Unexpected Visitors

Have you ever found yourself on the receiving end of a phone call, the result of which being that you will have to pull a dinner party together from thin air in 30 minutes? Think 1950's apron-clad homemaker, just about to pour the mister's post-grind drink from a decanter on the sideboard when the phone rings, startling her into spilling the drink slightly on the carpet. The boss is coming for dinner.

This was my Saturday night last week. Due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, a family dinner was relocated to our house and the bill of fare was up to us. I am not complaining. In fact I kind of enjoyed it.  The experience gave me a great appreciation for improvising and also great pride in the outcome, plus I'm pretty sure that Mr. Frogged actually thinks I'm superwoman. I could easily have ordered pizza and tossed together a salad like a normal, sane person but in case you haven't noticed, I'm neither of those most of the time. So instead I whipped something up.

This was our menu:

Hors D'Oeuvres
Perogies with Sour Cream

Appetizer
Squash Soup

Main Course
Apple Baked Pork Tenderloin
Roasted Yams and Parsnips
Mashed Potatoes
Peas and Corn

Dessert
Cake brought and baked by our guest

Since I managed to so quickly whip this up, I thought I'd share one of the recipes with you.  Here is how to make my Sqaush Soup. 

SQUASH SOUP

Ingredients

1 Medium Butternut Squash
1 Medium Pepper Squash
Apple Cider Vinegar
3 Stalks of celery
1/2 Yellow Onion
Sage
Thyme
Salt
Black Pepper
2 individual packets OXO Low Sodium Chicken Bouillon Powder
Water
Sour Cream
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tsp salt

Directions

1. Cut both squash in half and scoop out and discard seeds.  Peel both squash and cut into 2" cubes.  Place in pot with water to cover and place on stove at medium-high heat.
2. Once water is boiling add OXO and table salt and stir to blend. 
3. Chop celery and onion into 1/4" bits and saute in a separate pan in the oil.  Add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and a generous sprinkling of sage and thyme. 
4. Once the squash are soft, turn down heat to low and blend carefully using an immersion blender.
5. Add the sauteed vegetables to the blended soup and let simmer.
6. Add 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar and stir. 
7. Serve with fresh ground black pepper, and a table spoon of sour cream in each dish. 
8. Enjoy!