I forgot to tell you about one of my most exciting gifts from Santa.

AN IMMERSION BLENDER.

I want to go on an all-soup diet so that I can use it every day.

I’m sure over the holidays you ate your fair share of apps. There’s pretty much nothing better than an array of dips/spreads/shrimp cocktail laid out in front of you. Oh and your family and friends, too. They’re cool. But THE FOOD.

But now it’s January which means everyone has resolutions to eat less and move more, right? My gym has been insanely crowded. As an instructor, it’s so much fun to have a packed class. As a participant, I want to tell people to get out of my personal space.

I’m not sure how much partying you’re doing over the next few weeks, but if you want a healthy(er) snack or a fancy dip to share with friends, this is your answer. I made this a few days after Christmas, after putting a big dent into a 5 lb bag of peanut M&Ms. They are my kryptonite. Literally one of my gifts was the 5 lb bag, and my mom had just written ERIN on it with a Sharpie. She gets me.

Whipped Butternut & Goat Cheese Dip

slightly adapted from How Sweet It Is

3 lbs chopped butternut squash

1 head garlic

4 oz goat cheese

1 bunch chives, chopped

olive oil

salt & pepper

crushed red pepper flakes

Shockingly, the pre-chopped butternut squash was cheaper than buying the whole squash at Wegmans. I’m so glad I checked, because chopping up butternut squash is a gigantic pain in my ass and makes my hands orange and squeaky. Does this happen to anyone else?!

Toss the squash in olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet. Slice the garlic head in half and brush with olive oil, then put it back together and wrap in foil. Roast the squash and garlic at 375 degrees for about 40-45 minutes until soft.

You can definitely do the garlic ahead of time, but you want the squash to be freshly cooked and still warm.

Put the squash in a bowl and squeeze in your roasted garlic cloves. I only used half of the head because my mom was looking at me like I was crazy and describing my dip as “exotic.” You can use the whole thing. Roasted garlic is sweeter and much less potent.

Add your goat cheese and WHIP IT REAL GOOD.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can do this in a food processor or traditional blender.

Top with chopped chives, and serve with bagel chips, crackers, pretzels, etc. It’s actually rich enough that you could serve it as a side dish in place of mashed potatoes. SO MUCH HEALTHIER. I ate some of the leftovers with steak one night and loved it.

You can expect my next post to be soup.