sick day soup

We’re about a month into the new school year, which means we were overdue for the first preschool bug of the season to rear its head. Sure enough, this week both our kids got wrecked by a nasty upper respiratory virus, and it’s been all hands on deck keeping them comfortable and getting them healthy again. Thankfully Matthew and I were spared (knock on all the wood!!), but we were up all night multiple nights this week, taking turns sitting in a steamy bathroom and just holding our sweet, sick babies as they struggled to breathe.

But dang, kids are resilient, and they both bounced back amazingly quickly. Though two sick toddlers has meant I’ve spent waaay more time wiping snotty noses than working in the dirt this week. So I’m planning give a deeper look at our fall garden next week, and I’ll show y’all everything we’re growing, how I (organically) deal with fall pests, some helpful harvesting tips, etc.. stay tuned!

TBH I’m still just trying to stay afloat this week, so keeping this chit chat short and sweet, but don’t skip this powerful, immune-boosting soup recipe! It’s pure sunshine in a bowl.

PS – butternut squash is a key ingredient in the soup, and you can get a refresher on how to easily peel + chop winter squash in my handy video tutorial.

If you, like me, find yourself constantly surrounded by small snotty humans… do yourself a favor and MAKE THIS SOUP.

It’s a roasted butternut squash + carrot situation, and it’s filled with tons of other immune-boosting ingredients like ginger, garlic, apple cider vinegar, turmeric, etc to keep your body healthy as we head into flu season. Here’s a quick rundown about the benefits of each ingredient:

• Butternut squash – Packed with vitamins A and C, which are great for your eyes and immune system.

• Carrots – Support vision and skin health thanks to loads of beta-carotene.

• Ginger – Super immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory, and helps calm digestion and ease an upset stomach.

• Coconut milk – Adds creaminess while giving you healthy fats that keep you full and energized.

• Turmeric – Known for its anti-inflammatory punch, especially when paired with black pepper (found in most garam masala blends, which is a key spice in this soup).

• Apple cider vinegar – aids with digestion and helps balance blood sugar levels.

• Garlic – Contains allicin, a compound known