Recipe time!

Winter is coming, so what better time to cook? Post your favorites and tag your friends, and then tell them to post one and tag you back to share the wealth. 

A cool weather favorite in my household: Pumpkin and Sausage Soup

I found this recipe online and tweaked it because we LOVE spicy. I know some people hear pumpkin and say "What?" but I PROMISE this recipe is amazing!!! The original is here and is not very spicy, and if you can't do hot at all, you can do it with non spicy smoked sausage (ahem, Debbie Gray!): http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-and-sausage-soup/detail.aspx but if you like spicy like we like spicy, then continue reading below. Oh yeah, and for a vegetarian twist, you can use veggie broth and substitute the meat with something else. It won't be the same, but I think it'll still work. Be prepared to SHARE because even with the reduced amounts I posted below, this recipe makes a LOT of soup.

Ingredients

• 1 pound HOT andouille sausage, sliced and diced how you like it
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cups chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/2 pounds pumpkin puree
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Cayenne pepper to taste (I think we used at least a tablespoon or two, the volume of this soup is crazy even with cutting the chicken stock amount back to 4 cups instead of 7)

Directions

1. Brown sausage in skillet with 2 tablespoons butter.
2. Add onion and cook until soft/translucent. Add thyme and pumpkin and cook approximately 5 minutes.
3. Add broth and brown sugar and stir well. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender/good and squishy.
4. Stir in cream and remaining 2 tablespoons butter (probably best if you soften or melt the butter first). Heat but do not boil too furiously. This is the point where you stir furiously and really work that cream in. Serve with some good bread and don't forget to pour yourself a glass of your favorite alcohol. Make it a big one ;)