French Fries by Macey

This goes along with last week's In and Out Animal Style copycat burger post:

Ingredients:

- 4 large potatoes

- Salt

- Vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Scrub the potatoes clean and peel them if desired. 

2. Cut the potatoes into slices that are half an inch thick.

3. Soak the potato slices in a large bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes. This will help remove excess starch and make the fries crispy.

4. Drain the potatoes and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.

5. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).

6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

7. Coat the potato slices in vegetable oil and sprinkle with salt.

8. Arrange the potato slices on the baking sheet in a single layer.

9. Bake the fries for 20-25 minutes, flipping them over halfway through, until they are golden brown and crispy.

10. Remove the fries from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before serving.

Note: You can also deep-fry the French fries instead of baking them. Heat vegetable oil in a large pot or deep fryer to 375°F (190°C) and fry the potato slices in batches until they are golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Drain them on paper towels and sprinkle with salt before serving.

Tips I've learned along the way (aka trial and error... taking bits of recipes from one person and bits from another recipe to create the type of fry that I like best! They're about 1/2" thick in size, and seriously delicious)... I'm pretty proud :) 

6.29.22: quinoa and sweet potato bowl

6.29.21: sewing tip

6.29.20: RV living (privacy curtain)

6.29.19: 3D paper stars

6.29.18: Lisa's button flag art

6.29.17: make a red, white, and blue windsock

6.29.16: patriotic potato salad

Balsamic Roasted Baby Peppers

This is my new favorite vegetable - balsamic roasted baby peppers. I was so crazy about these after making them for the first time that I texted the fam with my exciting news and they were all 'oh yea, we love them and make them all the time'. Well geez guys, thanks for not telling me! hahahah. 

I love that you can roast these with stems and seeds so there is basically no prep work other than washing them - although after the first couple batches I have been removing the stem and seeds first, it just takes a minute and I find them easier to eat that way. These are terrific (it's a Barefoot Contessa recipe so naturally it's a keeper!). 

• 2 pounds baby sweet peppers, mixed colors
• olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400'. Place the whole peppers, including the stems, in a single layer in a large baking dish. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss well. Lay the sprigs of thyme on top and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the peppers start to brown in places but are not blackened. Discard the thyme sprigs. While still hot, drizzle the peppers with balsamic vinegar and season to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

note: I usually use dried thyme or Italian seasoning in place of fresh sprigs. These are great as a snack, a side dish, on salads - change the seasonings however you like! Oh, and I roast them on a foil-lined baking sheet instead of in a dish. 

6.28.22: S'mOreos

6.28.21: another mask pattern

6.28.20: 🔥week 26

6.28.19: flag door hanger

6.28.18: painted mason jar with paper pinwheels

6.28.17: healthy berry trifle

6.28.16: travel - Goodwood

Tip-sy Tuesday: Cleaning Shower Doors with Lemon

I hate cleaning the shower doors in our 5th wheel - we squeegee them to try to minimize the water spots but I still struggle to keep them clean and shiny. I just saw this tip using lemon and salt and am going to give it a try - fingers crossed it works! Let me know if you've tried this idea and the results please. 

Dip half a lemon into a small dish of kosher salt, and get scrubbing. 

click here for other household ways to use lemons

tip found here

6.27.22: photo keychain gift by Jenny

6.27.21: 🔥 week 26

6.27.20: garden squirrel

6.27.19: MSIH: chicken and wild rice casserole

6.27.18: paper pinwheels

6.27.17: pompom earrings

 

Drink Cozy

So there's been soup bowl cozies and large bowl cozies (basically they are microwavable potholders); our latest is a mug or glass size cozy.

Before I left CA this year Janis and I got together to make more cozies and had the idea to make small ones to hold a coffee cup or glass. It's especially nice for hot coffee because it helps the cup not cool off as fast, and if it does you can just pop the whole thing in the microwave to heat it back up. I nuke my cup of coffee multiple times because I like it really hot!

The directions are the same for the larger bowl cozies, just cut the fabric into smaller 6" squares. We made the darts smaller, you can play around with what size to make yours depending on the size of your cups and glasses. You can see from the 2 different ones we made that if you make the darts deeper then they will curve up more, shallower darts make the cozy lay flatter. 

click here for instructions how to make a bowl cozy, and click here for large dish cozies. 

6.26.22: 🔥 week 26

6.26.21: mozzarella stuffed portobellos

6.26.20: chicken noodle soup casserole

6.26.19: cherry pie cookies

6.26.18: patriotic rag wreath

6.26.17: paper fireworks

6.26.16: track day at Goodwood

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 26)

Dear Campers ~

Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:

Posts ~

6/18: 🔥 wek 25

6/19: pet mug shot

6/20: TT: remove fridge odors

6/21: mini pinwheel sandwiches with flavored cream cheese

6/22: animal style copycat burgers with sauce by Macey 

6/23: MSTI: caramelized banana v.2

6/24: words

Miscellaneous stuff keeping me busy ~

• Haven't done a book review in a long time, but I have still been reading a lot of books! This time around when I say a lot of books I mean 21 of the "Virgin River' series in a row. I watched the first 3 seasons of the show and wanted to find out what will happen in the next season so thought I'd read the books - before realizing it's a 21-book series and the books are a long ways from the show. After the first 3 I was hooked on the characters, even tho the characters differ from the show (which I love); funny story tho - after reading the first few I had the thought that they are an awful lot like Harlequin romance novels so I looked at the publisher and sure enough - Harlequin!!! And here's the funny part...I hate Harlequin romance novels 🤦‍♀️ But even learning that I still kept reading, skipping the ridiculous raunchy parts LOL because I wanted to read about my favorite characters HAHAHA. I'll still give them ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2, because of the characters, and I was sad when I read the final one and there's no more Virgin River books for now. 

That's it for this week, hope to see you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, tips...whatever we can think of to make at camp! Bye :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor 

6.25.22: alice springs chicken marinade

6.25.21: Brooke's spaghetti tacos

6.25.20: veggie cobb salad

6.25.19: tip-sy tuesday: gardening tip

6.25.18: spaghetti squash shrimp scampi

6.25.17: week of dinner menus

6/24 ~ words

6.24.22: tree stump table

6.24.21: red, white, and blueberry salad

6.24.20: bluebarb pie (rhubarb blueberry)

6.24.19: wire basket with ribbons

6.24.18: moving furniture

6.24.17: mojito fruit cocktail

6.24.16: travel blog - 2nd day at Goodwood

My Sister Tried It: Caramelized Banana v.2

Well, anyone who saw my post about the weird caramelized bananas is probably thinking either  “how many banana posts can this girl do”?  Or maybe “does she think this counts as a recipe?” If you have been following my sisters blog for any length of time you are probably aware of my cooking abilities so the answers are - I needed to try it healthier and also - yes. Yes this is a recipe. 

So- let’s jump in. My carmelized banana “recipe” was actually fantastic. But putting a bunch of sugar on anything is not only going to make it delicious but also going to make it not very good for me. So this time I’m trying it a couple different ways. One side with a pre mix of cinnamon sugar. And one side with mostly all just plain cinnamon and a tiny bit of brown sugar (which was in the original instructions). 

As you can see in the picture, both sides still got a “caramelized”  topping. Just like the original recipe. Both sides were also still delicious! Warm banana (air fried) was great either way but I prefer the brown sugar side.  It was just more flavorful. I did almost all cinnamon- with just a sprinkle of brown sugar this time. Delish. Really would like to add a scoop of ice cream but that defeats my “healthy” purpose. If I add a scoop of Greek yogurt to the top can I write it for my sister as another “recipe”? Hmmm..  lol

One banana- cut lengthwise (leaving skin on)
Sprinkle cinnamon
Sprinkle brown sugar
Air fry at 400 for 8 minutes. 

6.23.22: MSIH alice springs chicken

6.23.21: 4th of July cake idea

6.23.20: TT at home gel nails

6.23.19: 🔥 week 25

6.23.18: houseplants

6.23.17: outfit idea - flare jeans

6.23.16: travel - Goodwood

Animal Style Burgers with Secret Sauce (copycat recipe) by Macey

In-N-Out-style Animal burger with the "secret animal sauce" (without the bun)! GF Friendly, ALL the GOODNESS! 🤤 

Ingredients:

- 1/2 pound ground beef

- Salt and pepper

- 1/4 cup mayonnaise (Duke's preferred)

- 2 tablespoons ketchup

- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

- 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard

- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

- 4 large lettuce leaves (iceberg or butter lettuce usually work best, but today I had romaine and that's good enough :)))

- 2 slices of American cheese

- Optional toppings: sliced tomato, sliced onion, pickles

I sautéed the onion just as the burger was about cooked through, and topped them with raw tomato and pickle. So yum!! 

Instructions:

1. Preheat  grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. (I cooked these bad boys on the stovetop, but I personally think the grill would be even better tasting!) 

2. Divide the ground beef into 2 equal portions and shape them into patties. (Or, if you're like me... portion out 4 equal parts and make 4 thin patties (2 double burgers). Season both sides of each patty with salt and pepper.

3. Place the patties on the grill or grill pan and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until they reach your desired level (I prefer mine mooing) :-) 

4. While the burgers are cooking, make the animal sauce by mixing together the mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, yellow mustard, white vinegar, and garlic powder. 

5. Once the burgers are cooked, place a slice of cheese in between each patty and let it melt for about a minute.

6. To assemble the burgers, place a lettuce leaf on a plate, then add a burger patty (or in my case the double patty) with cheese on top of the lettuce leaf. Spread a generous amount of animal sauce on top of that, then add any other toppings, (sliced tomato, sliced onion, pickles, it's all up to you!) 

7. Finally, top the cheesy, topped patties with another lettuce leaf, and serve immediately.

(I was working with Romaine Lettuce and the leaves weren't very wide so I ended up laying 2 leaves on the bottom under the patties and then I ate it with a fork/knife off of the plate vs trying to pick it up and eat like you would normally eat a burger if it was on a regular bun). 

*** everything except the bun (which is substituted with lettuce leaf) is gluten free! If you're serving this to someone who isn't allergic to gluten and wants the full yumminess (aka the bun) slice the bun in half, buttter each side and place in a stove top pan to let the bun heat up/light butter melts)... 🤤 

Buns or No Bun... You can now enjoy your In-N-Out-style burger with their secret animal sauce! 🍔 🍟 

On the side: 

••• I have been frying my own French fries from russett potatoes now for months... it's taken me numerous tries to achieve the experience that I'm looking for when it comes to French fries. For me, the best kind are those pretty thick in size (but not too thick like a potato wedge... happy balance :)) that have a nice crispy crunch on the outside, but soft potato in the middle. Recipe to follow! 

6.22.22: stars and stripes cupcakes

6.22.21: TT air fryer hasselback potatoes

6.22.20: watermelon windsock

6.22.19: Karen's layered taco dip

6.22.18: blog business cards 

6.22.17: hair idea - top braid

6.22.16: travel - Goodwood Festival

Mini Pinwheel Sandwiches with Flavored Cream Cheese

I made these for the bus ride to and from the Tigers game a couple weeks ago, figuring a little munchie would be good before and after. These are really easy to make and adaptable - choose your deli meat, cheese, and spread to stick it all together and roll up in a tortilla. I made a different cream cheese layer this time that turned out really good and more favorable than just straight cream cheese. 

Using a handheld mixer, whip together 1 block softened cream cheese with enough mayonnaise to make the cream cheese spread easily, about 1/3 cup. Add as much dry ranch seasoning as desired. Fold in 5 or 6 slices cooked, chopped bacon.

Lay tortillas on a clean counter, spread with a light layer of blended cream cheese (don't spread too close to the edges or it'll squish out). Top with 2 slices of Kraft american cheese, and deli turkey slices. Roll up tightly. I cut the ends off of the roll that look a little scraggly (I save the 'scraps' and feed them to Dave for lunch later) and then cut it into about 6 slices, secure with a toothpick. 

You can add veggies like carrot, sweet pepper, or cucumber sticks, green onions or sliced pickles in the center, or layer in a big flat lettuce leaf and then roll up. 

6.21.22: TT removing paint from windows

6.21.21: patriotic windsock

6.21.20: 🔥week 25

6.21.19: lego key holder

6.21.18: garden soaker with timer

6.21.17: baked lemon donuts

6.21.16: packing tips

Tip-sy Tuesday: How to Eliminate Fridge Odors

Well I really wish I'da known this tip when a bag of crab legs leaked in my fridge and I didn't realize it. Yeah, talk about a lingering nasty smell that took me FOREVER to get rid of! I haven't tried this sponge tip yet but it's in my back pocket for the next gross smell in the fridge. 

Use a lemon to absorb lingering odors in your refrigerator. Soak a sponge or cotton ball in some fresh lemon juice, and place it in your fridge for several hours to absorb those odors.

tip found here

6.20.22: old window photo display

6.20.21: 🔥 week 25

6.20.20: wedge salad platter

6.20.19: chipotle sweet potato posole

6.20.18: latch hook rug

6.20.17: change a lightbulb

6.20.16: garage sale signs