Veggie yum yums.

Hey everyone.  Yes, I know, it's been a few days since I've posted.  Okay, it's been a few weeks since I've posted.  Anywho, I've been busy getting back into the swing of things with my fall school schedule.  Nothing really new and exciting to share, I don't even have any fun pictures to post.

Tim and I got a gym membership yesterday.  I've been trying to mentally prepare Tim for how awful, cold, dark and depressing Chicago winters can be.  It gets dark at 4:30 p.m., there is always at least 3-5 inches of snow on the ground and well, it's just plum cold.  So last night I headed down the street to a Bally's (I'm sure you've all heard of those) because of course yesterday was the last day to sign up to get a special monthly rate/no joining fee thing.  It's actually a pretty sweet deal - we're paying about the same for what I paid for a single membership at the Y back in Wichita, and we get to use any Bally's location in the US...and I'm super excited because they have spin/cycle classes, which I love.  Plus, it will just be something fun Tim and I can do together, to get us out of the house during the long, dark - did I mention depressing? - winter months.

I'll sign off with a yummy meal Tim and I have been eating a lot of recently.  It's easy, healthy and super delish.  Roasted veggies!!!  Take any vegetable - preferably ones in season - slice 'em up (bite size is best) and throw 'em on a cookie sheet (I like to line it with foil, makes for an easy clean up).  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle any yummy herbs on top (I've been using dried herbs de Provence that we brought back from our honeymoon in France, but I'm sure you could try anything else - basil, parsley, etc.) along with salt and pepper of course.  I roast 'em in the oven at 400F for about 35-45 minutes.  But wait - it gets even better.  After I pull 'em out of the oven, I heat up a skillet with olive oil and fresh chopped garlic, and sit back and watch a little something I like to call the 'garlic dance'.  You know, when the garlic jumps around in the yummy oil on the skillet.  Add the roasted veggies in and let 'em soak up all that garlicky goodness.  I know I haven't created something amazing here, I'm just sharing with you in case you forgot how easy it was to roast veggies.  We've been using potatoes - the little red or gold ones - carrots, and red onion.  But my personal favorite so far has been a red onion mixture with butternut squash - probably the most amazing veggie in the whole world as far as I'm concerned.  Soon I'm going to get brave and try some other root veggies - parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, etc.  But whatever you do, do yourself a favor and saute the finished product in the garlic.