First of all, Happy All Saints Day!

Last night for Halloween, my kids’ enthusiasm got me into the spirit, so I put on a cat ears headband while taking them trick or treating. I’m pretty sure the last time I dressed up for Halloween was senior year of college, when my roommate was Rapunzel and I was her hair. Halloween’s just not my holiday.

The kids were, in Miryam’s words, “a monster Batman girl” and “the leftover cow” (leftover because we recycled her costume from 2 years ago for Luke).

Also uncharacteristically, I let them stay up late to do trick or treating, and then let them have their lollipops in the bath. Bedtime afterwards was a bit challenging, due to both of them being overtired and sugar-stimulated (and me knowing both aspects were completely my fault).

With both of them finally in bed an hour late, I put away clean dishes, started the laundry, and then my tummy said, “Time for second dinner!” Apparently the six Twix I’d snuck from our stash earlier weren’t going to cut it.

Maybe I should have grabbed something packaged quick and gone to bed….but I had a bowl of pre-chopped onions and green peppers in the fridge already, and I could peel and chop a carrot in the time it would take the pan to heat up (electric coil stove ftw!), so I decided to sauté myself up some veggies instead.

Good choice, mama. Fresh cooked veggies are plentiful in the vitamin department, negative in the preservative department, and—especially when I cook them in a combo of butter and infused olive oil then put cheese on top—way more delicious than a granola bar.

I’m calling this Halloween Veggies, because green and orange colors are going on. (Okay how amazing would this be with one green and one purple bell pepper!?)

Halloween Veggies

2 bell peppers (any color), chopped (seeds and membranes removed)
1 onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp infused olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese to grate/sprinkle on top

1. Melt butter in medium skillet over med-high heat. Add veggies and stir/toss to coat with butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Sauté, stirring often, 7-10 minutes or until some pieces begin to brown. Add 1 tsp infused olive oil and stir to distribute.
3. Off heat, grate or sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top (as much as you want!). Serve warm.