Anyhow, I ran into Suz at Byerly's the other day (I accidentally stole her parking space, not realizing it was her, and hooooey did she toss me a dirty look, not realizing it was me - ooh, a side of Susie Sunshine I've not see before, tee hee! She's a fierce little vixen when she needs to be - give 'em hell, Suz!). After howling about our parking misadventures, we obnoxiously talked all over the store, with our carts getting in everyone's way, and it was a total blast. Suz picked out some pretty little Brussels, which inspired me to as well, even though I have a heck of a time digesting them. So
To roast them: preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry the Brussels, trim away the thick bottoms, then cut them in half. Place them in a large bowl, drizzle generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with
coarse salt. Toss, toss, toss to coat evenly. Spread them on a baking sheet (don't crowd them) and roast for 10 minutes. Turn them over, remove any loose leaves that are getting quite brown (I eat those right off the sheet, they're a delicious cook's treat), and roast for another 10 minutes. The goal is tender-crisp Brussels, nicely browned in spots. That's it - enjoy!Later: a hopeful note - I walked, despite the 5-degree temp, and get this...the sun was warm enough to make me uncomfortably hot and sweaty! Yes, I had on many layers and was exercising. But still! I've slogged through many 5-degree (or worse!) days this winter without getting really, truly hot. Today was definitely different. I didn't need a scarf over my face, and I was just...glad. Sweaty and glad. Come on, sun, you can do it!

