Immune Defense Summit

Abounding in Hope with Lyme

Lyme Disease, Homeschooling and Faith

Creamy, Nutritional Butternut Squash Soup

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Butternut Squash Soup

One of my daughter’s favorite soups is Butternut Squash Soup. She’ll eat it for lunch, dinner or for a snack. It’s rich, it’s creamy and it’s very good for you. My daughter doesn’t know all the nutritional information about butternut squash but she does know it’s good for her and she loves to eat it.

Butternut squash is rich in B-complex vitamins like folate, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, thiamin and pantothenic acid. It has loads of vitamin A and minerals like iron, zinc, copper, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.

Butternut squash seeds are a good source of dietary fiber and monounsaturated fatty acids which are great for heart health. They’re also an excellent source of amino acids such as tryptophan. Tryptophan converts to GABA which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduces feelings of fear and anxiety.

Here’s the recipe I use!

Butternut Squash Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 2-3lb Butternut Squash; peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
2 TBSP Butter
1 onion, chopped
6 Cups Chicken Stock
Salt and Pepper
Optional: Nutmeg, ginger, diced apple.
DIRECTIONS
Scrub the outside of your butternut squash and cut it in half length-wise. Scoop out the seeds and if you plan to roast those, set them aside. Salt and pepper the inside of each side of the squash. Drizzle a little avocado oil on each side and place them face down into a baking dish. Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes or until cooked and soft.
In the meantime, dice the onion, carrots, and apple. In a stockpot over medium heat, melt butter and saute onion, carrot until all are tender. Once the butternut squash is cooked and tender, let it cool until you can peel the skin off or scoop the squash out. Puree everything together in a blender or use an immersion blender. Return the puree to the stockpot, add chicken stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Season to taste. Enjoy

My Absolute Favorite Biscotti Recipes

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Today I’m baking my absolute favorite biscotti recipes.

Years ago, I found these two biscotti recipes in a popular magazine that was delivered to my home. I was intrigued by these recipes and couldn’t believe that I could actually make biscotti at home.

Biscotti goes great with coffee! I’m a coffee lover and I mean, I really love coffee. I don’t need sweeteners or fancy schmancy drinks, just a good strong brew made with freshly ground java beans.

But, I digress; on to my biscotti recipes.

The first recipe is for an Almond Biscotti from Joy of Baking. This biscotti is delicious exactly the way the recipe calls or you could add lemon or orange extract, (I use Young Living Lemon or Orange Essential Oils), in place of the almond extract.

The second biscotti I make is a Chocolate Brownie Biscotti from Good Housekeeping, which is just as delightful as it sounds. This recipe makes a larger biscotti and it’s chewier than the almond but still holds up to dunking it into a large mug of coffee.

If you’re not a dunker, no problem, just don’t double bake them. That’s what makes them a hard cookie.

Drizzle or dip in chocolate. Sprinkle with chopped nuts or chopped candy cane and you have the perfect gift.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

Need a Gluten Free recipe? Try substituting Namaste Perfect Flour Blend which converts cup for cup. I use Organic Cane Sugar whenever I use sugar. It’s non-GMO and unrefined.

Biscotti is so easy to make. You might want to double the batch, they won’t last long, I promise.

I’m Making Immune Building Foods Today

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I’ve been busy this afternoon making immune boosting foods.

I plan to share these great recipes so check back on the blog soon. My daughter has come down with a nasty cold. It started as just a simple cold but her throat is still sore and the cold has moved into her chest.

I should have gone to work at the very first symptom but my schedule has been crazy and I haven’t had the time at home to prepare anything for her. This afternoon I made her elderberry syrup, bone broth, and butternut squash soup. [Read more…]

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