So we have this great puppy. She’s an Alaskan Malamute and she’s 9 months old. Cutest thing in the world. But right now she’s in an angsty teenage phase where she destroys things, like previously indestructible toys. The other morning, while I was at the grocery store for a half hour, she completely obliterated the tray in her crate. It looks like a shark took a huge chomp out of it. I wish I had been there to witness her efforts, because, honestly, I’m a little impressed. Mr. Something and I went to the store and bought a new tray, and then he whipped up a simple contraption to keep her from pushing the tray out again. (It involves a small piece of wood and some zip ties.) I was so proud of his engineering skills.

In our house, we have the Destructor, the Fixer, and me, the Fretter. It balances out.

Speaking of balance, we try to eat pretty well here–lots of veggies and lean proteins (and occasionally, a lot of butter). I’ve been making this broccoli thing for a while, and I swear we eat 5 pounds of it a week. It’s that good. There are really no specific measurements here; make your favorite balsamic vinaigrette (other vinegars work really well, too) and you’ll love it.

Balsamic Roasted Broccoli

Two gigantic stalks of broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces (you can make as much or as little as you want, but the broccoli kind of shrinks in the oven, and it’s delicious, so make a bunch), olive oil, salt/pepper, and red chili flakes.

Mix all that together and throw it in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 375F (or until the broccoli is brown and crispy on the edges–it should look kind of overdone).

In a bowl, mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt/pepper, more chili flakes, and some rosemary, if you want. Mix the hot, roasted broccoli with the vinaigrette. Just as good at room temp as it is warm!