Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

As you may remember, I'm writing about thankfulness in every post this month. I am thankful for so many blessings, but today I'm writing about a food item that I was not thankful for at all when I was a child.

I wished Brussels sprouts would disappear from the earth. My mother used to make me eat them, and I would choke two down at the beginning of the supper meal at which they were served so I could enjoy the rest of my food in peace. My dear brother, Mark, however, would try to hide them. There was the napkin trick and the beneath-the-mashed-potatoes trick. We didn't have a dog inside to snatch the detestable food from his hand, so he had to make the best use of his criminal mind using leftover food and dishes on the supper table.

I was never thankful for Brussels sprouts. It wasn't your cooking, Mom, they just tasted nasty to a 10-year-old's taste buds.

Wouldn't you know last week in my produce co-op basket was a pretty little crop of Brussels sprouts? My son said, "Yea! Brussels sprouts," and I will admit I looked at my precious bundle like he had two heads. I decided right then and there I would find a way to cook them so I could somewhat enjoy them. Wasting is not allowed!

So here's what I tried. I must say, particularly because it is the month of thankfulness, I am grateful for this new recipe that may be the beginning of my new relationship with Brussels sprouts.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

fresh Brussels sprouts heads (about 2 cups)
sea salt
black pepper
olive oil
4 slices of bacon, diced
balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half lengthwise. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. (After all, who wants to wash a mess of a pan later?) Toss the Brussels sprouts with enough olive oil to coat them and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the diced bacon. It will look like this.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the sprouts are beginning to turn golden brown, stirring them every 10 minutes during the cooking process.

When you remove them from the oven, sprinkle lightly with balsamic vinegar. The finished dish will look like this.

I may actually smile if Brussels sprouts show up in my produce co-op basket again this week.

Watch out, Mark! I may be bringing this dish for Thanksgiving dinner, and there will be no mashed potatoes serving as handy hiding places.

Love,
TCB

Related Thanksgiving food posts:

Best Broccoli Casserole
Carrot Souffle
Wintertime Roasted Vegetables

Flyday Dieting

I'm thankful for Happy.

Even if a diet is in order. She has traded chew bones for celery so she can eat lots on Thanksgiving Day.

Happy Flyday!

Love,
TCB

In Gratitude

One of the themes of my blog is living life simply. In order to live simply, I believe it's necessary to live gratefully. Gratefulness makes you joyful for what you have, regardless of how simple or inconsequential that particular thing may seem to the outside world.

I hope I live gratefully every day, but in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to focus this month on just a handful of people and things for which I'm grateful.

This first one is a given:

My immediate family (fish not included). I'm thankful for the fish, but they're not part of my immediate family. Oh, forget it. Just know I am thankful each day for each family member, even those not pictured above.

I'm also thankful for something I've had a very long time:

This Bible is my favorite for a couple of reasons. First, it was the only thing I got from my grandfather's house when he passed away. I was 10 years old, and this has been a treasured Bible since then. On the intro page, my grandfather's name is written, followed by my (maiden) name underneath. He never wrote in it, but I could tell it had been well used. It looks a little shabby now, and I have written and highlighted all over it. I loved it when I was 10 because I could understand its story-like conversational tone when I couldn't make heads or tails of what King James meant. Now, I love it because it helps my son understand the Word a little better than other translations.

I would love to hear what you're most thankful for in the Comments section below.

In gratefulness,
TCB

Halloween Hunting

Hunting Dog. Ready for trick-or-treatin'.

Happy Halloween, y'all!

Love,

TCB

My New Best Friend is a Vacuum

Happy brings happiness into our lives...

... and LOTS of hair.

I could vacuum every day and still have white hair covering the floor. Therein lies the problem: if vacuuming were quick and easy, I would do it every day and everything would be a little less hairy. But draping the vacuum hose over my arm to bring it downstairs every day along with the attachments is too much work. Even though I have a central vacuum system, the hose takes up too much space to have one upstairs and downstairs, so I "share" between floors. Which means vacuuming downstairs - where the dog lives - is burdensome enough that I don't want it to be an everyday task.

So here's my savior:

A super small and lightweight stick vacuum - with removable handheld vacuum - for the first floor. Plugged into the wall, this Electrolux Ergorapido is so light I can vacuum with one hand. It swivels around so I can reach in all sorts of (hairy) places and makes my chores so much faster. Now I can bring out the big guns once per week and use this quick, "lick and a promise" solution daily.

The instructions say it should "only be used by adults." Bologna. Hogwash. Nonsense. It fits perfectly into the hand of my 11-year-old.

Perfectomundo!

I'd highly recommend this product.*

Love,
TCB

*No one paid me anything to say this. That's too bad.

Country Life

We love living in a rural setting, but it's not always glamorous. Having a piece of land means a few extra chores have to be done outside when you'd rather be chillin' inside (like you might be able to living in a condo!). Hmmmm......

Time to spray some caterpillars who have tented in the trees before they emerge and eat ALL my flowers.

If you want a tree chopped and moved out of the way and you're not old enough to operate a chainsaw, here's how to get it done.

Sometimes you need to burn stuff. Not everyone calls this work.

Even with all the extra work, we wouldn't trade it for anything.

This weekend, I'm determined to do the final trimming of all the landscape plants and bushes around the house. Wish me luck. My sore arms will need it.

Love,
TCB

Iced Vanilla Lattes - The Champion Mom's Drink

I love my iced coffee, but I don't always love the steep price tag associated with purchasing one at a coffee shop. Plus, as y'all know, I'm not really that close to a coffee shop that I can run out for a morning latte. It's too far and takes too much time. Plus, school lessons await. Hungry chickens are cackling. A hungry dog is begging. A *starving* cat is scratching furiously at the garage door. My writing assignments for clients are calling me for some personal one-on-one time.

So I have learned to make my own version of an iced vanilla latte - only healthier. This one uses a natural, organic sweetener and is dairy-free. I have read about and used lots of others' recipes for iced lattes, but some of the ingredients - while super friendly to my taste buds - were not so friendly to my waist line. So here's my "healthy" latte for a real kick in the morning. I like to make it in a Tervis tumbler with a lid and built-in straw. No sweat rings on my table, y'all, and the ice lasts as long as I want to nurse my drink.

Homemade Iced Vanilla Latte

7-8 oz. of cold brewed coffee*
splash of almond-coconut milk
unsweetened vanilla almond milk
organic raw honey
sugar-free vanilla syrup
ice cubes

Put a heaping tablespoon (or an amount to your liking) of organic raw honey in a 16-oz. cup.

Since organic raw honey is solid at room temperature, I pop the cup into the microwave for 10 seconds to melt it. 

Add a tablespoon of sugar-free vanilla syrup. I found mine at Sam's Club.

Fill up the cup about halfway with cold brewed coffee. I have jars of cold-brewed coffee just waiting in my refrigerator.

Stir the honey to dissolve into the coffee. Add a heaping dose of ice cubes, then a splash of almond-coconut milk.

Fill up the remainder of the glass with unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

You are finished!

Now I can tackle math class! Or write like nobody's business!

Love,
TCB

* I use a very large, commercial-grade stainless steel mixing bowl and pour in a full bag of ground coffee, your brand of choice. I enjoy using the "donut store" coffee. Then I add 32 cups of cold water, mix, cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit on the counter about 12-16 hours to cold brew. Next, I pour it into mason jars with lids and store in the refrigerator (as long as three weeks) until I need it for lattes.