Brussels Sprouts

Good runs, bad runs. Good days, bad days. We have them all. It's the spice of life and it keeps things interesting! How boring would life be if every day were perfect? We would not be able to appreciate the great days without a few days that leave you down in the dumps. It's all about perspective. The way we look at life is what is so important. Today I had a really lousy run. It seemed like there was nothing that I could do to get "in the groove." I took a break halfway through. I stretched nearly every five minutes towards the end. I ended a mile earlier than I had planned. Now comparing that to my run yesterday that was awesome it looks even worse. My run yesterday was fantastic. It just flew by! I kept cranking up the speed, nothing could slow me down. It was so great!!! I got off the treadmill feeling better than when I started. But here is how I am choosing to look at it. A few years ago I would not have been able to finish seven miles period. I definitely would not have been able to do it sub-eight minute miles. So who cares if this run wasn't as good as yesterday's?  I have come so far from where I started that I can be proud of my run today even if it was not the best run. I have come a long way, literally and figuratively ;)

Enough with the preachy stuff though! Tonight I am took on a dish that I NEVER thought I would make. Brussels sprouts.... What? During a trip to the grocery store today I picked up a bag of them on a whim. I don't really know what intrigued me so much about them but I just HAD to have them. I looked up a bunch of different recipes on how to prepare them and decided on roasting them! Did you know you can make chips out of Brussels sprouts? Mind blown! Apparently there are a lot of ways to cook them. Maybe next time I'll give that one a shot! But for tonight I roasted them, and they were delicious!!

This is the recipe I followed to make my delicious Brussels sprouts:

• 1 1/2 lb halved Brussels sprouts
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• red pepper flakes

Toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil and a pinch of each red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Roast cut side down on a baking sheet at 450 degrees until caramelized, 25 to 30 minutes.

Here is my funny side story to go along with the Brussels sprouts. While I was in college, I was a part time nanny. The family has three beautiful young children. I got to spend a lot of time with their six year old daughter and their three year old son over the past two years. On days that I would watch the kids, I was in charge of making them lunch. When it came close to lunch time I would always ask them what they wanted to have! They would tell me that they didn't know, or the little boy would tell me he wanted "doo doo" just to be a goof! So I would ramble off the list of some silly things for them to have for lunch. Like dog chow or a bowl of puzzle pieces or a basketball pizza. Obviously things people do not eat, just to clarify! They would giggle and tell me no that was not what they wanted for lunch. The last suggestion I would make for them (before a list of real suggestions) was Brussels sprouts. They thought it was the FUNNIEST thing! They would just crack up and be in a fit of giggles! Which made me laugh because of how funny they though that was! It was the cutest thing! It's not like the kids didn't eat vegetables either. They were some of the healthiest eaters around. I like to think I am a healthy eater too but these kids gave me a run for my money! Needless to say I never made them Brussels sprouts for lunch. Being a nanny was one of the most fun, rewarding jobs I have ever had. It was always such a refreshing break from the crazy stressful college life, full of lab report deadlines and exams. If my hardest decision all day was what book to read for story time, or what song to turn on for a dance party, that's ok. Watching those kids grow up over the past two years has melted my heart over and over. They are the goofiest, kindest, sweetest kids around and I know they are going to grow up into wonderful people! So my dinner of Brussels sprouts is dedicated to Mr. Mac and Cheese and Ms. Giggles! Sending them and extra big hug today!