Have you ever wondered how Brussels sprouts grow?
On a stalk! I’d never seen them like this until my parents brought some back from their farmers market upstate. I don’t think Shrek had a tail, but if he did, I’m pretty sure it would look just like that 
Shrek aside, I made a darn good batch of roasted vegetables this weekend.
Honey-Roasted Fall Vegetables
- 1 cup butternut squash, sliced widthwise
- 1 cup Brussels sprouts
- 1 T honey
- 1 T aged balsamic vinaigrette
- 1 T olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400. Lightly coat a foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray and add vegetables, honey, balsamic and oil. Toss with hands until vegetables are evenly covered; spread veggies along the sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown, turning once. Enjoy!
Serves 2-4
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We wanted to go to the diner for breakfast, but our usual place had a 20+ minute wait and we were hangry . Instead, we went to Moonstruck, where we’ve been before.
Coffee for me, bottled Coke for the boy
Egg white omelet with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and feta; rye toast & homefries
It was nice to be in a quieter environment, but the omelet wasn’t as good and the toast wasn’t hot (thus not melting the butter). Still, we had fun lingering over the paper!
Last night’s dinner was a real treat. Ari, Ilana, and the rest of the fam took me (for my birthday) to Piccola Venezia, an old fashioned Italian restaurant with white tablecloths, waiters in maroon dinner jackets, and gold nameplates on the wall of famous Italian Americans and Queens icons who have frequented the restaurant in the past. We all half-expected to see Tony Soprano sitting in the corner!
As soon as we sat down, we were brought a plate of antipasti, along with warm bread and butter. We enjoyed it with glasses of Napa Valley merlot.
To start, I had a Tricolore salad with endive, arugula and radicchio. The dressing was a perfect balsamic, which is hard to beat. Unfortunately, the photo disappeared 
For my main, I had a half order of the Maltagliati ‘Dania’: hand-cut pappardelle with roasted garlic whole peeled tomatoes, basil and a dash of cream. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: handmade pasta- Piccola Venezia makes their pasta fresh each day- is the best, and this dish was no exception. I was a little worried that it would be too creamy, but it was perfect! I gobbled up every last bite.
After our meal, we were brought a plate full of tiny almond biscotti. I helped myself to quite a few. They were barely the size of my pinky!
Just as we were getting ready to leave, a slice of cheesecake was brought out and a certain song was sung. The cheesecake was Italian-style, i.e. made with ricotta instead of cream cheese, as New York-style cheesecake is. We all shared bites until the very end, when a glass of wine spilled all over it. We still left with quite full bellies.
Speaking of dessert, I’m pretty much obsessed with this Salazon chocolate. I can’t decide whether I like the sea salt-turbinado sugar or the sea salt-black pepper variety best! Luckily I don’t have to choose… for now. Apparently the brand is only sold in Maryland, so it looks like I’d better head towards the turnpike soon!
Do you watch the news? Read the paper? Browse websites like CNN.com, NYTimes.com, or huffingtonpost.com? Where do you get your current events?
What a great weekend
I love breakfast or brunch out. Its so relaxing. I went on Sunday with friends and had some fabulous eggs and a biscuit. YUM! Your birthday dinner looks great! That is some authentic looking italian. And biscotti? What a great treat. I look at foxnews.com throughout the day and watch the news either in the morning or evening for a bit as well.
I tend to get the news on the radio (omg a 22 year old who listens to AM radio!?) during my commute to/from work. That is when I am not rocking out to Jackson Browne…….
I first saw brussels like that last Christmas when my Aunt made them….she cooked them soo looong….amazing.
I love brussels sprouts stalks! I think they’re so cool!
i flippin’ love roasted brussel(s) sprouts but would like to believe they are called brussel sprouts, even though they are not. anyyyway. the brussels stalk is pretty fabulous, i’ll have to agree.
that dessert place is adorable! looks like a nice b-day dinner
as for news, i used to read the nytimes daily, but now that’s become more of a once a week kind of habit. oops? i live under a rock. it’s bad. one of my goals is to read the newspaper daily. i’ll get to that at some point.
Ohh I love Moonstruck. Simple, but good.
For news, I TRY to read NYTimes.com when I think of it. Sometimes it’s a couple times a week, others it’s less. Keeping up with the news is definitely something I have to make an effort to do! Sadly.
Ahahah, now when i see Brussels sprouts I will think of Shrek’s tail! I first saw a stalk of sprouts in San Fran at the market last year and got overly excited. I like how they grow!
haha..i love that you compared that to shreks tail.
how cute that the plate said happy birthday
i like huff po for online browsing. i used to read the metro from cover to cover. in ca, we get the WSJ each day (which is for kyle) and is SUPER boring. i never read it.
Glad you enjoy the chocolate! I had a feeling you would. I think they do sell them in NY just not in the city. But, if it means you’ll come to Maryland, I’m all for it! I love a good ricotta Italian style cheesecake, sounds like a great way to celebrate a birthday!
I LOVE sea salt so I’m sure I’d die over that chocolate. I hope I can find it somewhere!
I read the paper almost everyday. I like knowing what’s going on internationally and locally. I also love the NYT crossword and weekly columns!
I love how your b-day just keeps on giving.
How sweet that they brought you a plate of cheesecake with a birthday wish. 
Glad it was a great weekend love.
That omelet looks SO good! I want one!
I get my news from NYT online, Huffington Post, and watching the news while I prepare dinner:)
Haha i love the coke and coffee.. like a kid and a mom, that is how my boyfriend and I are ! he is SUCH a kid!!!
I only realized B.Sprouts grew on stalks about 3-4 yrs ago. Seeing them in CA farmer’s markets otherwise..had no idea
My tattoo..thx for the compliments and i had no idea you were a tat lover! thank you for saying what you said
Current events. I suck. I tell my hubs that i know who made pumpkin oats but i dont know that the world is blowing up type of thing. It’s sad. I need to read less blogs and more news. Then again…why…
My word that all looks delicious! I love good italian food and that birthday plate and cake are wonderful. You’ve also left me with a craving for roast brussel sprouts!
I read CNN every day. I can’t watch the news, there are too many repeats and “teaser” headlines that I get annoyed. With CNN, I can pick and choose what stories I want to read and at the very least, just scan the headlines for a general idea of what’s going on in the world. Of course, I also read Perez too to keep up on happenings
Hey, Thanks for the mention. We’re not only sold in MD, though. We’re sold in Whole Foods and other natural/gourmet shops from VA to ME. Check out http://www.salazonchoc.com/buy
I really relate to that post. Thanks for the info.