By Dawn Wiese
This week’s Work from Home recipe is part of our Work from Home Series, where we share some of our favorite things about working from home and have the opportunity to connect with you on a more personal level.
Some people love the concept of a home office. Others say they could never do it. I’m likely somewhere in the middle. Transitioning to a home office setting was not easy for me. I’d spent twenty years working in office environments, and I always enjoyed the fast pace, colleagues and, for me, working on beautiful campuses.
Wrapping my mind around how to be most productive working from a home office, I found parallels to graduate school when I wrote my dissertation. Projects require completion – whether there are colleagues ever-present or not. And, while some people lock themselves in their offices at 9am and come out at 5pm, I didn’t finish my doctorate that way, and I don’t work that way from a home office. I admit it – I take advantage of the flexibility to do things I love.
One thing I love about working from a home office is that I can indulge my love of cooking. So, as fall is fully upon us, I’ll share a favorite (and easy) soup recipe of mine that is especially great for dinner parties. I usually start it around late afternoon and then complete just before dinner is served. People love it, to which I usually reply, “You love it because it’s not good for you!”
Well, the secret is out – the recipe is below, and you’ll now know why it’s not winning any “healthy recipe” awards! (I’m not much of a measurer when it comes to soups so you may have to adjust these. Although I use my own chicken stock, you can substitute store bought stock or vegetable stock if you want a vegetarian version. And, if you want my chicken stock recipe, just let me know.)
Dawn’s Work-From-Home Butternut Squash Bisque
Ingredients
1 stick of butter
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and roughly cubed
3 cups of chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream or half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
- Cook and stir the onion in the butter until tender.
- Mix the cubed squash into the pot.
- Pour in the stock, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender.
- With an immersion blender, or in a blender or food processor, puree the soup mixture until smooth.
- Return to the pot and stir in the heavy cream. Heat through, but do not boil.
- Sample and then add more salt/pepper to taste.
- Serve warm with crusty bread. Super yummy!
Although I may find myself in and out of the kitchen throughout the day, I just have to make sure I’m not in there snacking all day. Give this recipe a try, and you’ll know why!
