I have spent the last two days locked up in my apartment. Curled up in a corner. In fetal position.

For fear of being assassinated.

We are talking serious stuff here. Masterminds of the same ilk and caliber as John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald are after me. Possibly smarter. Stealthier. More determined.

They lurk around every corner. I can’t even go to class without sensing their presence. And thus the threat of imminent death looms above my head constantly.
You see, I am involved in a class-wide game called Assassins. The premise of which is that each player is given a target – a person they are supposed to “kill”. And you “kill” someone by stealing the spoon that they are supposed to be carrying on their person at all times. The spoon must be visible and being caught without it results in instant death.

Spontaneous combustion-style. Flames and all.

Once you kill a person, they have to give you the name of their target, who then becomes your new target. And thus the game continues until only two people are left. At which point it becomes more of a duel than a mass murder.

As you can imagine, the hallways lately have been littered with corpses, screams, and the thuds of footsteps as assassins try to outrun their victims.

To date, I have remained unscathed and have even had a successful kill.

My strategy? Being as vigilant as possible while in class, trusting no one, and then coming home and locking myself in my apartment. Luckily I don’t live in the traditional first year dorm and so the odds of someone finding me here are slim, especially if they are not one of my close friends.

Which will work fine. Until either Sophie or her boyfriend draw my name.

At which point in time, I will have no choice but to lock them in the bathroom. And throw away the key.
Needless to say, I’ve been a little bit on edge lately. I jump at any sudden movements or loud noises. I’ve even been looking both ways before crossing the street, not to check for cars, but to extend my peripheral vision as far as it will go. They could be coming from any direction. Left. Right. Up. Down. I try to avoid potholes and sidewalk grates. (Wouldn’t that be smart – to come at me through the sewage system.) Or step on cracks. I can use all the luck I can get.

I’ve been so shaky that I really can’t be trusted around sharp objects. Or fire. So this soup, which was made entirely in the crockpot was truly ideal. (Okay, I did saute an onion but I managed to pull myself together for that five minutes.)

I got the recipe from a cookbook that I own called Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook. The original recipe was a good base recipe, albeit somewhat bland, so I added in a ton of nutmeg and ginger. To spice things up. Feel free to change it as you wish. Add some apple. Or cheese. Or a cinnamon stick while cooking.

This is my submission to Meeta’s Monthly Mingle, the theme of which is Soups. It is being hosted this month by Harini of Tongueticklers. It is also the sixth recipe in my 12 Weeks of Winter Squash!

Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 6, adapted from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook

1 medium butternut squash (2-3 pounds)
2 tbsp water
1 large onion, diced
1 tbsp butter
4 cups broth
2 tbsp brown sugar
ginger and nutmeg to taste

1. Wash and dry the squash. Place it in the slow cooker. Cut it in half if it is too big to fit in the slow cooker and then try to stick it in as best as possible. Warning – this may take longer than you expect and make you late for class. Add water. Cover and cook on low until the squash is tender, 7-9 hours. Allow to cool until touchable. Don’t discard the water that’s in the crockpot.

2. Heat butter. Add the onion and cook until softened. Set aside.

3. Slice the squash in half lengthwise. Deseed and depulp. Use a spoon to scoop the insides into a bowl. Discard the skin. Puree the squash with the onion and broth. (I immersion blended it.) Pour into the slow cooker. Add the brown sugar. Add ginger and nutmeg to your heart’s content. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on high for 1 hour.

I almost forgot, I would also like to give this to Deb for Souper Sundays!

You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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40 Responses to 12 Weeks of Winter Squash and the Monthly Mingle – Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup

  1. Michelle says:

    I sure hope you survive, at least until the duel!! LOL!

    Soup sure sounds delicious and the color is outstanding!

  2. Luigi says:

    How on earth do you walk around with a spoon that is visible at all times. LOL!

    So if you don’t see it on them, technically they are dead, and if you do see it, you physically grab it.. Hmmm, aren’t hand guns legal in NY? lol.

    Self defence, justifiable homicide, saw it in a movie!

    Great recipe! Had this the other day, absolutely lovely..

  3. SnoWhite says:

    I love squash and nutmeg together — thanks!!

  4. Palidor says:

    That sounds like a really fun game! But it must be cramping your social life a little, no? Anyway, soup looks delish!

  5. Mari says:

    OMG HA that sounds like such a great game lol…are you seriously walking around with this spoon for the whole world to see…damn that is very “foodie” of you lol

    That recipe looks so good…

    chickie we need to hang out =)

  6. Kim says:

    Sounds like a fun game. You’ll have to let us know who wins. Sounds like a comforting soup that is easy to “spice up” with all kinds of yummy flavors.

  7. Now that is one weird game! I think I will take the soup instead ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Yummy butternut squash soup! Good luck with the game! We’re playing the new dragon age game, it’s so cool!

  9. Yum-O! Great that you cooked the squash in a slow cooker.

    I’m not active on Facebook, but I’ve seen a bunch of my friends on this game whenever I log-in, sounds like a fun one!

  10. Wooaaa ,some game this one…. :-))))am i glad i aint a part…..but ur soup is gorgeous & just as lovely as ur blog and other recipes too!!!

  11. Kris says:

    This is one of my favorite soups ever. Nice recipe!

  12. Pam says:

    What a fun game!

    How did I miss this recipe in that book?! It sounds great!

  13. Jennie says:

    This game sounds like fun! And this soup sounds delicious! Great post Joanne! You made me chuckle!

  14. Katy ~ says:

    Joanne (shaking my head and laughing), hope you’re the last one holding the spoon.

    This soup sounds simple and delicious; I have a squash on my counter….

  15. Erica says:

    That sounds like a fun game!!!!That soup sounds comforting and delicious.This is a funny post ๐Ÿ™‚

  16. Amy says:

    Ha! I thought for sure you were going to say your room was being invaded by insects!! This game sounds like fun. Good grief, my life is boring…

  17. Lynn says:

    Your soup looks lovely, and how great that you could make it in the crockpot. I had to laugh at your description of the Assassins game — my son has been involved in that game at his university and some of the stories of near-escapes are hilarious. Hope you stay safe! Good luck.

  18. I’ve never heard of such a thing! I was frightened for you for a moment! I bet you outsmart them all. I love butternut soup – and this is great made in a crockpot and so adaptable. Looks yummy!

  19. teresa says:

    okay, that game sounds like so much fun! good luck to you my friend! and great job on the soup, it sounds wonderful!

  20. Kerstin says:

    I’ve always wanted to play Assassins! I’m competitive like that ๐Ÿ™‚ Good luck!

    Your soup looks delicious!

  21. So much fun! They played a similar game on CSI NY, I won’t tell you how that ended..
    Nummy soup, very comforting!

  22. Dhanggit says:

    your soup looks fantastic and what a great monthly mingle entry!!

  23. Debinhawaii says:

    OK, I think I am way too jumpy and paranoid for that game! The soup looks yummy and glad it didn’t require a lot of time with sharp objects or burners!

  24. Marisa says:

    ๐Ÿ™‚ Sounds like a great game! I wanna play too.

  25. SE(Denufood) says:

    very tempting picture…i was going through your post and thought that you guys are part of a drama..but looks a great fun game.! enjoy!

  26. Shannon says:

    you crack me up ๐Ÿ™‚ and how do med students have the time?? lol, fabulous soup!

  27. Graziana says:

    I guess I’d freak out, but the game sound amazing. Good hunting!

  28. I make soups similar to this and they are soothing. I bet this is too.

  29. This is comfort food at its best so while you are locked up in your apartment at least you are eating well.

  30. Yasmeen says:

    Sounds like an exciting game.I’ve also been dwelling on squash past week,love this simple soup ๐Ÿ˜€

  31. Looks like a wonderful soup…wonderful comfort food!

  32. Catherine says:

    This looks so good Joanne!

  33. YEAH i’ts friday. i’m so excited. =D

    i know. trader joe outing must occur SOON or i’m going to go crazy! without pb.!

  34. That delicious soup might be too much of a comfort food which might allow you to … well, be comfortable – that’s a dangerous thing with the spoon death game and all! I want to play!

    I wonder how a bunch of 40 and up office ladies would feel about not concealing their spoons? – well actually that’s half their problem anyway, always have not only their spoons but their knives and forks out and ready to spear anything that comes along, LOL! Oops, I’m coming really close to being mean about older women who are always on diets but never lose weight – yikes! ๐Ÿ˜‰

    So how does it work? Does everyone playing pick a name out of a bag to get things started?

    Watch out office ladies – we may be having pot lucks, secret santas and cookie exchanges now but come January …

  35. theUngourmet says:

    How fun! I read this with my daughter and we were both laughing! ๐Ÿ˜€

    Love your soup. Great for a chilly night locked safely inside!

  36. You are too funny! My dorm played this in college but I was too busy to participate. Sounds nerve-wracking but so fun! Your soup sounds very satisfying. I amp up the spices in recipes all.the.time.

  37. Sophia says:

    Hhaha! I’m loving the idea of this game. It’s like Mafia in real life! Sounds cool, but I would totally be jittery, too.

    Love this soup! But of course, it’s orange! ๐Ÿ˜€

  38. Sunshinemom says:

    I would rather watch from the sidelines than play! Hope you survive the duel:). Thanks for taking time off and sending a tasty soup to the mingle in the meantime:). Appreciated a lot, esp. since it made while ‘livin’ on the edge.’:D

  39. Natalie says:

    I don’t have a crock pot Joanne, its insane…i know, so am going to get one really soon, this soup looks amazing…and I feel would appeal very much to my little girl too… Thanks for sharing.

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