Homemade French Fries...

I've never even attempted to make french fries before because they always sounded so difficult...

I found a few recipes that I was curious about and I decided to combine two recipes to see how they would work...

Let me just say...

THEY ARE AMAZING!

the kids' friends thought they were fast food fries...

SCORE!

Homemade French Fries:

Preheat your oil on the stove-top to 400 degrees...super super hot! On my gas stove, I had the dial on high.  Also, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Peel and cut your potatoes into strips...I tried to make mine pretty thin and they turned out perfect.  Dry them really good on either some paper towel or a dish rag.   When the oil is ready, drop in your fries in batches.  The oil bubbles violently and the fries will not brown...this is good.  Keep them in there for a couple of minutes unless they do start to brown, in that case, pull em out early.  Drain them on some paper towel. 

Turn down your oil not so that it reaches about 350 degrees...on my gas stove it was medium.  After they have all been through the oil and drained, put them onto a tin foil lined cookie sheet...if you have a ton you will need to do two sheets.  (with three medium potatoes, they all fit on one)  Put them in the oven for 10-15 minutes.  The very tips of them will start to brown just a little.  

Now, when your oil is ready start the frying all over...in batches.  They will brown up pretty quick so keep a close eye on them.  After they have cooked, drain them and salt them well.  Enjoy...I have just discovered via Paula Deen that french fries dipped in mayo are to die for!  Try it!

 

Salsa...Restaurant Style

If you are like me than you love love love restaurant style chips and salsa.  Problem is, you can only get them at the restaurant...until now!  I found this recipe on Pinterest and it is soooo good!  I have made it a couple of times and I love it so much!  I changed it up a bit so it's just how I like it and you can add more of or less of any of the ingredients that you like.  The first time I made it I used the whole can of the jalapenos and it was almost un-edible...hahaha...lesson learned!


Restaurant Style Salsa:

1 large can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. minced onion
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. sugar
salt & pepper
jalapenos (I buy the can of the halved ones and use one and one-half of those...so basically its like 3/4 of a jalapeno...not the whole can but they are super cheap and so I don't feel too bad)

Put all ingredients in your bullet machine or just a regular blender and blend until super smooth.  Refrigerate until the next day and Voila...super yummy salsa.  You can also add some cilantro or some lime juice if you like.  I am also super snobbish about my chips and I have found that here in Utah, you can buy Juanitas chips at most grocery stores and they are as close as it gets to warm, crispy, fresh chips from a restaurant.

What did you have for dinner?

Mmmmmmm....doesn't that look DIVINE!!!!

It's so hard to cook in the summer and double-y hard to cook when I am pregnant...this was the only thing that sounded good for today and it delivered beautifully!

Basically all I did was melt a generous amount of butter in a very large skillet and added the crookneck squash and zucchini slices. Salt and Pepper to taste. I like the crookneck better so I sliced 2 of those and 1 zucchini. It was a perfect summer dinner for Chris and I...YUM!

I'm thinking next time of adding some halved cherry tomatoes, some cooked small noodles and topping it all off with some mozzarella cheese...sounds delish!