A spotlight on Butternut Squash...

Well...my final "crossover ingredient" of the week is from Thursday night's home fries:  Butternut Squash.  But this time we took the squash from home fries to a creamy & decadent RISOTTO.....

I followed this recipe that was a LITTLE bit of a lightened version...but let's not kid:  Risotto is still a pretty decadent dinner and definitely "once in awhile" meal only;)

To speed up to process, we cooked the butternut squash in a separate pan and got the rice going in another.  Speedy = Extra Pots = Worth it for 2 hungry individuals;)

Make sure you pick up Arborio rice to make this (or any) risotto dish.  The Arborio rice is what gives this its creamy consistency...

Now, not gonna lie...Risotto isn't a "throw together in 5 minutes" dinner.  It is one HIGH MAINTENANCE Biotch! ;)  You need to add a little boiled water & chicken broth at a time and stir until it is absorbed.

And then add more..

And then repeat...

And repeat 1000 more times:)

I was standing & stirring for over a half hour straight:)  But I figured, since this was the last meal I was going to cook for while, I didn't mind it as much;)

(And the length might also have been because I made a double batch.  I figured my Mom would enjoy some 'tto while she was over "puppy-sitting" Penny:)

But seriously, risotto is like a pure CELEBRATION dinner.  It just feels soo elegant & decadent.  Plus, it was so pretty, studded with all of the butternut squash and fresh chopped parsley....I was only wishing I had some spinach to swirl in...

And along with the decadence, we also balanced it a bit with a salad:)  And I got to have some of my yummy (AND seasonally Appropriate) Vidalia Onion Apple Cider Vinaigrette that I got from Shady Brook Farms...

So there you have it...my last cooking effort for over a week!  Hope you enjoyed all of this week's Fall ingredients!! :)

I have a few more surprises for you throughout the week while I'm away, so keep checking back!  And of course, I'll have all of my good "Vermont/Montreal/Lake Placid" eats & events to show you when I get back:)  Till then, have a WONDERFUL loooonngggg weekend and a great week:)