Seconds, please!

As you have probably noticed by now, I really, really enjoy cooking. Bill and I are both very mindful about our diets but we do have a bad habit of indulging in the greasy, yummy, make you feel so guilty treats. I have a couple guilty pleasures: spicy buffalo wings and blue cheese dressing (especially the really chunky kind!), chips and dips, and onion rings. Pretty much anything cheesy and gooey. In the past couple months I have really added lots of color to our plate rather than starches and cheese. More than likely our meals will have a vegetable side. I love glazed carrots, salads, broccoli, grilled squash and asparagus, cuccumber salads... the list goes on and on. Lately, I've been choosing different vegetables to try new recipes and get us both outside of our comfort zone. Again, I have an issue with making something, having us both really like it, and then continuing to make it until I can practically do it with my eyes closed. At times, I enjoy making sides that take a little time and effort but I'm no gourmet chef and let's be serious, Bill will eat just about anything. So why make this more difficult? I purchased brussels sprouts (did you know that they are actually BRUSSELS sprouts, with an S!) at Target the other day and decided to make them easy and simple. This recipe had 5 stars from 185 readers and I would definitely add to the list.

• Start with a package of FRESH brussels sprouts. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 pounds. As you can tell by the picture I had about 3/4 pound. Trim the ends and remove any funky leaves.
• Add 3 T. of olive oil, 1 t. of kosher salt (I used natural sea salt), and 1/2 t. of freshly ground black pepper. You can put all of the ingredients in a bag or mix in a bowl. Just make sure they are evenly coated. Again, you can adjust these measurements as you see fit. I didn't use a measuring cup, I added enough olive oil to coat and ground the salt and pepper to my liking.
• On a baking stone, roast in a 400 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes. Check on the brussels sprouts about every 10 minutes and shake the pan or move them around with a metal spatula. This allows all sides to evenly brown. The dish is done when the leaves are dark brown or even black. Add more salt, if you'd like (I didn't but many of the reviewers did.) and serve immediately.

I took 4 pictures of the 'finished product' and couldn't get an attractive angle. But seriously, these are amazing and guilt-free!! Next on my list, kale chips... little nervous but I've heard great things!