HOORAY!!!

[shakes pompoms]

Thanks to everyone for your ideas, am defo going to be doing some in the next few weeks however today the winner was the cupcakes

Thanks theyoungvistor, they are very very good. DD and DH love them. They are so soft and moist, and hey must count as 1 of my 5 a day

I recommend adding in coconut milk to the soup. It goes amazingly well with butternut. You could also make butternut gratin (like potato dauphinoise, replacing the potato with butternut). The Times had a thing on 30 different butternut recipes, here.

oh yes curry is good too, we do a lovely thai coconut curry, well my dp does

the soup is easy, fry onion, chop and peel squash and carrots then fry them with the onion for a few mins, then add stock, about a pint, then simmer until soft and whizz with a blender.

i grill some bacon and break it into pieces to have in the soup like croutons and then serve with crusty bread, great on a cold day

Butternut squash soup has the loveliest velvety texture. May have to go and get one myself .... <bustles off to shop>

doh can someone remind me how to post a link?

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/12808/butternut-squash-soup-with-chilli-and-crme-frache

thai curry, that sounds good alarkaspree

they do sound fab

<goes off to check I ahve everything i need>

It's lovely mashed with sweet potato as an alternative to mashed, erm, normal potato