All I can say is that it’s been a LONG 2 weeks!  We got the world’s worst stomach bug, and I have changed more vomit sheets and poopy pants (and washed my hands) more times than I can count!  Let’s just say it was NOT a 24 hour bug, and it was vicious!  It lasted 5-6 days each for all 3 girls.  My sweet baby Georgia was already too small, and after that nasty bug, my tiny 13-month old weighed just over 14 1/2 pounds.

Praise the LORD, we are on the mend…I hope!

And thank goodness the Laundry Fairy has come to my house, because I certainly need help after last week!

So, that is where I have been.  I planned on posting this recipe over a week ago, but I was…occupied!

Moving on.

I have fallen in love with a new (new to me, anyway) way to cook green beans, thanks to my sweet friend Dominique.  It’s so simple, so delicious, so healthy!

Roasted Green Beans

You will need only 4 ingredients:

Green Beans, Olive Oil, Pepper, and Salt

And if you ever wonder what all my maniacs are doing as I cook, allow me to pan out…

In front of me, on the other side of the table, Preston was painting Styrofoam balls for his Solar System project.

And beside me, these two maniacs asked if they could paint…and in a moment of WEAKNESS, I said “Yes!”

It wasn’t long before I regretted that decision.  My bathroom sink may never recover, and I have a few towels that certainly will not!  I do not have just a ton of patience, and I have decided that painting projects with 2 little girls, requires a great deal of it.  Let’s just say they ditched the PAINTING, and just played with the PAINT!  They created their own color, which sounds real creative and stuff, but they used almost all of the paint, just dumping it and mixing it.

They called their color “New Purple.”

I would call it a shade closer to doo-doo!  Either way, it all ended in the trash when they tried to save it on a paper plate with a napkin as a cover.  Brilliant.

I digressed…sorry!

So on to the green beans.

Wash and drain the green beans.  Trim both ends.

Line them up.

Trim them.

Turn them around and repeat.

Drizzle the green beans with a small amount of EVOO, and toss to coat.

Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Grind course black pepper on top of the green beans.

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown, stirring occasionally.  As you remove them from the oven, sprinkle with salt.

Enjoy, and they are better than they look in that sad picture above.  And because we live on the edge, I let my kids eat these with their fingers.  For some reason, if they are allowed to consume food using their hands, they will eat happier and eat more.

Recipe for Roasted Green Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Fresh Green Beans
• 1-2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Salt

Wash green beans and trim both ends.  Drizzle with EVOO and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Grind black pepper on the beans.  Cook at 350° for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  When they are lightly brown, remove from oven and sprinkle with salt.  Enjoy!

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-kate

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