The sun. The warm air. The sounds of laughter and roar of the lawn mower. The scent of freshly cut grass. When I sat down earlier to write this blog post, all of these things beckoned me outside. I tried to soldier on but all I found was a sputtering of ho-hum sentences curving around the photos I had so carefully edited earlier. Finally, I conceded defeat, snapping my laptop shut and heading outside to trim our bushes, play an impromptu game of soccer and grill burgers for dinner.

In the end, I was smiling, no longer held hostage by words that wouldn’t come or feeling of being torn between what I needed to do and what I wanted to. It just goes to show that sometimes the best thing we can do is to walk away and let life happen.

This salad is a let life happen sort of thing too. It’s so simple that it can practically be made with zero planning. Red pepper, avocado, corn, black beans … these are things we practically always have on hand here at this time of year. Avocados are in season and affordable at about $1 each. We easily eat three each week. Lime juice? It’s my citrus of choice, so it’s almost always in the fridge in some form or another. All together, it’s a magical combination that makes a perfect side dish for lunch or dinner. Or you could totally snack on the leftovers. Don’t worry — I won’t tell.

What this salad isn’t is terribly unique. Yes, I actually said that. This is my version that I whip up but there are dozens of other similar ways to make it. Mine was inspired by a salad my cousin shared with me at the beach recently. Hers had lemon juice as the citrus and a few more ingredients (tomatoes and some sort of onion, if I remember correctly). Meanwhile, I made this for a family party on Saturday and arrived to discover that another very similar salad was also on the table. That cool, tangy version used a lot more lime juice and had green onions and tomatoes in it but no avocado. It was so refreshing. That’s three versions … all from within our one family. Do you have one too? Spill in the comments!

The avocado lends a smooth creaminess to this salad, enveloping the red peppers, black beans and corn. It has enough cilantro to give the salad that earthy freshness without allowing the pungent herb to overtake the other flavors. It’s a perfect balance, even if you aren’t usually a big cilantro fan. But cilantro fans might want to double the amount. But for me, it’s just right.

This salad? It’s just lovely for spring.

Creamy Black Bean, Red Pepper and Corn Salad with Avocado and Cilantro
serves 8 as a side dish

2 ears fresh corn, peeled, boiled for 10 minutes and kernels removed
1 large red pepper, finely diced
1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I use organic)
1 Hass avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
1 lime, juiced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Stir together the corn kernels (break apart any large clumps, but small ones are okay), red pepper, cilantro, black beans and avocado. Drizzle with lime juice and olive oil. Toss well. Season with salt and pepper to desired flavor.

Chill until ready to serve.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to two days.

My friends can tell when stress is getting to me without asking. Apparently, I recede a little. Chat less. Update my Facebook and Twitter less. A general quieting of my online presence. And they’ve told me on more than one occasion over the last few weeks that they’ve been seeing these things recently. I was surprised, but only because I didn’t realize how obvious it was. Of course, they are right.

January was a hard month for my career. February was a hard month for my bank account. And now it’s March. The good news is things are looking up. Yesterday, the first edition of a new column I’m writing for SheKnows appeared. It’s called Chasing the Dream and is all about achieving those big life dreams we have for ourselves. I am over the moon with excitement about it. Other good things are happening behind the scenes too. It’s like the tide is changing, and it feels good even though I am still reeling from two tough months.

Some weeks, it would be super easy to dissolve into complaints and quips here. When life is harder, it’s so natural to focus on the worst thing happening. I could go on and on about malfunctioning fire alarms in the dead of night and about my internet being spotty in recent storms. I could tell you about the migraine I was fighting earlier today or my strong desire to just sleep, a definitive sign that I am under the weather. But I won’t. I will however tell you that real life happens to me the same as everyone else. If it ever seems otherwise, it’s only because this is my happy place — the place where I choose to focus on the positives. Here on Sarah’s Cucina Bella, I would rather celebrate the good food and good times.

And generally speaking, I think there is a lot to be said for focusing on the positives. Norman Vincent Peale was really onto something with his writings on the power of positive thinking. It’s that positivity that has really helped me during rough patches recently, allowing me to be present with the kids and also focus on forging ahead.

Did I mention good food? Yes? Because that helps too. Good food can brighten a dark moment. Like these fries. A friend recently tossed me the idea of dipping fries in curry sauce after having a similar dish in Boston. I was skeptical but tried it and was totally wowed.

Crispy Salt and Pepper Oven Fries with Curry Dipping Sauce might actually be closer to fry-crack though. When I make them, I literally cannot stop eating them. Good thing they are oven fries and relatively low-fat. And the little bit of cornstarch in the recipe makes the outsides so nice and crispy. Totally killer. I picked that tip up after reading about another blogger — The Art of Doing Stuff — using it in her sweet potato fries. So I tried it on my oven fries, using a really small amount and it worked wonders.

Though the fries are great on their own, it’s that dipping sauce that sends them over the edge. Curry simmer sauce is a sauce made from curry, coconut milk and other ingredients. It’s got this sweet-spicy thing going on that will have you double and triple dipping for more. Don’t worry, I won’t tell.

Crispy Salt and Pepper Oven Fries with Curry Dipping Sauce
serves 4

1 lb Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Cooking oil spray

Dipping sauce: curry simmer sauce (found in the Asian foods aisle; NOT curry paste)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Wash the potatoes. Then, cut them into 1/2-inch thick fry shapes. Put the cut potatoes into a resealable bag. Sprinkle with the cornstarch, salt and pepper and then seal the bag. Shake vigorously until the fries are well-coated.

Pour the fries onto the prepared baking sheet, arranging in a single layer. Spray with cooking oil spray.

Bake the fries for 30 minutes, flipping once or twice, until golden.

Serve with curry simmer sauce for dipping

This recipe was created for BettyCrocker.com and is shared here with permission. Visit the recipe page on Betty Crocker.com for more tips and tricks.

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.

One of my favorite things to do with sweet potatoes is to make fries. Oven fries, actually. Since they aren’t deep fried, they are still pretty healthy. And what kid can resist a fry? Really. Everyone in our house loves them, especially when they are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

When you are making them, there are some musts though. I’ve found that oil — not just oil spray but actual oil — is necessary to achieve that, along with a hot oven and a nonstick cooking surface. One more thing too: you can’t overcrowd the baking sheet. If things get too tight, you just need to use two baking sheets instead of one. Seriously. That’s super important.

Of course, there are other little things that help too — like good seasoning and a cute little fry-making helper. (Check and check.) With garlic and Italian seasonings, these sweet potato fries have that sweet-savory thing going on that I just love. These are so well seasoned that you barely need a dipping sauce … but they are great with ketchup too.

Also try my other versions of sweet potato fries:

• Chipotle Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries
• Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
• Parmesan Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries
• Baked Barbecue Sweet Potato Fries

Herb and Garlic Baked Sweet Potato Fries
serves 4

1 lb sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick fry shapes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. It needs to be fully preheated before baking. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil.

Place the sweet potatoes into a resealable bag. Add the olive oil, salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Seal and shake ‘em up. Pour the sweet potatoes out onto the prepared baking sheet. Arrange in a single layer, but don’t crowd. If you need to, use two baking sheets.

Slide the pan into the oven and cake for 35-40 minutes, flipping the fries twice, until cooked through and lightly browned.

Serve immediately.

“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!).

Easy Buttery Glazed Carrots
serves 4

1 lb carrots, peeled
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp seedless raspberry preserves
kosher salt, to taste

Heat a pot with about 1″ of water on the stove. Set a steaming insert inside.

Meanwhile, cut the carrots into roughly 3″ pieces and then quarter them. Add to the pot and cover. Steam for 10 minutes, or until tender.

Remove the carrots from the pan (I just lift the insert out). Then, in a small saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter and preserves, whisking together until well combined and bubbly.

Combine the carrots and the butter mixture in a mixing bowl and toss well until combined. Sprinkle liberally with salt.

Serve immediately. Or store in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat before serving.

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?

Roasted Cauliflower with Blue Cheese, Garlic and Pomegranate
serves 4

1 head cauliflower, rinsed and cut into 1″ florets
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil (or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking oil spray).

Add the cauliflower, olive oil and garlic to the baking sheet and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden brown and fork tender.

Remove the cauliflower from the oven. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with blue cheese. Stir well. Let sit for two minutes. Then serve.

Optional: Sprinkle pomegranate arils on top before serving.

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.

Smoked Gouda and Garlic Mashed Potatoes
serves 6-8

2 lbs yukon gold potatoes
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded smoked gouda
salt and pepper, to taste

Fill a pot with water and salt well. Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, wash and scrub the potatoes. Then cube them. I usually go for smaller cubes so that they cook faster. Add the potatoes and garlic cloves to the boiling water and cook until the potatoes are tender (for 1/2-inch cubes, about 20-25 minutes). Drain well.

Return the potatoes to the pot and mash them with a potato masher or ricer. Stir in the milk and then sprinkle with the gouda. Let it sit for a minute. Then stir to combine. Season well with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately.

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.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Asiago Cheese
serves 1

1 heaping cup trimmed and halved fresh Brussels sprouts
cooking oil spray
salt and pepper
1 tbsp toasted walnuts
1 tbsp freshly grated Asiago cheese
1/2 tsp walnut oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread out the Brussels sprouts and spray very lightly with cooking oil spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-16 minutes, until they begin to brown.

Toss the Brussels sprouts with the walnuts and Asiago cheese. Pour into a bowl. Drizzle with walnut oil. If desired, sprinkle with a little additional salt (recommended).

Enjoy!

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.

Bacon and Kale Fried Rice
serves 4

4 slices bacon, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, ribs discarded and leaves minced
1 cup Jasmine rice, prepared
1 tsp sesame oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

Heat a large skillet (or a wok) over medium heat on the stove. Add the bacon and cook until browned. Remove the bacon from the skillet to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.

Add the garlic and the kale to the skillet. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the kale is wilted. Add the rice and toss well to combine. Add the sesame oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss well.

Push the rice mixture to one side of the skillet and add the eggs. Cook, without disturbing, for 2-3 minutes, until mostly firm. Break apart with your spatula and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until no longer liquidy. Stir together with the rice mixture. Scrape the bottom of the pan well.

Remove from heat and stir in the bacon. Drizzle with soy sauce. Stir well to combine.

Serve immediately.

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.

Braised Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Parmesan
serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
salt and pepper
parmigiano reggiano

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottom pan. While it’s heating, prepare the shallots and garlic. For the shallots, the best method is to trim the ends, cut the shallot in half length-wise and then peel. Then, slice the halves thinly.

Once the oil is hot, add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened (2-3 minutes). Add the Brussels sprouts and stir well. Let cook until the shallots begin to brown (2-3 minutes). Add the chicken stock, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Uncover the pan, stir and continue cooking until all the liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. Stir well.

Serve immediately.

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.

Simple Roasted Radishes
serves 2-4 (depending on use)

1 bunch radishes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Spread the radishes out on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Roast the radishes in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Serve hot from the oven. If desired, drizzle with balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze before serving.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.