I found myself in the most bizarre twitter conversation earlier today…

Here goes:

Wendi Aarons : As a Scorpio myself, I’m not sure I want to eat a plate full of asparagus just to keep my nether regions happy.

Wendy Bradford : Oddly enough that is what I ate last night #Scorpio @feelWeirdAboutItNow

Clearly, I couldn’t let such a conversation rest without sticking in my two cents. Not only am I a Scorpio, but, lo and behold, I had just purchased a massive bag of asparagus from Costco on Friday in addition to having already bought two bunches from Fresh Direct because they were on special…

So, in I chimed, and was directed to a clip from this mornings Today Show in which Jenny McCarthy and chef/astrologer Sabra Ricci do indeed mention Scorpios, asparagus and reproductive organs as part of a segment touting Ricci’s new cookbook Lobster for Leos, Cookies for Capricorns: An Astrology Lover’s Cookbook . The premise is that each astrological sign governs a different part of the body, so people should eat foods that bolster the organ governed by their sign.

Though it sounds like a whole lot of nonsense to me in terms of specific health benefits, the recipes that Ricci shares do seem healthful and delicious–and the cookbook looks like a really fun read and would probably make a great gag gift.

Since I do have all of those asparagus in the fridge, I figured that I might as well share my favorite simple asparagus recipe with you 🙂

Roasted Asparagus

2 bunches green asparagus (you can use more or fewer, depending upon how many you need)

a teaspoon or two of sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. To trim asparagus:  Hold each asparagus in two hands, and bend slightly–snapping off the tough bottoms at their natural break.  If you want them to be pretty, trim the jagged edges with a knife.  Rinse asparagus in cold water (I also swish the tips in a bowl of cold water to make sure that no little bugs are living inside.)

3. Arrange asparagus, in a single layer, on a foil lined cookie sheet.

4. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and smush them around with your hands to make sure that the asparagus are all coated with goodness.

5. Roast for 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness of asparagus and your preferred doneness.

Please don’t turn them into a brown mushy mess, if that’s what you want–just go buy canned ones.

Tip: Asparagus look like a little bit like paint brushes, so young children may enjoy dipping the brush end in salad dressing or some other mushy food and ‘painting’ their plates while they eat.

Note: Asparagus can be somewhat stringy and hard to chew for toddlers, so watch them carefully! You may even want to cut them up into bite-sized pieces.