Build me up butternut

These past few days I’ve been sick. You may have noticed since my posts haven’t been food journal style, but rather recipes, restaurant & product reviews.

No worries, I’ve been downing Kombucha bottle by bottle, and I’m finally starting to feel ok-ish.

This is all very timely, given my first day of work was yesterday. [Sigh] Figures.

But anyways, as you can imagine, liquids have been a mainstay in my diet over the last 24 hours. Here’s one of the lovely liquid concoctions I “whipped up” between catnaps.

As an aside, I’m always reluctant to use the phrase “whipped up” as it implies minimal effort. This recipe did in fact require multiple steps, but since I was ailing and couch-ridden for most of it, I would hardly consider it a labor intensive recipe.

I started with a Costco tub of pre-cut butternut squash. That place never ceases to amaze me.

All I did was salt it and add it to a pan with cooking spray.

After baking for 26 minutes on 375 degrees (with a flip at the 20 minute mark), I removed them from the oven and let them cool.

Then I blended up ~1/2 cup of the cooked cubed squash (will yield less once pureed) with almond milk, NuNaturals vanilla stevia, and cocoa.

Pulse pulse pulse.

After it’s all blended I added it into mug, popped it in the microwave for a minute and finally added in freshly brewed coffee.

Build me up Butternut Mocha

1/3 cup butternut squash, pureed
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp liquid vanilla stevia
1/2 cup almond milk
3/4 cup coffee

This was half of the amount yielded…it was the perfect drink to slurrrrrrp down before heading back to bed.

Now, what to do with the rest of that squash…

Comments (13)

Anna October 22, 2010 at 2:35 am

This is genius!!! I am sick also and this sounds so perfect for my sore throat. If only there were a Costco in Spain :(…or any butternut squash for that matter. Hope you start feeling better!!

Katie October 22, 2010 at 5:47 am

That is a HEALTHY drink! I thought it was hot chocolate when I saw it! Hope you feel better soon sickness is going around. I am with kids a lot and live in fear of their sicknesses, kids bugs seem stronger than others 😉

Sara October 22, 2010 at 6:49 am

I’m feeling sick too and I have the trilogy in front of me while I read this! lol. great minds…

I didn’t know costco had killer sizes of bn squash, amazing.

julie October 22, 2010 at 7:31 am

what a great idea! i think you should propose this to starbs! they would pay you a milly billy for it and probably come up with a butternut squash syrup..

i didn’t know costco sells PRECUBED butternut! whatuuup

spabettie October 22, 2010 at 8:42 am

YUM – this looks fabulous!!

Hope you are feeling better SOON ! <3

Yolie October 22, 2010 at 9:25 am

Hope you feel better really soon, Elise! Take care and good luck / have fun on your first day at work 🙂 xyx

rebecca lustig October 22, 2010 at 11:20 am

squash and chocolate? i bet the flavors compliment eacho ther very nicely! i’m always so impressed by you 🙂

Katie October 22, 2010 at 12:01 pm

How creative! I’ve never thought to put butternut in a drink!

Also, I just made your banana/pumpkin bread and holy moly…it is so dang good. It only came out of the oven an hour ago, and I’ve eating two large slices. Yummmmy.