It's much different now that everyone has cell phones because you get regular status updates. We just landed. I'm getting off the plane now. I'm walking towards baggage claim. Mot as much butterflies in the stomach anticipation.

I miss it too!
I went to Europe as an exchange student when I was in high school... it was so wonderful to come down that ramp at JFK and find my Mom at the bottom.

About the Brussels Sprouts... I hated them for most of my life. But my New England farmboy of a husband who convinced me that they were at their best if they were harvested after the ground froze. This year -- at age 43 -- I finally enjoyed them. Not as exciting as your preparation either -- just steamed, with butter & & salt at the table. My brother-in-law prefers vinegar on them instead, like he does for cabbage at St. Pat's Day.

But I still shudder to think of the church retreat breakfast where the previous night's bad brussels sprouts turned up in the "California omelet" instead of bell peppers... even then I knew that was giving California the blame for something it would never do!

I thought that same thing last time I flew. It used to be so fun to come off the jetway and look for whomever was picking me up. At the same time, you got to see parents and children and spouses happy to see each other. It's just not the same to trudge down the concourse by yourself after a long flight. Still don't know if I'm on board with brussel sprouts; but garlic and cheese should make anything better, right?

'crotchal'...is that a real word?..well, if it isn't..it is now...thanks to mr. exploding underwear! And you know the airline pat-down guy will never be some guy who looks like George Cooney...!!

p.s. thanks for sharing the brussel sprouts idea:) Looks wonderful.

Yum! That looks delicious! I've been buying the stalks of Brussels sprouts at Trader Joe's recently and they are tasty, although challenging to fit in the frig. I like vinegar on mine so I microwave them, then sprinkle rice wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar on them.

I agree that people just keep wrecking things like being met at the gate. I think I'll give up flying when it gets to "getting felt up in the crotchal region".

Oh and before I forget... I am learning to crochet. This is a huge triumph.

Mom tried repeatedly to teach me to knit...and I felt like a loser for not being able to learn. But I just plain hated it. This year I finally had enough people tell me that people who knit aren't necessarily the same people who crochet -- and I am actually managing to get the hang of it from a book.

Which is extra funny actually because I'm a technical writer who has never learned a craft out of a book before in my life...

Today a sc swatch.... tomorrow the hat!

I want to commend you on your getting healthy. Trying to do the same thing myself. 2009 was a bad year and I ballooned, if I could kick the soda habit I'd be a lot better off.

Brussell sprouts looked fabulous!!

Yummy...I just made some roasted brussels sprouts and cauliflower over the weekend for the first time, too. I LOVED the cauliflower not sure about the sprouts but it was fun. I love oven roasted veggies! Sweet potaotoes and yukon potatoes are still my favorite. Just a little EVOO and a tiny bit of S&P and you are good to go!

I completely agree! I remember when my family came back from an extended trip overseas and a bunch of our friends lined the gate walkway, waving American flags and pounding on tambourines when we came back. It's still one of my favorite memories.

this is my favorite way to cook Brussel Sprouts, I still need to try your cauliflower recipie.

About the flying thing....I wonder what I will wear to fly now. I try to wear something that is simple and that will get me through secruity quickly. (Nice yoga capris, balleria flats, and a long sleeve tee, no pockets, no belts, no metal)

I have a fear of flying, and aside from a few flights when I was a wee bitty kid with my parents, I have no memory of ever doing it. I remember the scenes in movies, though. For a real throwback, check out Airplane. Except that some of the jokes in that movie are still relevant.

Anyway...what I really wanted to say was congratulations on cooking up all your meals for the week. I absolutely have to plan meals like that too, or else I'm hittin' the drive-thru way too much during the week.

I do miss that loved-one waiting feeling, but I have to admit, that short window of time when you get off the plane and you're completely alone... no one knows where you are, and you (most likely if you're anywhere other than your home airport) won't see anyone you know... I love it. I love that tiny feeling of freedom, that I could go anywhere and do anything and nobody would know. I could be anyone for a few minutes on the other side of security.

I must say, I agree. In my experience, that is the worst thing the terrorists have taken away from me. :-( And I didn't even think about the sad fact that there are many people who will never get to have that experience.

And waiting at the gate for someone and seeing them in the crowd. I was thinking about that as I stood on the sidewalk at LAX last week, along with what seemed like the rest of the known world, trudging slowly toward the shoes-off, jacket-off, get out the laptop, lay everything flat crapshoot that is security. A pox on all of them! I like brussels sprouts a lot, so I'll definitely be trying the roasted ones. Sounds yummy.

Oh, I love Brussel sprouts. I don't care how they are cooked. I never used to eat them and then one day, it just seemed like a good idea (what?!?) and I've loved them ever since.

I've been caught in the vicious cheeseburger loop too. . . we're doing a little better so far this year, but not as good as I would like. But, there is always room for improvement!

Hey, Laurie -
I LOVE brussel sprouts -- so tasty! I sort of blanch them in boiling water for about 8 minutes first. Then I drain them, toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 425 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. They come out yummy and nutty tasting.

I'm going grocery shopping tonight, and I'll be buying brussel sprouts for the first time in... forever.

OH! The vinegar thing is brilliant! I love tangy vinegar and I bet that's what these sprouts needed. They were sort of missing the oomph factor.

Brussel sprouts recipe:

brussel sprouts
olive oil
3 limes

Wash sprouts and limes. Cut off bottoms then slice in half. Heat olive oil (just a bit) in a frying pan. Add sprouts. Cook for about 5 minutes (they will turn a brighter green and a few will be lightly browned) then zest 1 lime over the pan. Slices the limes and add the juice then remove the sprouts from heat. Enjoy!

I've never had Brussels sprouts, but I did finally get my grown up taste buds to try asparagus a few years ago. Now I love the stuff. Especially with mashed potatoes. Put the asparagus on the plate, cut them up a little bit if you want to, and then cover them with mashed potatoes.

The potatoes keep the asparagus warm. I hate that asparagus goes cold so quickly, so the mashed potatoes are doing a good service by keeping the asparagus warm, and they both taste wonderful when you mix them together.

Now I'm hungry for some mashed potatoes and asparagus. I have the potatoes, but no asparagus. I guess it's time for a trip out into the frozen tundra of Omaha to load up on asparagus...and some steak to go with it...altho the chicken Laurie made sounds really really good...and I have chicken and broth...and wine! (if my dad hasnt drunk all the wine yet)

Why is it that I always get really hungry when reading this blog and the comments (when the comments are open. yay comments!)

Oooh, airport security!! My 3 year old has a programmable shunt for a cyst on his brain [he's doing very well, btw] and we're headed to Mexico for vacation in a few days. When I called his neurosurgeon to find out if there were any concerns, I was told to not let security "wand his head." First of all, why would they want to do that? It's not like he can fit a gun in his ear. Also, I didn't know "wand" was a verb. So thanks to the shoe bomber and the underwear guy, I get to be the crazy lady at security shrieking, "Don't wand his head!" Fun!

Cut off the bottoms of the sprouts, not the limes!

Ah, yes. That anticipation of meeting someone at the gate. I miss it, too!

Before he was my husband, I surprised my boyfriend at the gate when he came home from holiday visit with his family. I remember so clearly how he walked right by me and how I sidled up to him and said "Excuse me, sir? Do you have the time?"

He was very surprised to see me and genuinely happy that I'd been at the gate waiting for him. I remember kissing and hugging in the terminal and thinking "I could pick this guy up from the airport for the rest of my life."

We're living happily every after but the terrorists can still suck it because flying is just so awful these days I never want to go anywhere. It's too much of a pain!

Hey Laurie~
Yes, it's alot of work to prepare your food but I am proud of you...it's worth the effort. I make my salad every single day to take to work. It is just part of my routine. I also tried the cauliflower and LOVED it. Thanks! Not so convinced about the brussel sprouts though :-). Keep up the great work...

Yes, I greatly miss that at the airport and the opportunity to just sit and visit awhile longer before you get on the plane. This is why the open to the movie "Love, Actually" is one of my favorites.

Brussel Sprouts are also good if you cut them in half then shred them like tiny cabbages, cook up in a little olive oil, garlic, top with toasted walnuts. Yum!

I LOVE Brussels Sprouts & had them for dinner last night (picked them from my winter garden yesterday afternoon). I generally toss them with garlic, balsamic vinegar & olive oil before roasting, and then toss them with parmesan & toasted nuts (hee) right before serving. Last night I used walnuts (also, from the garden - or, more accurately, the trees near the garden).

I have a crock pot, so I can do a lot of cooking on the weekends and get the food done in advance. We have a vegetarian shepherd's pie that I pulled out of the freezer this morning. I will bake it tomorrow night. It's a little more preplanning, but it is worth it when I realize I haven't eaten food from a box all week.

Thank you for posting the cauliflower recipe last week. I have three kidletts, and they all like different veggies. The middle child only likes cauliflower . . . big problem, as the other two can't STAND it.

Well, I roasted the offending vegetable last night (for later in the week). But it didn't last . . . it was gone 1/2 an hour after I took it out of the oven. All three dug in! Guess I'm going to be roasting more cauliflower . . .

Thank you, my dear!

My daughter made brussel sprouts for Thanksgiving. I think they were too mushy. She didn't roast them long enough. I love vegetables but never brussel sprouts. I'll give your recipe a try since I hated asparagus until I tasted roasted asparagus. Now I love the stuff.

Thank you for the inspiration! Keep up being healthy.

I don't mind taking my shoes off, because I get to keep my socks. Now as long as no one tries to blow up their socks, I'll be fine.

I think I remember you mentioning you love green beans... have you tried roasting those? We just do olive oil and a bit of kosher salt, but you could use the same "dressing" you use for your cauliflower. Yum.

It sure is a hassle and worry now when I take my aged grandparents to the airport and I can't get them onto the plane myself.

I like brussel sprouts. I really like them with a little aged balsamic vinegar on them. It totally cuts that bitter taste brussel sprouts can have. I also like to do that to my beets. Butter and vinegar. Pickle 'em up good. ;-)

Something my family does with cauliflower, we steam the head and then dump Litehouse bleu cheese dressing on it. SO good! Probably not as healthy as your method. But pretty killer tasting.

hurray, comments are back.
I hate airport security just slightly less than I hate the idea of being blown up.
I also hate those machines that you have to step into. I'm not claustrophobic but I had a full on anxiety attack in one of those once. So I guess I'll have to request to be felt up.

I always toss Brussels sprouts with a little nutmegs and mix them with crisp fried bacon bits - that's how my Mom, the first lady of German cooking, makes them. So yummy!

I am so looking forward to being scanned at the airport the next time I fly from Canada to the U.S. (sarcasm intended). I wonder if I can tape a sign to my underwear that will show up on the scan to show my displeasure? How about this: "HEY! You've been missing all the liquids and gels I've been carrying my purse since 2001!" Honestly, I have never been stopped for this infraction (who knew lip gloss could be deadly?) although I once had a paperback novel scan positive for explosives once, on my honeymoon (I had something "special" planned for my husband)! Hehehe ...

And while I'm on this rant (we travel alot), if they can stop people from wheeling the luggage on to the plane, only to discover that it doesn't fit into the overhead and has to be checked (causing these same stoopid people to struggle their way to the front of the plane, WITH THEIR LUGGAGE), I will be a very happy camper. :)

What a great post, a true double-header!

1. I love Brussels sprouts but have never had them roasted. I swear on a stack on whatever you like that I've been meaning to go online and get a recipe. And behold!

2. I feel the same way you do about missing being able to meet people at the gate. One of the very best memories I have is a mental montage of all those times coming out of the jetway into the airport and searching the crowd till I saw Mom and Dad, or my sister and her husband, maybe even their kids. We'd all break into impossibly big smiles as I worked my way through the crowd, and in those smiles I was Home.

Hi Laurie, I'm right there with you on cooking my own food! If I don't have a plan for dinner, then stopping at Jack in the Box seems like a good solution. And I agree it is a lot of work to shop for, chop, cook, clean, etc....as I was peeling and chopping this weekend, I thought of you and imagined you were doing the same thing!

I like to be spontaneous and flexible; in other words, "go with the flow". HA! What that really means is that I'm undisciplined. My ideal plan is to go grocery shopping on the weekend. Then I'll have fixings to use during the week to put together dinners (with leftovers for lunch).

But does it happen? Rarely. Too busy being spontaneous and flexible!!!! So I usually end up picking up take-out, or else going out to eat. Or else I stop off to shop on the way home from work, then arrive home so much later and end up too tired to cook anyway. Then I STILL don't have dinner.
............
With airport security - I miss seeing loved ones off at the gate. In Hawaii, we used send kids off to college with tons of leis around their necks, and everyone shared a tears and hugs up to the last minute before the departee disappared down the jetway. Just saw my daughter off yesterday - we hovered at the security checkpoint and watched her go through until she was no longer it sight. Then we texted as she waited at the gate. - sigh -

I will always remember sitting in the terminal, waiting for my plane to arrive. As usual, I was people watching. There was this one woman who was watching the jetway, holding a single white rose in her hand. When she smiled, I turned to see this incredibly handsome, rugged, outdoorsy guy walk directly from the jetway toward her. He didn't run, but there was such purpose in his stride. When he was standing directly in front of her, he dropped his green duffel bag at her feet, took her face in both of his hands, and gave her such an amazing kiss (well, it looked amazing to me). It was like there was no one else in the entire airport. I always wanted to be greeted like that . . . and yes, preferably by that guy, whoever he was. :)

I think the underwear idiot should be set upon by all the air travellers he has inconvenienced as punishment ... everyone gets one crack at him with their heaviest piece of luggage.

I roast my brussels sprouts too, but I just toss them in olive oil and sprinkle them with coarse salt. Deee-licious!

My Monday absolutely sucked until I read this:

"...getting felt up in the crotchal regions..."

Thanks!

I used to love watching reunions and goodbyes at the gate. It was a wonderful peek into others lives. Thanks for the brussels sprouts inspiration. I can get the sprouts languishing in my veggie drawer out and give them a try!

I can remember meeting people as I came off the flight. It was so nice to be welcomed "right there" - the minute I entered the airport instead of slogging to baggage claim.

The terrorists said they would kill us from the inside out and they're accomplishing it. We don't fly in security, we are spending lives (never mind money) in far away places and our privacy is totally at the whim of federal bureaucrats. Meanwhile the terrorists are only growing stronger. It makes me sad.

Amen sister to having someone greet you at the gate. I always loved getting to the airport early just so I could get a close up look at the plane as it was taxi-ing (is that a word?) to the gate and then watching for my parents, or boyfriend, later husband, even later ex-husband get off the plane. It isn't the same craning your neck to hunt people down as they get to the baggage area. I'm reading this at quiting time and now you've made me hungry.

I must admit to not being a huge fan of Brussels sprouts. I do love green beans and zucchini, though, and now you have me thinking all sorts of yummy roasted-veggie thoughts. And I totally love marinating and/or cooking things in wine and garlic. Wine lends a flavor you just can't get with broth. I've been known to make beef stew with half wine, half Campbell's cream of mushroom soup. (Am I a born gourmet or what?)

More or less since I can remember security has been much more secure in Boston than in other parts of the country, with only passengers allowed past the security checkpoint. When we used to fly to visit my in-laws I in fact considered this a feature rather than a bug and wished that they would implement it everywhere, so that my in-laws wouldn't be able to go to the gate and sit with us until the plane boarded, as I always said to DH "so as to give me an extra half hour to say something wrong." I had slight issues with my in-laws. But post-9/11 security is just silly. Have you seen this article? I especially like the part where they apply some chemical or other to my son's wheelchair to make sure it's not a bomb cleverly disguised as an assistive device.

Oops, link didn't post; this article:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/12/29/schneier.air.travel.security.theater/index.html

Oh, the airport greetings. I remember meeting my then boyfriend at the gate and he had been drinking on the plane enough to eliminate his usual reluctance toward public displays of affection. He came racing to me, and we must have looked like the couples at the end of World War II!

OMG!! I went everywhere yesterday trying to figure out where I saw that Cauliflower recipe. Was it Weight Watchers, Hungry Girl, come on..what kind of cheese was it?

For cryin' out loud, I winged it and it worked. Brussel sprouts are way down on my list with beets and neither will pass these lips!

Getting felt up in "crotchal regions" that is too funny! You kill me!
My most recent "feel up" at an aiport included fingers being inserted inside the waistband of my pants and circling my entire waist - very icky. As well as, following a complete "feel all over" and this was especially delightful, the security agent then whispering to me (thankfully not shouting it to the entire airport) that my "bra was all twisted at the back". This is way too much information to be given under fluorescent lighting from a complete stranger. From TOUCH!

I was just thinking this yesterday as we got off the plane and thought "wouldn't it be cool if the kids surprised us at the gate" and then approximately 2.3 seconds later (because I am a little slow like that, plus I don't travel all that often) I realized that was impossible. I was also thinking about the shoe thing, one little guy with a bomb in his shoes and now we all have to troup through with our shoes off to give us some false sense of security, and who knows where they will come up with next to hide a darn bomb? And then the next minute my husband was being summoned by TSA because he tried to put olive salad and hot sauce in his carry-on because he didn't think about that qualifying as a liquid. Travel is very complicated these days. Been meaning to tell you that I decided against weekend getaway to Dublin, thanks to your excellent travel post, because I think we would need a couple more days there. So thanks very much for that!

For once my timing on something was good. The last person to greet me at an airport gate was my then boyfriend, now husband. If there had to be a last time, that's the way to go, no?

You've probably realized darn near any veggie can be made better by roasting. For a bit of variety, may I suggest a nice sprinkle of balsamic vinegar (hardly any calories, no fat)goes well on many of them too. Love your food posts - they're so encouraging, to see a single person preparing real food and taking care of that part of their life.

Those sprouts look so good! I must make some soon.

And yes, the airport just isn't the same. I remember seeing my grandparents waiting for me when we came out of the gate. I miss those days.

I have been a mad roasting woman this fall/winter and cauliflower is one of my favorites. Helps keep the kitchen toasty when it is super cold outside here in the Northeast.

Back in Sept. '02 we took Amtrak from Philly to Seattle and had plane tickets for the return trip, which in and of itself was a 'red flag' on our travel. Add in a 6 y.o. who at the airport asks, "Are we tourists or terrorists?" and well we think the man on the other side of the aisle was an air marshal.

And 'crotchal' is such an awesome word. My kids are fond of it and it tickles me to no end that you used it.

I must try this brussel sprouts thing, never knew what to do with them before.

Have you seen this book, Weeknight Survival Cookbook? (http://www.amazon.com/Weeknight-Survival-Cookbook-Healthy-Minutes/dp/0471347132/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263252816&sr=1-9)
I followed it for a while and loved the cream of broccoli soup week. It worked great for my tiny family of hubby and me. I'm thinking it would be fun for you too.

Thanks for the cauliflower recipe. Tried it the other day and we loved it and I have more roasting in the oven at this minute. My husband says he could have that every day.

When we were engaged and he was in the military and coming home on leave I was able to meet him at the gate and it was great.

Also years ago we were shipping a crazy neighbor home to her Mom and we were able to go and wait with her and see her walk down the jetway and see the plane leave and KNOW for a fact that she left. That SO wouldn't be able to happen now.

Mmmmmmmm...roasted brussel sprouts! Thanks for the inspiration!

LEMON JUICE! Or lemon pepper. Perfect with roasted brussel sprouts--really brightens the flavor. I've also made a recipe that cooked them with golden raisins--surpringly good.

I was bemoaning this very thing as I was "jumpin jittery" with anticipation of seeing my son return home after a military absence...

As for brussel sprouts may I suggest skillet roasting? You'll be finished in 8 minutes or less.

*Wash, trim ends of brussel sprouts-- cut them in half.
*Place a smallish glug of olive oil (must be olive oil) in skillet--oil even if a Teflon pan. Place halved brussel sprouts in oil and let start to sizzle.

*Add a few tablespoons of water and cover pan to steam sprouts to desired tenderness--let water evaporate completely.
* (Add some onion slices if desired) and continue cooking in pan--olive oil remains after water evaporates, until sprouts are golden brown. Season to taste. So delicious, cheese is merely an afterthought:)

Hi!

I've been specially selected and felt up. she asked if I needed a witness I said no, just a number since we are personal now.

LOL :)

i hope erin, whose son has a shunt, reads later comments.

i STRONGLY suggest that she get a notarized letter from his specialist stating that he is NOT to be wanded, and telling what kind of damage it could cause, and that she call the airport(s) ahead of time and talk to the head of security there. if possible, the specialist should say what other kinds of scrutiny are safe for her son.

about 5 years ago, my son had a hair transplant (post-burn) in florida and had a large dressing on his head when we had to fly home two days later. DESPITE a letter from his surgeon, he had to remove the dressing for inspection, although this put him at greater risk of infection.

on the less serious side of security, i was flying back from jamaica in '03 with a group of teenagers that i and their choir director were chaperoning. we re-entered the u.s. in memphis and had to go through immigration, not just regular security. guess whose bag showed "residue" . . . and not of ganja, explosives! WTF???

at that point, they questioned me about where my bag and i had been, and opened and searched it so thoroughly that i almost missed my connecting flight. naturally, they found nothing. but it pleased me that they were being vigilant enough to check even a harmless-looking 50-something, however silly it was to imagine myself as a "suspicious" person.

I have photos of my son sitting in the cockpit wearing the captain's hat and pretending to be a pilot. He's only 15 now, but those days are long gone, I suppose.

Ahhh... I've never been met anywhere but after baggage. But it's not a generational thing, at least nothing to do with 9/11; it's just the way it's been where I live. (South Africa and Europe.) So I don't have anything to miss. But it sounds great, being met right at the gate.

Shortly after 9/11, I was able to get a boarding pass so i could go to the gate with my best friend who was 20 something and going on her first plane ever. It was the best ever! I didnt' think i'd be able to do that again. Meeting at the gate was so awesome. Made me feel so important.

After 15 years togther, my husband now tells me he loves brussel sprouts, so I also recently made them for the first time. According to the Joy of Cooking, boiling them for a few minutes first will help remove some of their bitterness. After that, dry them off a bit (I just toss them in the hot pan I boiled them in), and then toss with oil/salt/pepper and roast. They are delicious!

I'd forgotten that feeling of walking down the jetway hoping to see someone special. So sad it's gone.
I'm in the group that is taken aside for the full body scan, since I've had a hip replacement, and am having the second one replaced next week. Being a member of that hallowed group can be a bit of a horror, as everyone tries to top the others in line with what all they've had replaced. I quit flying if someone shows and undue interest in my crotch.

And remember when your loved ones used to walk down to your gate with you and watch your plane take off? And I'm thinking that soon we'll be required to remove our underwear at security, just like we do our shoes!

I've never had a brussels sprout I liked. Maybe I should try roasting them...

Just scrolled to the bottom so I apologize if anybody's already posted this, but Brussels sprouts + bacon + mustard vinaigrette = awesome.

Just sayin'.

I think we have the same dishes! At least, my bowls from Crate and Barrel look like yours. I seriously thought I was one of the few people who loves brussels sprouts. According to your comments, though, it looks like I'm in good company!

In addition to cutting the ends off the brussel sprouts, cut an "x" in the bottom of the sprout. This helps get rid of that bitter taste that sometimes happens and makes them tender faster. I usually steam them but am going to try roasting both the cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Sounds delicious!

I remember that airport feeling. *sigh* I'll be coming home in July after a year of being in China, and the thought of meeting my parents in the car loop at O'Hare is really depressing.

Not a fan of the sprouts, but the cauli and green beans sound delightful. (Fess up: I eat cauli this way quite often.) My food festivities lately have included making four different soups from scratch and freezing them. Yum!

Flying: the most romantic three weeks of my life began when the plane landed at the airport in Manchester, England. I was all alone in a strange country--my first overseas trip was to visit this wonderful English boy I'd met and fallen hard for during the last week of his foreign exchange experience in the US. I wasn't sure I'd recognize him... and then... with baggage cart at the ready, he appeared before me. Swept right off my feet. SIGH. Would never happen now.

For me, the only redeeming quality of flying into MCI (or, as everyone who lives there still calls it, KCI.) is that they do their security by gates. For every four or six gates, there is a separate security entity. Getting through is much faster (with only two or three flights departing from your security entrance), and their glass-partitions allow family members to see you as soon as you step off the jetway.
The other plus is that each set of gates has its own baggage claim, right outside of the security enclosure. The bummer with it being so close is that it feels like it takes a lot longer to get your bags. :o)

Hiya Laurie! I love it when your comments are open!

Re the Brussels Sprouts: I hate Brussels Sprouts with a passion, but my Spousal Units lurves them, so I'm going to try your toasted sprouts next time we have some fresh ones.

Re the generation of peeps missing getting met at the gate. They actually still get that feeling when someone meets them at the gate. My niece was five when It happened. (My sister and I were both employed at an airline at the time. She still is.) But onto happier things... Niece-person flies to visit her dad all the time, and since she generally flies as an Unaccompanied Minor, her designated pick up person gets to meet her at the gate. Of course, only one of us can go to meet her plane so the rest of us wait at the Baggage Claim and we still have to do the "walking where everyone has walked before" through security thing... But the Kiddo still gets to have a Loved One meet her at the gate.

I just wish she could stay Under 14 forever. And not just because of the plane thing.

Love your blog!

I make roasted brussel sprouts the same way you do...then I toss some chopped up bacon in them. Everything is better with bacon. :-)

gotta agree with Sheila- brussell sprouts and beets are not my friend.

But good for you!

Mmm... sprouts!

I par-boil my Brussels sprout first, then toss them with a bit of butter and sea salt, then I roast them. Yum!

Yeah, I just dropped my son off at the airport. He came home to tell me he is going to be a dad, and I couldn't walk him to the gate. That is really, really sad.

You are so right about being met at the gate! I forgot how much I missed that until I read it just now. I still look around expectantly when I get off a plane. I know this is unrelated and its been a few weeks but I also had to give a shout out to your roasted beet "recipe". I haven't had fresh beets since my grandmother made them 25 years ago but I roasted a bunch last week following your directions and they were fantastic. Thank you - love the cooking tips!

I think roasting any veggie makes it taste better, esp if you add garlic and parm cheese!!! I've saved the chicken recipe you posted. I also have been watching the Barefoot Contessa on Food Network and plan on making her recipe for 40 clove garlic (abt 3 heads!) sometime this week. I really need to plan meals for the week because Baby Girl has ballet twice a week and #1 Son has gymnastics once so the first part of my week is busy shuttling kids around and coming home around dinner time when the kids and me are starving. We usually drive thru somewhere and I'm trying to stop that. Tonight after ballet we had spaghetti with some leftover sauce. and a salad. and some jarred squash. Not fancy, but better than driving thru yet again.

and yes I do remember meeting people at teh gate!! Plus depending on the airport, you could watch them taxi out! When the dh and I were dating we would go to Miami Intl to take a shuttle out to the extended gates where they had a McDonalds. That was SOO much fun!! That would NEVER happen now! PFFT!

Add sliced Garlic and it's Perfect.

Thanks for the food blogs.Since I read your recipe for green beans, and can't find what you recommended, I just open a can, drain, put in a pan warming, add olive oil, garlic powder,and almonds.Then as I've told others - cook the crap out of them! I use to open a can and just eat them. Now I enjoy the whole can!
Next, I'll be trying the cauliflower and sprouts which I already love.
Keep the healthy coming!
And any crotchal updates! What a hoot ;-)

My kids love roasted asparagus with olive oil, celery salt and a bit of pepper. (Due to one insane moment I-Mommy had, they always confirm the absence of lemon before eating.) Try my take on oven browned potatoes. Cook Potatoes, sweet onion, garlic and some chopped ham with olive oil and seasoned to taste. When the potatoes are almost crispy add broccoli, cauliflower and sliced carrots. If you're being good---eat like that. If your being bad add some shredded cheddar cheese. Leftovers warmed in a frying pan and then cooked with some beaten egg is a lovely warm breakfast on a cold winter's day. Or, whatever passes for winter down there.
Enjoy. Share.
Nikki

Love the roasted BS (brussel sprouts, ha, ha) - you are doing them almost exactly like the Barefoot Contessa [Ina Garten]. YUM.

For the chicken broth-less cupboard I recommend buying a jar of "Better than Broth" (or something like that) to keep in your fridge. It seems really pricey on the shelf but it's a paste you mix with water and goes really, really far and last a long time. You can get beef, vegie, etc., too.

Happy cooking!

I've had my share of arrival/departure smiles and tears: The childhood excitement of seeing my grandparents waiting for the whole family as we arrived in England on a flight from Israel. And the desolate, heart-wrenching sadness of watching my father get on a plane after my parents divorce, wondering when or if I would see him again.
Those were the days.

I'm still one of those people that bring a rose to greet whoever I'm picking up. I guess that why I get asked to take people (family members, mostly) and pick up from the airport.

Your brussels sprouts look great. I have noticed that brussels sprouts have made a come back. A lot of the foodnetwork chefs cooking sprouts. I think I will get some this weekend. I am trying to do better and live a heathty lifesytle. I joined the gym and I have cut back on cola's and now I need to cutback on the wine. I cant wait to try your receipe for sprouts!

when my noew 16/18 yo girls were young my husband traveled 2 weeks out of the month for work. I loved going to the airport to greet him at the gate. The girls would do the classic run up to him and make everyone go Ahhhh. The best!

When I came back from 8 months in Iraq in '08, my husband (who worked for United Airlines) was waiting at the gate for me with roses. Before I even got out of the jetway I heard someone ahead of me say, "Oooooh, looks like someone's getting flowers!" and I knew it was him. It was wonderful!
Sigh. The good old days.

To quote my Dad: I'd like to take a stand on brussels sprouts-- I'd rather stand on them then eat them!

But you may have convinced me to try them roasted. I'll just make sure there's plenty of cheese on hand...

Good thing that I'm going to the grocery store this week. I need to get me some cauliflower and Brussel sprouts.

I love it when tomatoes are in season. I oven roast a bunch and then freeze them for the winter months. I add them to tomato sauce pretending that it's summer. If only in my kitchen.

If you need something else to endear the brussel sprout, remember the name in french translates to "petit cabbage" - isn't that darling?

Also, I remember flying in and out of Ontario, CA airport when the only thing that seperated the tarmack from baggage claim was a chainlink fence! Good memories!

Off topic, I know, but I just wanted to say Yay I got your new book! I'm very excited, since it had to come to Australia and I wasn't expecting it so soon. I think it's even better than your first one.

Brussels are my favourite veg but I always boil them. I will have to try this.

You need to have someone you love pick you up at Kansas City's airport. Each gate area (or set of 3-4 gates) has it's own security, so there is just a big wall of glass between the gate area and the non-security area. And folks waiting for loved ones can see passengers embark and disembark pretty easily. I love flying into KC!

Pittsburgh used to be a major hub for US Airways, and several times I'd meet friends who were just changing planes here. I'd greet them as they came off the plane, and we'd catch up while we walked to the next gate. No more {she said sadly}.

One of my favorite memories is taking my Nana to the airport for one of her trips back to Scotland. All the grandkids were probably under the age of 10 and in one particular instance we were all invited on to the plane to sit in the cockpit and talked to the crew. We also got our "wings" - the little pin the crew wore. Now all my excitement comes from how well I timed my arrival at the airport - am I meeting the passenger as they walk out w/ their bags or do I have to circle and circle and circle until they come out.

Isn't it crazy that the working day is so long, many of us don't have the energy or time to cook ourselves good food at the end of it? Somewhere along the way, things got turned around!

Regarding the underwear bomber... I am waiting for the day a woman is being subjected to a crotch search and the TSA agent freaks out because he finds a bomb fuse. OMG!!! The tampon bomber!!

I never traveled by plane/jet/big thing in the sky with wings until I was 21. But I remember when my cousin used to visit us in the summers when I was little and we would meet her at the gate...it was wonderful!

I remember meeting my dad at the gate to surprise him (he traveled A LOT so we were usually a baggage claim curb family); those are pretty happy memories. I wonder how international adoptions are changed by this - I've seen movies of children arriving to meet their families for the first time at the gate...baggage claim certainly can't be as good.

Gee, I miss those days of meeting at the gate, too. Sucks we can't do that anymore.

I love brussels sprouts but don't cook them much because dh hardly eats veggies. My sis in law will sometimes saute them in a pan with a little bit of oil, salt and pepper, and top it off with some crumbled bacon bits. Very yummy except they're a little too crunchy for my taste. I like my veggies done. Not soggy but not too crisp either.

Laurie, I made your roasted cauliflower recipe a couple days ago and LOVED it so much that I even wrote about it on MY blog!

As for removing your shoes at the airport, I get very creeped out by that too. I find myself looking at everyone's feet in front of me, wondering which ones have athlete's foot, which ones are sweaty, etc. Ick. A thousand curses upon that freakin' shoe bomber. May he rot in hell buried in stinky sweaty shoes.

I miss the "old days" of air travel too. What used to be fun is now a dreaded part of getting anywhere. Sigh.

Oooh! Yea for comments. My cook ahead strategy involves soups and stews. I did a whole blog post about it a few months ago, but he's the main points. I make different soup recipes and modify the recipe so that it includes veggies, protein (add a can or two of beans) and carbs (add couscous or bulgar wheat). I try to double recipes and make more than one soup at once. That way, I have enough to freeze in individual containers so I can have variety during the week. If you're going to freeze something, keep it in the fridge overnight first so it doesn't get mushy.

Its still the old way at alot of smaller, non international airports, for the most part. I have never lived in any major cities, so for me passing through the big airports isn't a big deal, for I have never flown internationally and never had cause to leave the secured area while waiting for my next flight.

P.S. I love your blog and have been a reader since darn near the beginning, and have hooked several divorcee friends as well. Thank you for sharing parts of your life with us!

I will have to give the Brussel sprouts a try. BTW, I'm glad the comments are back on again.

I never really had a 'moment' at the airport, but I could sit for hours and watch the rest of the people have them. The airport is much more boring than it used to be.