Last week and this weekend, we had our first few rainy days in San Diego.  My kids put on their rainboots and danced around outside in the rain.  They asked if they could put on their wetsuits and go back outside - I guess they're California beach kids first and foremost.  When they came back inside and dried off, it seemed like the perfect day for a warm and cozy bowl of soup. 
I had picked up a butternut squash from Trader Joe's the day before. They have a nice selection of medium and large butternut squash for $1.99 each at my store.  Granted, you can buy good boxed butternut squash soup ready-made at Trader Joe's, but it's almost as easy to make your own.
This recipe requires about 2-3 minutes of active working time and can be tailored a few different ways according to your own tastes.  The toughest part of the recipe is cutting the squash in half.  Use your biggest, sharpest knife and be very, very careful.   The list of ingredients does not include fingers.
While I was trying to snap the photo of the soup, my children were circling me and gleefully chanting something about yummy soup - they loved it and had seconds.

Cozy Butternut Squash Soup

1 medium-large butternut squash (about 3-4 cups of cooked squash)
1 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 cups of chicken broth (use as many cups of broth as cups of cooked squash)
1/2 tsp salt (adjust according to saltiness of broth)
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds and strings.  Oil each half and place face down on baking sheet.  Cook until soft when pierced with knife.  Depending on size of squash, cooking time will be roughly 30-50 minutes.
3) Scoop out the cooked squash.  Add the squash and other ingredients to a blender, pureeing till smooth.
4) Pour into a large saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, never boiling.

Note: If you're vegetarian or vegan, just substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

The kids preferred the nutmeg version above.  My husband preferred this curried, creamy, coconut version:

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

substitute 1 cup light coconut milk for 1 cup of the broth
substitute 1/2 tsp curry powder for the nutmeg

Note: This is a great way to get creaminess without any dairy products.