OH, HI. I’m alive. Yes, please, and thank you. I’m home from New York, and still recovering a bit. I severely underestimated the exhaustion I would face being 7 months pregnant while running to and from meetings and cabs for 3 solid days in New York. Nevertheless, I had an absolute BLAST, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it in a ‘Checking In’ post this weekend. I took some time off when I got home, and did absolutely nothing for a few days. However, I did snuggle my dogs, and make a giant pot of lasagna soup. I feel so much guilt for boarding the dogs while I travel, even though their daycare is quite luxurious with play time and attention in excess. They probably love it better than me, but I thought about them constantly while in New York. Our friends keep telling us that once the baby comes, we will not care about the dogs at all. At this point, I can’t imagine that, but they said that’s exactly how they felt, too. I’m going to let ’the boys’ live it up and be the centers of my universe until then, though :)
Let’s take a mini break from desserts, ok? It’s bloody cold outside and we all need comfort food. I’ll be bringing you weeks of comforting Dinners for Two! And maybe some warm, hearty breakfasts for two to get you geared up for snow shoveling. Sound good? If you miss the small desserts, you can always buy my book. (That is officially the most shameless plug I’ve ever done in my life. Sorry.
Cowboy steak coffee rub method:
One of the brands I’m working with this year is Omaha Steaks. I really appreciate that you guys let me work with brands to help ‘keep the lights on’ around this place. In the blogging world, ad revenue fluctuates. Working with brands under contract is guaranteed income for me. So, that’s why I do it. But, believe me, I only work with brands that sell wholesome, raw ingredients that I feel good about putting in my body. I created this recipe for Cowboy Steak with Brussels Sprouts for Omaha Steaks, and I know you’ll love them. The steaks have an easy rub featuring coffee to make them extra smoky. And since it’s way too cold to grill, we’re going to employ our trusty cast iron skillet. I want your eyes to be free to watch the steaks cook, so I made sure the sprouts were easy and hands-free. After a quick toss in olive oil and steak seasoning, they go into the oven to roast to perfection. You don’t even have to check on them–just focus on getting that perfect medium-rare on your steak. Or, rare. Or, well-done—however you love your steak, really! If Brussels sprouts aren’t your bag, substitute any vegetable you like. One weird thing I learned when testing this recipe is that the larger the sheet pan you use, the faster the vegetables will cook. Keep that in mind. I use mini quarter-sheet pans, but the most common sheet pan you’ll find is a half-sheet pan. Give the vegetables a quick peek in the last 3 minutes of cooking to be safe. Do y’all have any requests for comforting dinners for two? I’m all ears :)
10 Inch Cast Iron Skillet
