Gnocchi with butternut squash sauce

K

I read the book Pumpkin Soup to my kindergarten class today and it left me wanting a taste of Fall so bad. I had roasted about 6 butternut squashes and had individually bagged each one and froze them. So thinking about that gave me this idea.

1 roasted and mashed butternut squash

3 tbs butter

4 sage leaves

1 tsp parsley

1 bay leaf 

1/4 cup half and half

3tbs heavy cream

2 garlic cloves minced

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup good pecorino Romano 

1 lb of your choice gnocchi boiled in salt water and drained with 1/4 cup pasta water reserved

Sauté garlic in very small pan with 1 tbs of butter. Just till soft then mash with a fork and set aside. In a lager pot place butternut squash, half and half, heavy cream, bay leaf, parsley, sage, rest of butter and bring it to a slow boil while whisking. Let it boils softly for 10 min. add the roasted garlic and its butter to the mixture. Pour gnocchi and pasta water and stir gently. If too think add more half and half. Salt and pepper to taste! Plate it up and sprinkle with cheese! 

I hope you enjoy it and much as I did! I got my little taste of Fall for sure!

Warm Fall Wassail

As Fall rolls in I always crave a nice warm cup of Wassail. Over the years I have made it a few differnt ways and this one happens to be my favorite. The only problem is I make it in a gallon tea jug and I never measure. I mix it up and sip it and usually it's a bout right.

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. throw in a Lipton tea bag just like you were going to make a gallon of tea and let steep for about 15 minutes. While it steeps add a cinnamon stick and 3 cloves. Add 1/2 brown sugar stir. Pour through a sieve into gallon pitcher. Add about 1/4 cup lemon juice. Add 1/2 can of frozen orange juice concentrate and 1/2 can of frozen pineapple juice. Add about 2 cups of apple cider. 1 cup of water stir and then add cranberry juice till its just about full. Now stir it really well. You can heat it up again and drink or you can have a cup and refrigerate the rest for later only warming a cup at a time. 

Let me know if you have any questions! I hope you enjoy ....even though I am the only one drinking it, a gallon never last long!