Cozy Cottage Baking & Squash Soup | Edible Flowers, Fresh Bread, and Spring Garden Plans
The slow shift toward spring has begun, and today, we’re welcoming it in the best way—by baking fresh bread, simmering a pot of rich butternut squash soup, and gathering herbs and edible flowers from the garden. 🌿
We also take a trip to the local farm store to pick up fresh dirt for the garden beds—preparing for the season ahead, one scoop at a time. Along the way, we pick purple dead nettle, a wonderful wild edible that’s both nutritious and beautiful. It’s perfect as a garnish and cooking! Today, we’re using it in a pan of golden-fried turnips for an extra bit of fresh, earthy flavor and color.
Join me for a day of cozy cottage baking, slow living, and spring garden preparations. I hope this little slice of home brings you warmth and inspiration. 🍞
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MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO:
✨ Purple Dead Nettle Edible Flower
✨ Fresh-ground flour & homemade bread
✨ Butternut squash soup with garden herbs
✨ Fried turnips with wild greens
✨ Spring gardening & buying fresh dirt from the farm store
How to Identify Purple Dead Nettle
Purple dead nettle is easy to identify by its square stem, spade-shaped leaves, and purple-tinged tops.
Depending on soil quality, the lower leaves may stay green, while others turn deep purple—this just means the soil is lower in phosphorus, but the plant is still completely safe to eat.
It also has no toxic lookalikes.
The only plant it closely resembles is henbit, which is also edible and delicious.
Purple Dead Nettle Pesto
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
1 ½ Cups Purple Dead Nettle (packed – leaves & flower tops)
2–3 Cloves Garlic
3 Tbsp Nuts if desired (pecans, walnuts, pine nuts)
½ Tsp Italian Seasoning
1 ¼ Tbsp Lemon Juice
1–2 Pinches Sugar
⅜ Cup Parmesan Cheese or Chickpeas for Vegan (or about 6 Tbsp)
¼–½ Cup Olive Oil
Instructions:
Harvest your purple dead nettle by picking the flower & leaf tops off the plant.
Rinse and dry the dead nettles.
Finely chop by hand or blend in a food processor with your choice of nuts.
Omit nuts if needed. Wild rice is a good substitute for nut allergies in this. It will not keep long, so use it or freeze it in the first 48 hours
Once combined, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until you reach the desired consistency.
Adjust seasonings as needed; each batch may vary slightly.
To make the soup:
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4–6
Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash, halved and seeds removed
1 head of garlic, top sliced off
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cube (½ cup) butter, melted
1 quart milk of choice (cream, nut milk, oat milk, etc.)
Salt & pepper, to taste
Fresh herbs (such as thyme, sage, or rosemary)
Instructions:
Roast the Squash & Garlic:
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Place the squash halves cut side up on a baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs.
Place the garlic head on the sheet, drizzle with a little oil, and wrap it loosely in foil.
Roast for 40–45 minutes, until the squash is fork-tender.
Blend the Soup:
Scoop the softened squash out of its skin.
Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins.
In a blender or pot with an immersion blender, blend together the squash, garlic, melted butter, and collected olive oil from roasting.
Slowly add your milk of choice until smooth and creamy.
Season & Serve:
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Warm on the stove if needed, stirring gently.
Serve hot with crusty bread
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📍 Filmed in Yelm, Washington, The Pride of the Prairie
🌄 Near Mount Tahoma/Rainier on Nisqually Tribal Land
📷 Filmed with a Lumix G7, 25mm Lens
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