s) chicken broth, low sodium• 1/2 tsp salt• 1/2 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350. Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or seperate cloves). Wrap head in foil. Bakeat 350 fro 1 hour, cool 10 minutes. Seperate cloves, squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins.2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek, saute 5 minutesor until tender. Stir in garlic, squash, 2 cups water, broth, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil.3. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until squash is tender. Place half of squashmixture in blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over the opening of the blender. Blend and serve in bowls.

By the way, I got this recipe from www.youvegotsupper.com. They send you five dinner recipes with side dish suggestions every week. It's been kind of fun to try some of them out.

Marshmellow Fondant

For instructions on how to make marshmellow fondant (the kind I use on my cakes), go to Marshmellow Fondant 101. You can make them too!

Baby Shower Cakes

This is the cake I made (with a lot of help from Christine) for Emma Walker's baby shower. It's a triple chocolate cake; chocolate buttercream frosting on the bottom layer, vanilla frosting on the top. Marshmellow foundant covering the whole cake and embellishments made out of dyed foundant.
Minutes before taking this picture, Mark (my bro) made the SURPRISE call telling us he was engaged! Wahoo!

Christine (my mentor!) and I made this cake for our friend Katie's baby shower. Christine made the duck family out of gum paste. I frosted it and made the bubbles. Together we made the "barrel" out of wafer cookies. So cute!

After making 2 cakes in 2 consecutive Friday nights, plus crochetting 2 blankets in during those weeks, I told Michael I reached my creative limit!

I really love making cakes though. And crochetting. Just not all at once.