"sunday is the day of rest"

the food: Roasted broccoli, sweet potatoes, & black beans

the song: "Seven Days a Week (I Never go to Work)" They Might Be Giants

It seems like I write a lot about our busy lifestyle. This weekend was no exception. The husband keeps us running, but in a good way. Saturday was the third annual ManFest at Bird's Barbershop, and despite the very cold wind that did a number on both of our (previously) recovering colds, it was fun. There was jousting, there was a centaur, and there was an awesome LCD Sound System cover band. Niiice.

So anyway, we're busy. But we also are pretty good at resting. On our days of rest, something I always try to include is a nice home cooked meal. It's not always fancy, and sometimes that's the whole point. A while ago, the kitchn posted a weekend meditation about monk's food, which they define as "food that speaks of nourishment and the quiet pleasures of taste, texture, temperature." Since reading that post, I've held in mind the idea of monk food. Now, I'm not one to give up my cheese, so when I refer to monk food I'm not talking about skimping on ingredients or taste. Monks make beer, after all. What I mean is something simple and basic that takes some time to prepare and leaves you feeling good. In this little slump between the food holidays (oh, I've got you in my sights, Christmas. And don't think you're in the clear, New Year's...) monk food can be just the ticket.

Tonight, dinner was a big plate of roasted broccoli, sweet potatoes, black beans, and airy bread. Recipes are not really needed for this, but I did consult The Amateur Gourmet on how to properly roast broccoli. And what he says about the method of cooking is right. The broccoli had a fantastic, rich flavor and a little crunch. For the roasted sweet potatoes, I tossed in a few white potatoes with the sweet...maybe a 3 to 1 ratio...along with thyme and salt and pepper. We ate it with Hatch chili salsa, which helped pull everything together and gave it a little tang. The flavors on the plate are very different but also very complimentary. Whether you get a bite of broccoli with sweet potato, or beans with bread and salsa, each taste is special and flavorful.

After this day of rest, finished off with a good and wholesome meal, I'm as ready as I'll ever be to face the world tomorrow.

~eeg