Brussel Sprouts: Sweet and Delish

My entire life I've gagged, literally just gagged, at the thought of eating brussel sprouts. All I ever heard about them were negative remarks. Ew, brussel sprouts! Or Yuck, those are nasty! Why would I want to try something that seemed to be the worst tasting food on the planet? It was green, round, and didn't smell so good. Not a smart move, I thought, to attempt putting one of those little stinkers in my mouth... So I stayed away--until I was in my 30's! Imagine that. Just silly! It's amazing how our taste buds change as we grow older, isn't it? It's like our bodies crave the very veggies our mothers begged us to eat our entire lives--the very veggies we scraped into the trash can or secretly fed to the family dog, who just happened to be laying under the table. It's not easy to admit - even by our actions - that we may have been wrong, but I finally gave in and took my mom's advice. I made up my mind to eat these things, or else. I just went for it and took a nibble. My reaction: I can't believe what I've been missing all these years! It's ludicrous to think I've lost out on the health benefits (included below) and tastiness of these round, bite-sized bits of goodness. I'm ashamed of myself. Really.

So what's the secret? How do I take these despised little green world-shaped veggies and turn them into sweet-tasting treats? It's simple. Honestly, it is!

Here's how:

• Fill a medium-sized sauce pan about half full with water.
• Turn the heat up high to really get the water boiling.
• Once it's boiling, turn it down to about medium heat.
• Pour in contents of one frozen bag of brussel sprouts (I use the 16oz./1lb. bag).
• After 5-15 minutes, they'll be done. Just test with a fork to see how tender they are. Depending on how you like veggies (really done or barely tender), you'll find a cooking time that works for you.
• At this point, drain the water and add 2-4 tablespoons of organic coconut oil, sea salt and pepper to taste, and italian herb seasoning (I use about 1 tablespoon).
• Toss or stir the brussel sprouts around with the seasonings and serve.

And that's it! The italian herb seasoning (I use an organic brand), sea salt, pepper, and organic coconut oil blend together fantastically, giving those hated brussel sprouts a taste you'll crave again and again.

These small veggies, members of the cabbage family, have big health benefits. They are:

• high in vitamin C
• loaded in vitamin A
• have folic acid
• a little iron
• bursting with potassium
• full of fiber

• have anti-cancer properties (because of indole, a phytochemical)
• contain a lot of caretenoids

Look at all those health benefits!

Do you love brussel sprouts or hate them? Have you even tried them? Would you be willing to give this recipe a chance? I look forward to finding out how you feel about brussel sprouts. Let us know. Leave a comment.