We woke up this morning to a WINTER WONDERLAND!  A snow-filled hot tub…

Beautiful snowy backyard…

And the fun snowy view out my window!

I have one more HUGE project due on Monday, and then I am home free for the rest of this term.  I spent the entire day in my pajamas working on my homework.  Lucky for me, I had a nice furry foot warmer hanging out under my desk all day…

I was so diligent with my homework that I didn’t stop to take lunch pictures or write a mid-day post – sorry!  I will make it up to you with dinner, I promise…

My favorite way to cook fresh vegetables is to roast them – I love the caramelization and browning, and the crispy texture that they get under the broiler.  A lot of you have left comments about needing quick and easy dinner ideas, and one of my go-to convenience foods when I am in a time pinch is frozen vegetables.  So I wondered if I could combine my favorite fresh cooking technique with the quick and easy convenience of frozen vegetables. 

I tossed a bag of frozen Brussels sprouts and a bag of frozen cauliflower together in a bowl and added balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, dried marjoram, and red pepper flakes.  No prep work other than opening the bags!

I poured the bowl out onto a sheet pan, and roasted them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees.  Midway through cooking, I stirred the mixture with a spatula.  They came out perfect – nice and crispy with good browning on top!  I was really excited to see that frozen veggies could be roasted just like their fresh counterparts – they just need a slight higher temperature and longer cooking time.

Our cauliflower-Brussels combo was served with lemony-garlic tofu…

and – Collard Greens with Mushrooms and White Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bunch collard greens
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 1 can Great Northern beans (or other white bean), rinsed and drained

To Prepare:  These are super easy to make, and completely delicious.  Start by heating a pan on the stovetop with a tiny bit of olive oil.  Dice the onion and slice the mushrooms, and add to the pan once the oil is hot.  While the onions and mushrooms brown, rip the collard greens off the stalks, and rinse to remove any dirt.  After 3-4 minutes, onions and mushrooms should be soft – add 1/2 cup vegetable broth and the collard greens.  Cover and let simmer 8-10 minutes.  When collards are soft, add beans, and stir to combine.  Cook just long enough for beans get hot – 2 to 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, and serve!

Crossing my fingers that all this fuel will help me run a solid FOURTEEN miles tomorrow –
haven’t run that far since Thunder Road!  Casey and I are having movie night and watching Moon, a sci-fi thriller about an astronaut’s journey to – where else? – the moon!

Hoping to finish up my project early tomorrow so that after our run we can enjoy a Happy Valentine’s Day!  Honestly though, this is the one holiday that I don’t really get into – it feels very forced.  At the risk of sounding very lame and cheesy, I am so grateful for Casey every day, that Valentine’s Day feels totally unnecessary. 

What are your thoughts?  Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day??