With or Without Them

Tonight we, like the 100 million + other folks, watched the Super Bowl. Unlike the majority of those watching, we dined on relatively healthy food. We had grilled chicken with two sides of root vegetables. Frank made what has become my favorite grilled {or maybe it should be considered smoked} chicken. We have affectionately named it after our neighbors who shared the recipe with us though they call it Auburn Chicken. There is nothing really special about the ingredients {oil, apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, and poultry seasoning}, but it takes a long time, and it creates more smoke than anything else we cook. Frank is kind to make it for me! Thank you, honey. In fact it may replace "fried chicken" as my favorite food. Sorry mom! But then again he does love to hang out by the grill. It is certainly a crowd pleaser by the young and old alike. This is a rare recipe when I typically use thighs and drumsticks. Stephen keeps asking me if he can have a "rib" {aka ~ a drumstick}.

As you probably know, I always have a weekly menu plan. I might not follow it to a "t" but I need a plan to get me to the grocery store, attempt to stay within a budget, and especially to get our meals to the table in a timely manner. I am desperately trying to incorporate a wider variety of vegetables {and whole grains} into our dinner menus. I've made a list for each and am trying to attempt a new recipe each week in order to add one of these new ingredients. For a couple of weeks now, I've had a rutabaga in my produce drawer. After reading the February issue of Martha Stewart's Living,I was inspired to see if my family would like rutabaga. I don't think I had ever had a rutabaga and I know for certain that I had never bought a rutabaga. Tonight, I {finally} made the Maple Syrup Roasted Rutabaga and Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts that was on my menu plan several weeks ago. Don't worry the original brussels sprouts were roasted weeks ago in my go to ordinary way and the rutabaga had not spoiled. I make roasted brussels sprouts at least once a month ~ anything to break up the broccoli monotony! But this recipe was different and a fast favorite with {most} everyone. I put the hazelnuts in the dish because I happened to have some that needed to be used. It was good with them, but it would have been equally delicious without them. I will certainly incorporate this recipe into my rotation. I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for a good side!

And now for a photo shoot with my sweet one year old. She accompanied me to the grocery store this afternoon. When we arrived home most everyone was napping, so we grabbed the camera and headed outside. We are enjoying amazingly mild temperatures and look for every opportunity to be outside!

Bear in mind her dress is too short and who knows what happened to her barrette. Oh, but those bare feet and squeezable cheeks, and thighs...


Only when I see that hair in pictures, do I realize how truly unruly her hair can be. Sweet girl, let's keep that barrette in, okay?
To know what is going on in that head!
She sure is precious to us...