A week ago the temps dropped into the 50′s and instantly I was obsessing over autumn.  I wanted to wear a sweater, drink a mug of hot cider, and eat something with root vegetables in it.  I had eaten barley at a friend’s house the week before and there was something just so warm and comforting about it, that I thought about it for days afterwards.  After a quick google search, I came across this recipe from Real Simple.  It was exactly what I was looking for!  The perfect autumn dinner to make you feel warm and cozy on a chilly night.

I can assure you, that the leftovers were as tasty as the night I made it; in fact for days after, I looked forward to every leftover lunch.  I read some of the reviews and added some garlic, swapped out the onions for shallots, used veggie broth instead of the chicken, and used swiss chard instead of the spinach.  Oh, don’t forget the best part!  I saved the seeds from the butternut squash, toasted them with olive oil, and sprinkled them on top…  Seriously delicious.

Baked Barley Risotto with Butternut Squash from Real Simple

{image shown from my Instagram}