Blue Sky, Yellow Umbrellas

Oh, people, frabjous day!  It's Brussels sprout season again! One of the very best parts about fall is the advent of these little round, green guys. If you are a sprout lover, you know what I mean. If not, avert your eyes and read on.

My Beloved and I are doing over our kitchen. Well, actually, we aren't doing it - an architect and a builder will - but we are the pocket book for this project. For fifteen years, we have gotten along with just two electric burners - one of which works when it feels like it - a Jennair grill, and an oven in which only one of the elements is functional. The dishwasher is also a relic, since we must actually wash the dishes ourselves before putting them in the dishwasher and, once we start it, all conversation in that room and the adjoining living room is drowned out. Only the refrigerator is newer than our house, which was built in 1979.

Not only is the kitchen less than efficient, it's also ugly, with baby poop yellow and brown ceramic counter tops with dark brown grout (is that grout or gunk?), dark Jacobean-stained cabinets, and a plaid vinyl floor. I'm sure it was state of the art in 1979 but, these days, only young hipsters admire our "cool vintage kitchen."

So, we are in the process of designing and moving the new kitchen a bit to allow a little more room in the dining area and to upgrade the kitchen. Imagine!  I will even have four burners that work!  Gas burners! Huzzah!

Last week, we drove in to the city to meet with our architect to hammer out some details of the design and to clarify some points. He normally comes to the house for our meetings but we always enjoy a trip to the city and, after the work part was done, we decided to try a new-to-us restaurant, Mission Rock Resort down by the ball park. When we are in that neighborhood, we normally go to The Ramp, which we love for its laid-back vibe, but we thought it was a little chilly for outdoor dining, so we went where they have indoor seating as well.

Turns out, we could have eaten at the Ramp, as the November sunshine was just warm enough to enjoy sitting outdoors. The dining area at Mission Rock is upstairs, so we had a sweeping bay view from our waterside table. And, there on the menu was a side dish of roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon bits and white raisins! My Beloved is not a fan of sprouts, so I only eat them when he's away on business or when I see them on a restaurant menu. My heart leaped! 

The long, rectangular plate arrived with a flourish, holding a heaping portion of my little faves. The addition of bacon bits and white raisins was interesting and fun. I might not make this at home, but I'd definitely order it when we go to Mission Rock again. Even My Beloved gave them a try and admitted that, while they are still sprouts and he'd never choose them, they were as good as any he had ever tried. To us sprout lovers, each bite was quite delicious and the dish was a meal in itself, savory, sweet, and salty all at once.

We sat in the sunshine talking over the changes to the kitchen floor plan and marveling at the warm late November day. Anticipation of our new kitchen is exciting, even though we know the construction phase will be a royal pain in the neck. Still, when the sky is blue and the umbrellas are bright yellow, it's easy just to dream about the beautiful kitchen we are creating.