Sometimes the hardest thing you have to do is start something. Whether it’s as simple as getting up from the couch or more serious like starting a new exercise regime, the first step can feel absolutely insurmountable. Don’t worry, it’s not really.

Still, getting to that first step? So hard. I think that’s why we set arbitrary dates for change — like New Years Resolutions. In reality, it doesn’t need to be the New Year to make a change for the better. You can do that anytime. This is why we’re not waiting for the New Year to revive the Eat. Live. Be. Challenge. Cate, Joanne, Patsy and I all agreed that we need change to come now, not later.

Eat. Live. Be. Reboot begins on Wednesday. The new iteration of this challenge is a lot looser than before. We’ll be cycling through some basic topics, and talking a lot about inspiration — the things that inspire us. The first topic is magazines, so we will all be sharing something from a magazine that opened out eyes a bit. Want to join in? You can keep up with Eat. Live. Be. Reboot on our Facebook page. Also, follow along on Twitter with our new hashtag, #ELBR. And if you are interested in posting, just share a bit of magazine inspiration on your blog on Wednesday. It’s that easy.

Now, let’s get onto the food — sweet potatoes, actually. They’re so good for you — rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C. If you aren’t eating sweet potatoes yet, you should be.

Of course sweet potatoes pose their own special challenge to deal with. I mean, if the thing that you can’t seem to start has to do with sweet potatoes, then I can hardly blame you for succumbing to that challenge. Sweet potatoes are hard and tough to slice through. It takes some serious elbow grease and all that. But if you are willing to make the effort, it’s totally worth it. Sweet potatoes are seriously good for you. And the flavor? Love that natural sweetness.

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Paige, who turns four this weekend, saw me carry these carrots outside this afternoon and trailed behind. I could see her eyes peering at the plate, examining what I had. As I was styling them for the photo, she locked eyes with me and smiled sweetly … and I knew exactly what she wanted — a bite. Once all the photographs were taken and I was bringing my supplies back inside, she was quick with an offer of help.

“Would you like some?” I asked her.

And she did, skipping off to the kitchen. She ate a bunch before declaring herself full. Apparently, they are as good as they looked to her.

This is the easiest recipe for glazed carrots that I’ve ever made. And that was the point. I wanted a ridiculously easy recipe that I could whip up either last minute or the night before Thanksgiving. One that would be sweet, but really buttery. And one that everyone will enjoy.

The carrots are steamed until tender, which takes only 10 minutes when they are cut up like this. And because they are carrots, they can be cut days in advance and will still be perfect for cooking on Thanksgiving. Early preparation like that makes the making of Thanksgiving dinner so much easier.

Once the carrots are cooked, you toss them with a hot, bubbly mixture of butter and seedless raspberry preserves. It won’t seem like enough at first — but it is. Finally, you finish them off with some salt. Then they are ready to go. It really is that easy.

What I love about these carrots is the flavor. When you bite into them, the butter-enrobed carrots burst in your mouth in a perfect dance of creamy natural sweetness. Then, once you’ve enjoyed every last buttery bit, you are left with the subtle, pleasant raspberry afterthought.

And with only four ingredients that you probably already have, these are a great budget-friendly addition to the holiday table (or Sunday dinner!).

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There was a point yesterday when I discovered what the power company’s estimate for returning power was: Sunday at 11 p.m. When I read that, I felt my heart sink and all hope dissipate. Even as I watched the number of power outages in my town go down a few percentage points at a time, I wasn’t hopeful that we’d be among the lucky ones.

But we were.

Just before 9 p.m. last night, something — not really a sound or anything, but something — made me look up. I glanced at our thermostat and saw that it read 63 degrees. It was the first time the display had worked since about 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. After about 5 days, 6 hours and 15 minutes (who’s counting?), we had power again. Shawn and I sprang into action, turning up the heat, starting the dishwasher and unplugging things from the generator. A mere 15 minutes later, I was standing in a hot shower, washing away all the stress and worry of the past few days.

It was blissful. And it was even better when I stepped out of the shower into warm, fresh pajamas to watch Revenge, my new favorite show (have you seen it? Love it). Still, I feel for the more than half of my town still without power — including some of our family. I hope theirs returns soon too.

Today brought a new round of to-dos and plans. I continued cleaning up from our days without power. It’s amazing how messy things can get when you don’t have running water and have to keep things like bottled water and flashlights at your fingertips.

We invited family over to shower and have a hot breakfast. And I cooked. First eggs and toast for everyone and then for some assignments that had been patiently waiting. Finally, as evening neared, I found a big, lovely cauliflower in the fridge and roasted it with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Roasted vegetables are one of my favorite things ever … and roasted cauliflower? It’s just divine.

This version is tossed with blue cheese and topped with pomegranate arils for a sweet-savory combination that was perfect for ending our dark days without power, water or heat. The kids were practically salivating waiting for a bite. Me too.

Oh, and in case you were wondering … we went for ultimate decadence with dinner tonight. I made my favorite easy creamy macaroni and cheese recipe. It popped into my head earlier and I just had to have it.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy cauliflower?

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There’s snow in the forecast this week. Snow. As in that dreaded white stuff that drove me to the brink of insanity last winter. So, yes, snow. In October. I really hope the forecast is wrong. It’s just too soon.

Did I mention that I donated all my winter coats to charity at the end of the winter? They were too big, so I made the decision that it was time for something fresh. But I haven’t bought a new one yet. So there’s that too.

If there was ever a time that there might be a need for comfort food, now is it. And mashed potatoes? They are total comfort food on the grand scale. Add some smoked gouda and a bit of garlic to the mix and you have decadent comfort food. Is there any better kind?

The gouda – smoked gouda, to be precise – adds so much to these potatoes. The pleasant earthy smokiness, like the lingering scent open burning in the fall (it’s not a bad thing, I swear), gives them both creaminess and that smoky flavor. There’s no need for gravy or butter — they’re perfect on their own. And the garlic? It plays a happy supporting role — not overtaking the flavor, but rounding it out.

Bliss in a bite.

I served these with Apricot-Glazed Sage and Garlic Pork Tenderloin, but they’d also be good with roasted chicken or a juicy steak.

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Today I went to the store with a short list that had maybe six things on it. But I left the store with at least a dozen items. How does that happen? Were the Brussels sprouts really so seductive that I couldn’t leave without them? (Yes.) Did I really need 18 eggs? (Yes.) And cake mix? (Actually, no, but I thought I did at the time.)

The grocery store is a wild temptress, for sure. Is it just me? Does that ever happen to you?

So, those Brussels sprouts. I didn’t really have any plans for them — I wasn’t even sure when I would use them. But, you know, I adore Brussels sprouts, so I knew I’d find a way.

I ended up whipping some up tonight as a little snack (they’d be equally good as a side dish). I roasted the Brussels sprouts with just a whisper of cooking oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Then I mixed them with walnuts and grated Asiago cheese. Finally, I finished it off with a drizzle of walnut oil. The slightly sweet roasted Brussels sprouts have a rich, warmth to them with the infusion of walnut throughout. Perfect.

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After Hurricane Irene knocked out our power for days, I had to restock almost everything in our fridge and freezers. It was somewhere between a colossal pain and a tremendous relief to start fresh like that. I hated losing everything, but being able to start from the basics again was nice. Anyway, when it came to restocking, one of the first things on the restock list (after nonfat milk, an assortment of cheeses and butter, of course) was bacon.

Now, while I think the bacon trend has seen its day, bacon is still a great thing to keep around. It adds tremendous flavor to braised cabbage and elevates an otherwise ordinary grilled cheese sandwich. And bacon with Brussels sprouts? OMG good. So, I always keep bacon in the freezer, slicing off a little whenever I need it. It’s so easy and then it’s always on hand.

I’m telling ya. It’s worth it.

In this fried rice? It’s amazing. The bits of bacon, egg and kale are fabulous together in the rice. And since the kale is actually cooked in the bacon fat, the flavor of bacon really permeates throughout the dish.

If you haven’t made fried rice before, I assure you that it’s easy. If you have all your ingredients prepped, it takes a whopping 15 minutes or so to cook this homemade recipe. And, yes, your ingredients should be prepped and ready to go before cooking.

This is a perfect side dish for Baked Sticky Orange Chicken Drumsticks.

Oh, and one more thing … This is also really amazing with a good swirl of Sriracha stirred in.

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There’s been a serious and welcome chill in the air the past few days. It’s allowed the kids and me to crawl into our flannel pajamas and pull on our favorite socks (mine are fuzzy!). These things – these garments – are a lot like comfort food: something that’s both calming and familiar. It’s been nice.

All this coolness has me thinking about Fall and winter veggies — the winter squashes, potatoes, apples and of course Brussels sprouts. Oh, Brussels sprouts, they are definitely a comfort food for me.

You all know how much I adore Brussels sprouts. Or, if you didn’t, now you do. I am always on the hunt for new ways to make them. For awhile, I was obsessed with Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and shallots, then Sauteed Brussels sprouts with lemon vinaigrette became my bff and last year it was Brussels sprouts with bacon and melty blue cheese.

But this year? It’s all about the braising, baby.

This recipe produces tender, toasty, slightly caramelized Brussels sprouts with a killer sweet-savory-sensational flavor. They’re warm, fast and easy … and the shallots, which totally caramelize during cooking, are a nice supporting note. These are easy enough to make on a busy weeknight. And the recipe is so simple that it can easily be doubled or tripled.

What’s also great about these is that the sprouts develop that sweet whisper and shed any bit of bitterness during cooking. So they’re savory … but have that little inkling of sweet too.

Did I mention fast? One thing I have learned over the years is that I like my Brussels sprouts to cook pretty fast and without a lot of hands-on time. This recipe does that with its sear and braise method. And despite cooking them in liquid, the Brussels sprouts don’t end up mushy or flavorless. I can’t tell you how much I detest mushy Brussels sprouts. It’s a waste.

The recipe serves four as a side dish … unless you adore sprouts like me. Then it might feed fewer people. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.

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When you mention radishes, a lot of people grimace. And really, I can’t blame them. I’m not a big fan of raw radishes myself. They aren’t the natural perfection of a farm-grown tomato in summer or an ear of just picked sweet corn. They’re hard, dirty and often ugly (especially from a farmers market). And then there is the taste. Their peppery flavor doesn’t rank high on many people’s enjoyment scale. But like many things, it’s all in preparation.

Cooked radishes are a whole new ballgame. From sauteed radishes to grilled radishes, the peppery flavor is tamed and a musky sweetness emerges. They’re tender, more delicate versions of raw radishes. Love it. Like really, truly love it.

This simple recipe is a good go-to for preparing radishes as a side dish or for using them in salads. I like them drizzled with some balsamic glaze, but they’re good without it too.

And if you read the title and scrunched your nose … give ‘em another chance cooked.

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Ever since I made Balsamic Radishes using the recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen a few years ago, I have been obsessed with cooked radishes. I cannot begin to express just how much I adore them. By cooking them, normally super peppery radishes are toned down, turned into milder, slightly sweet versions of their raw selves.

And when they are well-seasoned, like the balsamic ones, Grilled Radish Packets or these simple Asian-inspired Soy-Ginger Sauteed Radishes, they become this incredible veggie — firm but silky and practically screaming with flavor. This particular recipe has that sweet-saltiness thanks to the five second soy-ginger sauce that finishes these babies off. So good.

So you know, this dish serves two. Unless, of course, you love them like I do and you accidentally-purposely eat them all by yourself. Don’t worry, I won’t tell!

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Do you ever just want to cheer from the rooftops? Maybe let out a loud whoop? Or perhaps jump on Oprah’s couch … oh wait, that’s just Tom Cruise.  Anyway, even if you aren’t couch jumping, everyone feels like this sometimes … where something thrills you so much that you just want to tell everyone. Right. Away.

That’s totally how I feel about this kale dish. And yes, I am being absolutely serious.

Although the kale is braised, it retains that texture that makes it so special. It’s softened, but still definitely leaves. In fact, that’s one of the things I love about kale and chard: they don’t turn to mush when cooked. It’s that mushiness that makes spinach and I have a tenuous relationship.

In any case, this is dinosaur kale … aka Tuscan kale. The leaves are sweeter than other varieties of kale, and milder in flavor. They are delicious when used raw, but also good for cooking.

This kale is a little sweet, but totally savory. And the lemon and Romano finish make it simply spectacular.

And perhaps the best, bestest, best part? This is local kale. I dropped by my cousin’s organic farm earlier and bought this, chard and scallions — my first local food of the season. There is nothing like it. And I couldn’t be more thrilled that the local season is here at long last.

Have your farmers markets opened yet? Are they open year-round?
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