Maple and Garlic Brussels Sprouts

Brussel sprouts and cabbage are, in my mind, so closely related, that if you like one, you probably like the other.

Apparently, I am dead wrong about this.

Tim definitely loves cabbage and really does not prefer Brussels sprouts. At least not this week.  He is very strong in his likes.  Sigh.

So,  for that matter, is our dog,  She definitely has a type.

Chloe has always loved our nephews, both of whom are big guys at over six feet tall.  They are both really, really nice guys as well and very good to her, so I just always assumed it was the fact that they treated her so well that made them favorites.  After a recent incident though, I’m not so sure anymore.

What happened was this:

We had a team of people at our house working on a project.  There were two women and three men.  They pretty much all made a fuss over Chloe since she is totally the cutest dog on the planet (but I am not biased in any way).  Every time I went looking for her though, she seemed to always be hanging around the one guy in particular.

She was pretty much pulling out all the stops to get his attention: wagging the tail like a helicopter trying to make a quick getaway, butt shaking so hard she practically knocked herself out as it whipped around to meet her head where she was smiling and batting her lashes like an extra on the set of Moulin Rouge.  If she had elbows, her arms would have been bent, one on her head and the other on her hip, a la Mae West.  In fact, I’m kind of surprised I didn’t hear her say, “Come up and see me sometime, big boy!”

Subtle, she is not.

He seemed like a nice enough guy, but I was a bit mystified as to why she preferred him to anyone else.  Then it dawned on me.

He had mentioned that he was also a volunteer fireman.  And he was a big guy.   Clearly, my dog has a type.  So for the rest of the time, she fawned all over him, begging belly rubs and kissing him like there would be no tomorrow.  I don’t want to tell my nephews though, since they think they are at the top of her list alone.

Ingredients:

• 2 dozen Brussels sprouts, cut in half
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. In a blender, combine the syrup through pepper and purée till smooth.  Pour over the sprouts and toss well to combine.
3. Put the sprouts face down on a lined baking pan and roast for 30 minutes, or until tender and a bit crispy on the outside. (The larger the sprouts, the longer the cooking time, but don’t let them get mushy.)

Enjoy!