I am a wimp, a pushover, a cream puff some might say (Hey, I should make those!)  I’m the person who listens to the telemarketer and wonders how to politely decline.

If I see an elderly person in line at the grocery store I want to give them a hug because I think that they must be lonely. I worry that a casual comment may have been misunderstood.

I can’t even go to the Farmer’s Market without feeling sorry for the vendors who haven’t got customers purchasing their wares… so naturally I rummage through their stuff and mumble some sort of positive encouragement just to lift their spirits. (These potatoes in the photo here were, however, exceptional;)

I imagine the homeless as the helpless young children they must have once been.

I’m that person in your row at the movies who is quietly weeping over some sappy scene.

I am the non-confrontational, the appeaser who will turn away or pray that everyone would somehow just get along. I naively accept people and what they say at face value, never imagining that there would be a “hidden agenda”.

My mom would call a person like me “Susie Sunshine”, the eternal optimist who always sees the best in everyone. Somewhere along the way I began to think that I needed to be more imposing.  And so for a time, I made a concerted effort to change… but being overbearing just doesn’t sit right with me.  Cranky, yup, I can do cranky, but even that brings out a little voice in my head that wonders if it’s offending someone.

But you know, I’m all right with being a wuss, I prefer to call it being tenderhearted.  I’ve gotten more assertive for sure. I’ve learned to pick up and quickly disconnect the telemarketer; I let the seniors through the cue, buy a basket of marginal raspberries at the market, and give money to the homeless and believe that they will be purchasing food. I’ve wanted to keep several of my children’s friends over the years… I love the laughter and energy they bring into my kitchen. And I try not to cry when I watch my daughter turn her back and walk through security at the airport… I know we will be together soon.

And I cook and bake and create just to please others….and that pleases me!

This recipe for fresh roasted carrots and potatoes hardly requires a recipe, but both are a perfect way to prepare early and let the oven do the work for you while you enjoy a glass of wine with your friends and family.

Cinnamon Roasted Carrots

Cinnamon Roasted Carrots

 

Print

Ingredients

• 2 bunches carrots, tops removed
• butter
• 2-3 tsp cinnamon
• foil squares

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Scrub carrots clean under cool running water.
3. Slice if large or lay side by side if using new carrots.
4. Dot with butter.
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
6. Wrap with foil, sealing carefully.
7. Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes, checking to see if they are the desired level of tenderness.

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

3.5.3251

French Onion Roasted Potatoes

French Onion Roasted Potatoes

 

Print

Ingredients

• 6-8 medium potatoes, skins on
• butter
• 1 package french onion soup mix
• foil squares

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Scrub potatoes clean under cool running water.
3. Quarter if large or leave whole if using new potatoes.
4. Dot with butter.
5. Sprinkle with french onion soup mix to taste.
6. Wrap with foil, sealing carefully.
7. Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes, checking to see if they are the desired level of tenderness.

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

3.5.3251