Brussel Sprouts

I have been wanting to write this post for a long time. After dinner tonight I decided to just go ahead and get my pictures and get it done. It is actually a recipe, one that I am very passionate about. Because, you see, brussel sprouts have a bad rap. It’s sad really. They are almost universally hated by children at least, and considering the size of the brussel sprout section at the store, by most adults as well. Poor misguided souls have been steaming and boiling them for so long it’s no wonder they cause contention at the dinner table. Well, in our house it is different. Here, they are one of the favorites. But, it’s all in how you make them. And, we make them German style. It’s actually a recipe that my dad discovered and shared with me a few years ago. Its the perfect side to just about any meat dish. Dad and I like them next to beer soaked German sausages covered in caramelized onions. But, they also go nicely with just about any steak. Tonight I made them to go with country fried steak and smashed red potatoes and gravy. Oh my. It was so good. I wish you could taste it. Well, you probably believe me on the steak and potatoes, but you’ll have to take my word on the sprouts. And, please do. Just make them and see. They take about 20 minutes. 

So, first. You need a cutting board. These Brussel sprouts are chopped.

Step 1. Remove any of the top leaves that need to come off.

Step 2. Start chopping. They look like little shredded lettuce's. (Discard the ends)

Step 3. Butter - A tablespoon or 2 in a frying pan over medium high heat. Also a splash of oil. I like olive or sesame.

(You will also need a cup of chicken broth - I like to use "better than bouillon" to make mine. You can add a some white wine or beer if desired.)

Step 4.  Add the Sprouts to the hot pan and stir.

 Step 5. Season how you like - salt, pepper, garlic... Stir and watch your sprouts. When they brighten up and soak in the butter...

Step 6. Add your cup of chicken broth. Stir and let simmer till the liquid cooks almost all the way down. It takes several minutes.

Step 7. Alcohol - If you like a little kick, throw in a splash of wine or beer at the very end. It cooks down almost immediately and adds some great flavor. 

Step 8. Enjoy!! And, spread the word. Together we can stop the hate. :) These are great little veggies - and good for you too!

Movie Review

Brave  

*warning*spoilers*

I have mixed feeling about this one. Mostly good, but I think I need to see it again. Honestly, for a good part of the movie I was just totally distracted and enraptured by the awesomeness of Merida’s hair. Seriously, it’s amazing. 

The Plot -  Merida is a princess who doesn’t want to be a princess. This is a source of contention between her and her mother, the queen, who’s trying to teach her how to be a wise and proper ruler. As she gets older and her responsibilities grow, so does the relational struggle. Though they obviously love each other, eventually, the rift between them reaches a point where it threatens the whole kingdom. Merida is told that she, rather unfairly, is responsible for keeping unity in the entire kingdom by marrying a champion of one of the four clans. They gather to compete for her hand in a game of archery. Merida, not wanting to sacrifice her personal freedom for the kingdom, rebells against tradition (something her mother does not understand) and competes in the game too, “for her own hand”. She obviously outdoes every suitor. This throws the whole kingdom into an even greater uproar and Merida decides the only way out now is to “change” her mother - something she does with the help of a very reluctant witch. However, the witches magic, it seems, only does bears. Merida thinks the spell she buys will change her mother’s mind about her marriage, but instead it changes her mother into a bear (as well as her brothers). Finding a way to undo everything is what finally brings them both to a place of understanding and gives them the insight to unite the tribes without sacrificing Merida in marriage to one of 3 ridiculous, though not entirely awful, suitors. 

The Bad Guy - Though, the movie features a witch and a giant crazed bear, they are not really the “bad guys”. The real foe is more the relationship issues... pride, a bad attitude, shortsightedness. It’s a good lesson, but one wonders why then the bear was so disproportionately scary. Really. He was terrifying. The kids pretty much hid their faces every time he was on the screen. : /  He represents the potential monster created when pride is allowed to break relationships. Okay, we get it. Maybe a little less nightmarish, though. I mean, this was made with and audience of kids in mind right?

The Men and Women - Okay, I totally get that this was about a mother/daughter relationship. However, do the men have to be that ridiculous? In this story, you catch on pretty quick to the idea that Merida’s massive father is the “Head” of the kingdom, but really ALL the brains and inner strength are in the women. As the men are simply large children, it’s entirely up to the women to come up with a solution to the problems in the kingdom. When it’s left to the men well, its kind of just, “give us a woman or we’ll slaughter each other.” You can tell that Elanor, the Queen loves her husband and he loves her, but she really doesn’t think much of him at all - except maybe as a barricade.  (He does bravely jump between the bear and his wife and daughter at the beginning of the film.) She despises the fact that he teaches his daughter how to use weapons, though in the end, these skills are what end up saving her. Merida seems to get the best of both of her parents. She is strong and intelligent, So, when it’s all said and done, I think it’s proven that her father did contribute something worthwhile. I guess it just irritates me whenever I see men depicted as just the “lovable idiots”. 

That said, I liked Merida. She is much more than the typical princess. Her problems are not solved by finding her prince or some other such nonsense. Her problems were solved by some good old fashioned self-reflection... Some realizing that her decisions affect other people whether she likes it or not. She learns about her own pride and selfishness, is deeply sorry and does what she can to fix the mess she made. I love that. She is the total opposite of Ariel - who finds the answers to happiness in running away from everyone that loves her to go get a man she doesn’t know at all. What a role model. ; / 

So, yea, mostly good. Some irritating things and a very too scary bear. But, I’d like to see it again. Just watch out for small children. :)


Here's a picture of what he looks like. Um yea. those are broken arrows sticking out of him.