Balsamic Asparagus

This side dish is SO simple.  And easy.  And good.  In fact while I sat on the deck this afternoon basking in the sunshine, I even drifted off a bit and woke up thinking about making this for dinner.  So I did make it.  Along with pot roast that had been simmering all day in the crock pot with garlic and beer {yes, I am that girl who cooks with beer} and twice baked potatoes.  Needless to say this meal was on my mind and I just could not wait until dinner for us to dig in.

But as life goes, the kids woke up and were rambunctious, so we took them to the park to wear off some energy, then finally {FINALLY!} came home to dinner.

It was worth the wait.  

Asparagus is a hearty spring veggie and I love it.  In fact I have another bunch sitting in a mason jar in a bit of water in the fridge waiting for another meal yet this week.

I keep my prep for this super easy.  Wash, trim the ends and place on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, garlic salt and pepper and toss.  I usually roast mine at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Then to make this dish even better I reduced some balsamic vinegar to add a sweet drizzle of that syrup right before eating.  It's so good!  To do this, in a small saucepan, pour in 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar and place on medium-high heat.  Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced by three-fourth's.  This will leave you with a thick, sweet syrup.

Drizzle on the hot asparagus and eat away....

Okay, I've got my greens in today.  With that being said, I have a strong hankering to bake cookies.  Shocking.  I can't help it.  I have a very strong sweet tooth.

The kids and I have a play date tomorrow afternoon and well, that just calls for cookies, you know?  Plus, my friend that is coming over with her 4 year old is also 7 months pregnant with TWINS.  

I think she'll want a cookie.  Or two.