I have learned to really love Butternut Squash in this creamy and hearty Golden Winter Soup. Every fall I can’t wait for the squash to make its appearance in the grocery store so we can enjoy this recipe. Then I get the chunky odd-shaped veggie home and I wrestle peel the orange skin, and then I wrangle cut it into cubes. **Cough** **Cough** It’s not a job for the faint-hearted! I end up with peelings all over the counter and floor, and the most random sized pieces where I tried to get my knife through the stubborn flesh.
However, I recently learned this WONDERFUL trick that makes the whole process an absolute breeze!!
All you have to do is wash the squash, place it in a crock pot with about a cup of water and turn it on high for about 3 hours (or until tender). When you take it out, it will be so tender! All you have to do is slip a knife in it, scoop out the seeds and then get the flesh.
When I made the soup, I cooked the potatoes as directed, then added the squash when the potatoes were cooked through. I then proceeded with the recipe. IT was SO easy! I will still have to fight with the squash when I want to roast it (so yummy), but this easy technique will encourage me to make this soup more often!!
The other little tip that has kept me from making a big mess is using the right knife to cut nuts. I always grabbed my big stainless steel, smooth-bladed knife and nuts would go flying like dandelion seeds in a summer wind! Then I learned that if you use a serrated knife that won’t happen! The nuts stay on the cutting board!!
It’s amazing the difference the right tool or the right technique can make!
Tell me, what new tool or technique have you learned that has made your time in the kitchen easier?
Refresh your cooking time with the right technique and tools!
RefreshHer 
A kitchen tool I find helpful is what I call a slap chopper, and my grandkids can use it, too. I’ve had it for years and it makes short work of chopping nuts and lots of other things. Mine is from Pampered Chef but there are lots of other brands. I think they are about $20.
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Nice! This sounds like what I call a bar scraper. Maybe???
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It’s this gadget: https://www.pamperedchef.com/shop/Kitchen+Tools/Specialty+Cutting+Tools/Food+Chopper/2585
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Oh I love this! Thanks for sharing!
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Great tip!!!!
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It’s definitely a game-changer!
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I am trying that squash tip soon!
If I have to chop nuts I usually don’t use a knife but a nut chopper — like a jar with a hopper for the nuts and a handle that turns. You turn the handle and the chopped nuts fall into the jar. That’s the kind my mother used and they do still make them. I got my most recent one on Amazon.
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Oh, yes! Those choppers would be perfect for nuts! Thanks for sharing!
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