On the Side: Pommes Dauphinois, Herbed Carrots, and More!

This weekend was really great and I can't believe it's already Monday again! From the Taste of Chicago, to a fun Girl's Night Sleepover, to a cute Birthday Brunch, this weekend was just plain awesome.  Al Pal's bday brunch was really cute and I made my Strawberry Cake, but instead of just strawberries, I did strawberries and raspberries! It was really yummy and perfect as a "Breakfast" Cake.

I'd like to give a huge shout out to the Awkward Kitchenette for giving me another award! She gave me the Awesome Blogger award and I am so honored! Her site is so fun to read and her recipes are always really great! Thank you so much!

Also, it's monday so it's time for another Half Marathon update.  This week and next week are all about tapering off a bit before the big race.  I am not actually signed up for a race at this point as I was going to do one in Madison, but the timing didn't work out.  My brother is moving to college that weekend and I am going to be helping with that.  So, I am just going to map out my own! I think this will be good for me as a first "race" since races tend to stress me out a little and I get all nervous.  This week I did 2 4 mile runs, a 5 mile run, and a 9 mile run.  Yesterday, Bri and I even worked out together at the gym (a first!) and it was nice to have him there to chat with! I am looking into registering for an actual race, but I'm not sure which one to do! Any suggestions for good half marathons in the midwest?

And of course, I have the sides to share from The Dinner Party! Chris decided that the perfect thing to accompany the Boeuf would be some simple potatoes and carrots and I totally agree.  They were great additions to the meal, but they were also simple to make and did not overshadow the amazing main entrees.

Pommes Dauphinois (Scalloped Potatoes with Milk, Cheese, and a Pinch of Garlic)

Ingredients:
2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (we used a food processor to get perfectly thin slices)
1 clove garlic, halved
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
1 cup milk, boiling

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 and rub a casserole dish with the halved garlic.  Smear 1 tbsp of butter over the inside of the casserole dish.
2. Peel and slice the potatoes and place in a large bowl of water.  Drain when ready to use.
3.  Spread half of the dried potatoes in the casserole dish.  Sprinkle half the cheese, salt, pepper, and butter over them.  Place the rest of the potatoes on top and then the rest of the cheese, salt, pepper, and butter.  Pour the boiling milk over the entire dish.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender, milk is absorbed and cheese is nicely browned.
Enjoy :)

Herbed Carrots

Ingredients:
2 lbs. carrots
olive oil
herbs de provence
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Peel and wash carrots and place in a casserole dish.  Toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat the carrots and season with herbs de provence, salt, and pepper to taste. Bake in the oven until carrots are tender when pierced with a fork.
Enjoy :)