Thanksgiving at my house - Autumn Northwest Salmon Chowder.

Thanksgiving is less than a week away, which means my kitchen table is covered with recipes, a mostly completed shopping list, and stacks of magazines incase I change my mind. No joke. Holiday food is serious business. Reality check. Thanksgiving in our house is a bit too much centered around food and football than it should be, but we do take time to be thankful. It is a time to be thankful for our country, and to celebrate with those who are important in our lives. Sometimes that means grabbing the phone and chatting away with relatives, facebooking an old friend, skyping with a sibling, or watching the game with my son or husband. The important thing here to make the connection any way you can -  in our case most of family lives several states away so this works for us. And yet.... as a mom and a still somewhat new food blogger theres a certain expectation that gets put on the food at thanksgiving - thats clearly different than the ENTIRE rest of the year. Anyone else know what I am talking about here? 

So in light of all the thanksgiving prep and holiday stress fun... its freezing here in southern az, and its been raining for two whole days. I love it but I am c-o-l-d! So thankfully I found something that reminds me of growing up and is warm and comforting. If you need something to take your mind off of thanksgiving preparations or are just c-o-l-d too, try this super delicious, healthy, very easy, 

 Autumn Northwest Salmon Chowder 

serves 3-4 

adapted from: Readers Digest, The Ultimate Soup Cookbook

prep + cooking time: 22-28 minutes

ingredients:

half of butternut squash approx 3 cups cubed small

1 yellow medium sized potato, cubed small

1 large onion

2 1/2 cups of water

2 cups of milk

2-3 Tbs fresh dill

1/2-3/4 lb. salmon fillets, skin removed, cut in 1" chunks

1 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs unsalted organic butter

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

directions:

1. in a medium - large pot melt the butter and heat the olive oil over medium heat. (The oil helps the butter not burn)

2. sauté the onion in the pot for approx 5 minutes or until the onion is tender

3. Add in the potato, butternut squash, salt, pepper, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for approx. 10 minutes until the squash and potato is fork tender. 

4. Add in the fish simmer gently uncovered for 2-3 minutes until it flakes easily. 

5. Add in the milk and dill. Heat but do not boil. 

6. Taste. Adjust any seasonings if needed. Serve hot with your favorite rolls or crackers

Happy fall with this pretty autumn colored chowder 

from my kitchen to yours