Roasted Fall Vegetables

I could just kick myself for not taking a picture or video to share of my kids chowing down on (and asking for more of) the roasted fall veggies we had tonight!  (Note: The picture at the left is the closest one I could find online to what I made, but my veggie chunks were smaller and my veggies more diverse.)  I cooked this dish once before and coerced Jack into trying a few pieces.  At that point he was so-so about it.  But, low and behold, this second attempt was a huge success!  The key, I think was 1) they were cut into relatively small pieces, 2) they were crispy on the outside, and 3) it was a beautiful-looking dish because of the variety of colors. 

The basic recipe came from Ina Garten on Food Network, but I used my own vegetable mixture (carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes with skins, beets, and butternut squash) and also about 1 T of raw sugar (a tablespoon of sugar makes the "medicine" go down a lot smoother, you know).  The veggies took 35 minutes in my oven.   Hannah (12 months) ate all of the different vegetables willingly but especially loved the carrots.  Jack (2 1/2 years) favored the sweet potatoes and regular potatoes but wouldn't touch the beets, squash or carrots.  Nathan and I (and our babysitter) really enjoyed them, too.  This will be a staple in our house.

Next up, I'm going to try roasted Brussel sprouts on my family.  I'll let you know how that one goes.  (Skeptical?  So am I...but my philosophy is "you never know until you try".)