Monday night.
It’s the first night back from the weekend. A night that’s usually more relaxed than most because you are either playing catchup around the house, exhausted, or just really love chillin’ out with Monday night tv.
In our case, we used it as a good time to squeeze in a family dinner.
Jersey Shore does family dinner on Sundays. We do it on Mondays.
So at 7:30 on the dot, my roommate Bailey and I showed up at Megan‘s door, once again with food a’ plenty.
Megan, as she is the bigger cook out of the three of us, had decided on a spicy green chili burger with white cheddar. I helped out by bringing the ground beef (thanks to my parents and our humble lil’ farm in Mid-MO!) and shaping the burgers.
Every little bit counts, right?
As I spent 5 whole minutes doing this, Megan prepared brussel sprouts and potatoes. The brussels were my request- I’ve been wanting to cook them on my own, but have no real point of reference of how it should be done and what the final result should be like.
What? I never had brussel sprouts as a kid!
Which is understandable. As children (and even as adults) we’re wired to hate them. It’s like a rule or something.
But since when do I ever follow the rules?
Megan did a really simple seasoning on the brussel sprouts- just olive oil, salt, pepper, and a wee bit of garlic powder (or I’m pretty sure that’s close enough to what she said).
Now… the real question is… when do I work up the nerve to try them myself?
I know they’re simple. Hush. It’s like cooking fish. I’m just unnaturally terrified of it.
Also, even though the general rule is nothing goes better with a burger than beer, there were no adult beverages for us this time around. Straight water- I’m sitting pretty in the middle of two very long/busy weekends. Hydration is a priority.
After heavy contemplation over gchat yeseterday morning (we’re not the best at planning ahead), Megan decided to top the burgers with green chiles and white cheddar.
It’s like she can read my mind. White cheddar takes me to my happy place. Possibly one of my favorite kinds of cheese.
And the dinner went just as expected. No phonecalls. No tv distractions (except to occasionally check the score of the football game). Discussion about how school work went that day. You know… the norm.
After our delicious dinner, Bailey and I headed home and stayed up a wee bit late to sneak in the new episode of Two and a Half Men. DVR is a wonderful thing.
As is the addition of Ashton Kutcher. I’ll say it. I liked the season opener a lot. I was totally sucked into the hype for it- because it was a show that had fallen by the wayside for me. Don’t lie- things had gotten weird.
They could have found a more graceful way to rid themselves of good ol’ Charlie. But whaddayagonnado?
Anyway, time to hunker down and get through this Tuesday. Luckily, I’ve got a few more Monday shows on dvr as to keep me distracted from the suckiness of how Tuesday normally goes. Oh how I love premiere week…
Filed under: Cooking Randomness Tagged: | brussel sprouts, cooking, cooking with friends, family dinner with friends, hamburgers, healthy eating, healthy eating habits, Two and a Half Men
I love Brussels sprouts – I promise they are fool proof! Speaking of two and a half men, I watched the Charlie Sheen roast last night. While I’m not a fan of him or his craziness, it was pretty frickin’ hilarious!
I was a little upset to realize I forgot to dvr that one! However, I’m sure it’ll be played once more… or 100 times more…
I only had time to catch the first 15 minutes of Two and a Half Men, but I liked it. I thought the way they got rid of Charlie was fitting. Rose is crazy. It makes sense.
Brussels sprouts are pretty hard to mess up! And I heart “family” dinners. My friends and I haven’t done them in way too long.
I watched the Sheen roast, too. Try and catch a repeat, it was hysterical. I was glad to see that Charlie actually looks really good.
Glad to confirm how easy the brussels are. I think I might be ready to take the big step and do it on my own.
So happy HIMYM was back last night! Premier week is the awesome.
I could go for that exact dinner right now myself. I’ve only made brussel sprouts from a steambag. I didn’t want to eat them as a kid, but now I dig them. Go figure.
If I still had the same cravings as I did when I was 12, I’d be very malnourished. For sure.
Why do you broads live so far away?! I want delicious meals and fun Amy/Megan time. ::pouty face::
Oh and dude. You have to just make Brussels sprouts, they are insanely easy. Cut the stems off, cut them in half, toss them in olive oil, s&p, minced garlic, roast at 425 for 30 minutes (or until outside leaves are crispy and brown). Eat. Enjoy. Think of me fondly.
You could be our special guest of honor one night… if you got your ass out here!
And thanks! I’m seriously ready to try them on my own. I think… maybe…
I only watched the first two minutes of it that were tacked onto HIMYM but I saw that it was a funeral. How did they kill him off? I doubt I’ll be watching, that show has always been odd for me. I do plan to watch The Office to see how my lover James Spader fits in, even though I never watched it before.
Dinner looks great!
James Spader is your lover? This is interesting to me…
I need to instate something like Monday night dinner with friends. It’s not like the hubby and I eat together, so might as well go eat with friends, no?
Exactly! It’s a good excuse to get together and chill. I love it!
There was also a little cajun seasoning on the brussels- for future reference.
And yes to white cheddar. So key. I’m pretty excited to eat the leftover burger for lunch today. Weee!
How could I forget the cajun! I feel so silly!
That looks like a great dinner. Homemade burgers never let me down. Luckily, last night was more tv-focused than catch-up-focused. I needed some couch time!
Your family dinner looks amazing! You can never go wrong with a burgers. Especially if they have white cheddar on them.
I have a strange fear of brussel sprouts as well. It’s totally unfounded as I’ve never a) eaten one or b) tried to cook them. Though I want to do both. Which will require I buy some. I guess I *have* to go to Trader Joe’s now…
My boys LOVE brussels sprouts! We roast or sautee them with a little bacon grease (I know, horrible) and thick cut bacon served over mashed potatoes.
I never had them growing up either, but I don’t know that I would appreciate them as much as a kid. Dinner looks delicious!
Bacon grease is a wonderful thing. it’d be a shame to let it go to waste!
Two And A Half Men? I don’t know if we can be friends anymore.
Gah! You think less of me! Oh dear…
I’ve only had Brussels sprouts when made in the cafeteria at work. And they’re actually ok!
Oh and DVR is a fantastic invention. For sure.
aaah i forgot to set my DVR for 2 and a half men! blew it… i’ll have to see next week’s tho i totally will be lost as to how they merged the storylines… tho who am i kidding, i’m sure there’s a tv blog somewhere that can help.
Try cbs online! I bet they have it… they’d be silly not to!
two and a half men and white cheddar. Girlfriend, you stole my heart
Monday is a ballsy day for me to have a family dinner type of meal – i am so dead tired that i usually tell my bf he is on his own. Sundays are usually our big night…live in jersey, follow the jersey trend.
Love Brussels sprouts. I use the exact same seasoning as your friend and they are always delish!
I stayed up for Two and A Half Men. I was a little disappointed. I just can’t take Ashton seriously!
[...] of me?!?!?!). Olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a little heat (she used cajun seasoning when we made them, but I just used straight up paprika).A turkey wrap (yes, I’m on a kick with the turkey) that [...]
[...] night, my roommate and I made a journey over to Megan’s house for one of our regular “Family Dinners“. We started them late last summer and it’s nice to get together every other month or [...]