Sweet Kissed Carrots

As a kid, I distinctly remember being served honey-glazed carrots. They were almost always made with baby carrots. I wasn't much of a fan of the raw ones without dip, but give me cooked carrots any day! Adding that extra touch of buttery sweetness was just the thing to make them practically irresistible! This recipe sounded very similar to what my parents served, but just enough difference to convince me to try it out as something a bit new. This recipe called for sliced carrots, so that is what I did. It's easily adaptable for baby carrots, though. This is about half of what was called for in the recipe, since 4 cups of carrots seemed a bit too much for two people - especially when one person doesn't exactly love cooked carrots.

These needed to be cooked a bit on the stovetop before putting them in the oven. Just a little water and salt went in along with the carrots.

                                    

While they were draining, I got the sweet part ready. This was another really simple recipe. These are the best for weeknight meals. Just enough to keep me busy. Being in the kitchen after work relaxes me, most nights, but I still prefer to keep it on the simpler side. There's something about tossing a few simple ingredients together and letting the heat work its magic that is almost instantly gratifying. Taking my frustrations out on the stuff that needs to be chopped also feels great.

A little butter, a little honey, and (not pictured) a little lemon juice. I tasted the glaze (or juice?) before putting it on the carrots. It was a bit tart, but also a bit sweet. This was not unexpected, honestly, but it's interesting to taste things before and after they've cooked.

These did turn out delicious, and I paired them with another childhood favorite food (Dad's invention - a macaroni dish), and it was quite the comfort food evening!

One thing I have discovered this first week of doing these recipes is that attempting to do a new recipe every day is rather daunting, plus my fridge just doesn't have room in it for all of this food! I usually cook a couple of times during the week and eat the leftovers the other days. It cuts down on food waste, and it gives me room to breathe in the evenings. With that said, I am going to slow down a bit. I am still aiming to cook most of the recipes in this cookbook, but it will take a little longer. For me, food is meant to be enjoyed from the selection of the ingredients, to the preparation, to the cooking, and finally in the eating. A slower pace will allow all who are involved to enjoy most, if not all, of the steps along the way.