Brussels Sprouts

Yep. Brussels Sprouts.

I use to hate Brussels Sprouts. HATE them.

They are pretty, though

Whenever I was a guest at someone’s house and they were serving Brussels Sprouts, I would kindly take a small amount, force down maybe one or two, then ignore the rest.

They were always so bitter. “Why would anyone like them?” I wondered.

For years, people who have learned about my hatred for this vegetable would ask me to try their recipe. They use to promise me that their recipe was delicious and that I would like them.

I did not.

This situation presented itself again at a potluck BBQ I hosted this past summer. This wasn’t just any old BBQ. This was a BBQ of my work colleagues, including my boss. And guess who said she had the “best recipe for Brussels Sprouts”?

My boss.

So, the day of the BBQ, my boss brought the raw Brussels Sprouts over and prepared them at my house. My kitchen stunk of the bitter Brussels Sprout smell. It was so unappetizing.

Then, she started offering them to everyone. Fortunately, a few of my coworkers weren’t big Brussels Sprout fans either, so I wasn’t singled out when I politely declined them.

She insisted.

She’s my boss.

So, I grudgingly accepted the Brussels Sprout. And you know what? It wasn’t disgusting. It actually wasn’t bad at all. Actually, I kinda liked it.

So low and behold, I now love Brussels Sprouts. I make them at least twice a week and gobble them up. I use my boss’s wonderful recipe with a few little changes.
If you’re interested, this is my recipe:
– Cut the bottoms off the Brussels Sprouts and cut them in half-length wise.
– In a bowl, combine a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, a few gloves of chopped garlic, a sprinkle of sea salt and a sprinkle of black pepper.
– Coat the Brussels Sprouts with the mixture in the bowl.
– In a pan on medium heat, cook the Brussels Sprouts face down until golden brown and they are soft (not too soft and not too hard). Be careful not to cook them too fast then they brown quickly and don’t cook through, thus the bitterness.

These are too brown....

Enjoy!!!

Tell me, what’s your experience with Brussels Sprouts?

A Thankful Heart

I am truly thankful.

This week was Thanksgiving, known for Turkey, friends and family. For many, Thanksgiving can be very stressful. Family can be tough. Although you love each other, spending time with family can be quite challenging.

I’ve a few stressful and challenging holidays in my life (especially since my parents got divorced). And holidays tend to be a nerve-racking event for me. “How will this one go?” I wonder. “Maybe this year will be really great” I hope. But, sometimes, the holiday seems to be less than desired. I’ve tried to lower my expectations for all family holidays, and just try to have a good attitude. Every year, the planning of which parent we see when can also be very stressful for my siblings and me.

To be honest, I really wasn’t looking forward to Thanksgiving. I have had a lot on my plate, and I just didn’t want to have a stressful holiday. Often, when I predict the holiday will be good, it tends to be bad, so I tried not to make any predictions.

Tahn and I saddled up and drove home to celebrate the weekend. I had two Thanksgiving dinners planned- one with my dad and one with my mom. And this year, both Thanksgiving dinners were fantastic. Not only was the food unbelievable at both, but, I really enjoyed myself.

Then, last night, I was invited to a third Thanksgiving dinner hosted by some of my wonderful friends – and it was also a blast and the food was delicious.

Here I am thinking, how many people get to go to three great, fun, and delicious Thanksgiving dinners? How many people have great (and sometimes flawed) loving families as well as amazing friends?

Although my immediate family is far from perfect, they are pretty fantastic. I had a moment this weekend of being extremely grateful for each of them:

-My dad: always my best friend and dedicated, devoted supporter. He bends over backwards to make my siblings and me happy. I had so much fun cooking with him and just “being”.

-My brother and sister-in-law: wonderfully supportive, loving and inspiring. Also, they are expecting their first child to arrive very soon, which bring so much joy and happiness to our family.

-My mom: always supports and loves me unconditionally.  This Thanksgiving, I really enjoyed talking with her about my life and hearing her thoughts.

-My sister: although she lives further away and did not make the trip this year, I feel so much closer to her than I have in a long while and it is so incredibly wonderful.

Often I think, “The main reason I have such a fantastic life is because of the parents and family I was born into”. And this year, I have to say that I am even more grateful than ever.
I am truly thankful.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year, too.

R.I.C.E

Playing dodgeball tonight, I got injured.

Me.

The woman who HATES any physical pain. HATES physical pain.

I threw a ball at someone (it didn’t hit them…) and I was running backward (a strategy as super- duper dodgeballers do) and I stepped on a ball and rolled my foot.

And then preceded to fall on top of my rolled foot before entirely hitting the ground.

It hurt. A lot.

It seriously was so painful I wanted to cry. Previously at this point in my life, when I’ve played sports, I would automatically sit out. (I would be secretly relieved and be happy to watch).

But I really wanted to stay in, and so I decided played through the pain.

Me.

The woman who HATES physical pain.

I must say, I am proud of myself. I stayed in and put my best foot forward (literally). I actually almost made a half-court shot.

I am home now R.I.C.Eing my foot. (I may or may not have had to call my father to tell me what the acronym was…)

So, here I am with a Tahn snuggling on my lap (she is healing me, she’s a healer), Resting, Elevating, and Icing my foot. (Ok, I am not taking Ibuprofen. I’m drinking red wine and eating 2 brownies instead).

Here’s to changing for the better!! (Even if my foot is purple and swollen).

200 Men

Today, I watched the second part of Oprah’s “200 men show”, where her audience was full of 200 men coming forward with their stories of being molested as a child. One of the reasons Oprah did this show is to have the 200 men represent all of the men in the world who have been molested. Staggering statistics estimate that 1 in 6 men were molested, and many men haven’t been able to come forward with their story to their loved ones.

This has been a moving and emotional education for me and I encourage you to go to Oprah’s website (http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/An-Oprah-Show-Event-200-Men-Who-Were-Molested-Come-Forward-Part-2) and learn more about this show.

Thank you.