Butternut Black Bean Soup

1 lb butternut squash, cubed
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 C beef/veggie broth
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1-2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp corriander

Put squash, onion, garlic, broth and one can of beans in crockpot. Cook. Use an immersion blender to blend semi-smooth. Add tomatoes, one can of beans (drained), vinegar and corriander. Simmer till ready :)

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies make a chocolate cookie using chocolate chips instead of the usual cocoa powder...they are a little cakey...
*original recipe from Guittard

2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C butter (1 stick)
1 3/4 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
1/4 C sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 C mint chocolate chips

Melt chocolate chips and stir in butter till melted. In a mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar and vanilla till fluffy. Add cooled, melted chocolate chips and butter. Mix till combined. Mix dry ingredients together and add chocolate mixture. Don't over mix and try not to eat all the dough :) Add mint chocolate chips and put in the fridge to cool for about 15 min. Cook at 350 for 12 min (in my oven) but in some ovens it will be more like 10 mins.

Spinach Polenta Soup

This was seriously good...

Ingredients

6 cups (or more) chicken broth/vegetable broth

3/4 cup polenta (corn grits)

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 tablespoons butter/oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed

4-6 C spinach leaves

pepper to taste (also rosemary or thyme if you want :)

Bring 6 cups broth to simmer in large saucepan. Whisk polenta and flour in heavy large pot. Add 2 cups hot broth to polenta whisking constantly while you add it to prevent lumps. Stir in butter and garlic and pepper and spices. Gradually add the rest of the broth. Simmer gently over medium heat until polenta is tender and soup is creamy and thickened. Stir frequently and adding more broth to thin. (I simmer it about 10-13 minutes and then let it sit for a bit covered with spinach) Stir in spinach and simmer a few more minutes.