Best Fries Ever

My friend just posted these fries on her blog and in a fit of hunger overindulgence, I decided to make them that night for dinner. With fried rice. I know, best combo, huh?  Well, I already had everything on hand because we have some beautiful purple, red, and yellow potatoes from the garden so I couldn't pass up the opportunity for fries, but then again, when can I pass it up? (never!) Anywho, I made this because it is super easy and I have never really been able to master homemade fries.  I made these fries back in 2009 but these 2011 fries just are a ish-ton better. Sorry for previously posting an inferior product.

However, because I like to tweek things and try to make things better than the last, I decided to add a few special ingredients to my fries. It certainly was a good thing.

Homemade Oven Fries
serves 2-3
adapted from these guys

INGREDIENTS
4 medium to large potatoes (I used our homegrown yukon gold and purple), rinsed, peeled roughly, and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
4T olive oil
ground black pepper
salt
small pinch cayenne pepper

METHOD
1. Put oven rack to lowest position, put a baking sheet on the rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place cut potatoes and 1T salt in large pot; add water to cover.

3. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and gently boil until exteriors of potatoes have softened but centers still are semi-hard, you can use a fork to make sure it can't pierce through the middle, about 5 minutes.
4. Drain potatoes well and transfer to large bowl. Drizzle with 2T oil and sprinkle with 1t salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper; using rubber spatula toss to combine.
5. Drizzle another 1T oil and continue to toss until exteriors of potato slices are coated with starchy paste, 1-2 minutes.

6. Working quickly, remove baking sheet from oven and drizzle 1T oil over surface.
7. Carefully transfer potatoes to sheet and spread into even layer. Bake until bottoms of potatoes are golden brown and crisp, 15-20 minutes.
8. Take sheet out of oven and flip potatoes and rotating sheet. Bake 10-15 more minutes until fries are completely golden.
9. When finished sprinkle with pepper and maybe some more salt and enjoy!

Incredible Journey

Yes, this is about Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. Only with an English Pointer, a Siamese cat, and an orange Tabby.

Sometimes Mr Pepperworth and I like to pretend Buk, Stan, and Simon will go on an adventure someday. Not because we left them alone or anything. No, it will be because they just want to go for a hike and because they are getting to be adults.

We will let them go and give them packs to carry food, water, and treats but the hike will turn somewhat dangerous when they become lost because Buk left his map at home and Stanley forgot his compass. That's when the homeward bound part turns into real life! Of course, we will be looking for them and have helicopters out but we won't find them for a couple days. And, in those couple of days where they are lost, the story will go a little something like this (as dictated by Mr Pepperworth and myself over the course of a few years of storytelling):

Buk, Simon, and Stanley have been lost in the North Cascades for three days after going on a hike. They come to a river and need to cross....
"Whoa, water. We're three brothers who LOVE swimming, let's go!" - Simon

"Oh man, you know I don't go in water." - Buk
"Yea, I'm with Goofy over here. Water mattes my fur like nothing else!" - Stanley
"Do you two want to see Mom and Dad anytime soon? If so, you are going to have to figure out a way to cross."-Simon
Just then Buk falls into the river after peering over the bank to watch a fly float on the water. Splashing and doggie paddling ensues.

"Dog overboard!" - Simon
"Quick, let's run down stream and see if we can stop him somewhere!" - Stanley
After running downstream, the cats find a bridge and an old fishing net. They hold the net in their teeth and catch Buk but of course Buk is too big and they drop him. Luck is on their side though and there is a logjam under the bridge. Buk climbs to safety on that. Everybody is safe but Buk is very wet and walks with his tail between his legs and his ears down.

They all lay on the bank panting for a minute.
"Whew, we thought we may have dog-gone lost you forever on that one Buky." - Simon

Stanley, not amused, "at least we all are safe for the moment. Look, over there! A road!" 
"Let's see if we can catch a ride!" - Buk, whose mood has turned around suddenly.
They all run off together to the road and see if they can't get a ride into town on a watermelon truck.

And, scene!

As you might be able to tell, Simon is the smart but funny one. He knows what is going on and can get the group together to focus on getting home safely. Buk is the goofy one of course. He gets stuck in the brambles and falls in the river and when it is time to decide which path to take Buk always chooses the path with a cougar waiting at the end behind the big rocks. Stanley is the prissy one. He usually drags behind the rest trying to clean his fur and complain. But, although Stanley complains, he is pretty tough and super brave. He is also the serious one, when he isn't looking for his flea comb.

Starring:

Man needs a Maid

With busy weekends and even busier weekdays, I have a few chores that tend to get shoved to the bottom of the list.

These would include (but are not limited to): mopping the kitchen, cleaning the shower, weeding the overgrown mess at the front of the driveway, and taking care of the huge pile that is the laundry. I am really good at cleaning the laundry but not so much into folding.

Throughout our relationship together, I have never folded Mr Pepperworth's clothes. (Maybe I did once when he was sick or something but he would really have to be sick.) I know that many girlfriends and wives fold the laundry but Mr Pepperworth knew I did not love him enough to do that when he married me.

With that said, it also should be known that I don't like folding my own laundry. I need a laundress. That is a woman (but a man, preferably one that could also act as pool boy, would suffice) who comes in and folds laundry.

Right now there is one week worth of clean laundry on the bed/laundry baskets and there is definitely another weeks worth of clothes in the dirty laundry basket.

I am not proud of myself. No siree. I just want a laundress goddamnit. Actually, a TV in my room would work too. Folding just gets so f-ing boring!

Yes, that is a bed full of laundry....and Stanley. He loves the pile.

S + LB

A couple of weeks ago, Mr Pepperworth added "photographer" to his resume. He photographed the wedding of Sissy and Little Bear. I just mailed Sissy the pictures today but with it being Labor Day weekend and all, she won't get them for awhile. So, to whet her palette, and my mother's because she is wetting her pants in excitement, I am posting some of the photos (there are over 325 edited and 1,000 non edited pics). These aren't even the best ones because those are a surprise for Sissy and LB.

I love these so much and unfortunately this post doesn't make them look as good as they really are but you can click on each one to make it full size and quality.

Mam and her babies

LB and his bro and nephew

Pretty Sissy

Aweshum fabric flowers made by Mam

Booyah!

Booyah II

LOVE THOSE, made by Pah

Table settings, so beautiful!

The 'rents

Me and Pah

Footloose = fun

Part of the high kick competitions

Bros in Law

Shit Show

It has come to my attention that many people over the age of hmm....40, don't know the phrase "shit show" and what that means.

For example, after explaining, in one sentence, the evening events of my 10 year high school reunion to Phil (my FIL - father in law) he was a bit perplexed. "Shit show?" said he. "Shit show, yes," I explained.

So, after explaining to him what exactly that entailed, I would like to inform all the readers out there exactly what those words mean. It really is a great phrase that wraps up a lot into two little words.

Okay, "shit show" is a descriptive term to explain how a situation became/was frantic or ridiculous. For example, let's say you start out an evening eating dinner, having a lovely time and then, BAM, the waitress spills a full bowl of soup on your dress. After you get semi-cleaned, an old chum finds you and tells/yells at you all about his/her new life as a divorcee. Then, you decide to leave only to realize your car won't start and your dog shit in the back seat (although, no shit actually has to occur for it to be labeled as "shit show). You get home just ready to crash into bed but alas, your cat pissed all over the bed because, well, who f-ing knows (it isn't a urinary tract infection). *Or if you are an actual adult that doesn't just own animals, let's say your babysitter didn't actually put the kids to bed and they built a fort blocking the entire hallway to your bedroom.* So instead of sleeping in bed (because it either has piss on it or you are too exhausted to find the way in after putting the little shits to bed), you just open a sleeping bag and fall asleep. (The individual events in this story may, or may not, be things that actually happened in my life.) 

The next morning, you would call your sister and she would ask how your date night went. You would sigh and say, "It was definitely a shit show." You could then proceed to explain all the events or she would just know that it was exhausting and probably slightly funny.

Shit shows are usually something you end up laughing about though because they are so ridiculous and you feel so overwhelmed that you don't know what else to do.

They have happened a lot in our household: here, here, here, and here.

Hopefully you experienced at least 10 shit shows in your lifetime. While they are annoying, they provide good stories and remind you that, well, shit happens.

Summer Tacos

Since becoming gluten sensitive, I have had to re-vamp some old recipes and use new ingredients in my cooking. Something that I am in LOVE with right this second are corn tortillas. I never really liked them before but for some reason now, I crave them. A fresh, homemade taco with sour cream, salsa (even homemade tomatillo salsa!), beans and some lime sound amazing to me. I make this at least once a week. You should too.

Summer Tacos
created by Emily Marrs
makes 6 corn tortilla sized tacos 

INGREDIENTS
- 2T extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 medium sized onion chopped
- 1 can of black beans (or 3/4c of dried beans, soaked and cooked)
- 1 small zucchini sliced
- 1 small summer squash sliced

- 2 cups of cabbage, shredded
- 1 stem of oregano, leaves stripped and cut roughly
- handful of cilantro chopped
- 1 lime
- 1 carrot, shredded
- salsa and/or hot sauce
- package of corn tortillas or taco shells

DIRECTIONS
1. Begin heating a large saute pan. Add a pinch of salt to the bottom of the pan.
2. When pan is warm, add olive oil.
3. After about 20 seconds (before olive oil begins smoking), add minced garlic and chopped onion to pan.
4. Saute until onion is semi-soft and translucent.
5. Add zucchini and squash. Saute until soft, about 4 minutes.
6. Add carrots and kale. Saute for 3 minutes, until kale begins to wilt.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Add beans (or meat), cabbage, and oregano. Squeeze the juice of one lime on top of ingredients in pan. Saute for 5 minutes.
9. Give the dish a taste and season with salt and pepper if more is needed. If you have agave, about a teaspoon is great in this dish!
10. When the saute is done. Warm your tortillas in another pan until soft.

 11. When all your tortillas are ready, take out and add your saute on top with some fresh cilantro, freshly shredded carrots, hot sauce/salsa, cheese, and any other fresh toppings you like on tacos. I love sour cream.
12. Fold and enjoy!

Something Blue

This past weekend was beautiful Sissy's wedding and my one year wedding anniversary. (They were not on the same day. They were one day apart but that didn't stop Little Bear (bro-in-law) to ask what we were doing for our anniversaries next year.)

Mr Pepperworth and I wanted to celebrate our anniversary somehow. Really that just meant we would go to dinner (something we try not to do often). Our plan was to get off the island where Sissy and Little Bear's wedding was held, go to dinner, and relax. All fine and dandy.

Well, it really wasn't all fine and dandy. You know why? Because I forgot to wear blue on my wedding. I had a blue addition but never put it on, I forgot. Hopefully this only jinxed the first year anniversary. It was a dousy. Let me tell you about it.

Sunday August 14:
9a- Mr Pepperworth and I roll out of bed. I realize we have to make an "after-wedding brunch" at 10a and probably have to pack and figure out how to use a fucking ferry. We showered and got packed pretty fast. I try to call the ferry people to find out what the situation is for the day but my phone keeps roaming because it thinks I am in flipping Canada.
10a - Guy on the phone says noon ferry still isn't full. We are safe, or so we thought.
10:15a - On to brunch we go.
11:30a - Little Bear's brother (a ferry captain) says he is going to put his car in line for the 2p ferry. We figure we should do the same but after trying to figure out details we leave about 5 minutes after him.
11:50a-12:30p - Mr Pepperworth gets in line for the ferry and does all the things you have to do in said line.
12:45p - Mr Pepperworth arrives back at brunch.
1p - We head back to our car afraid we won't make it on the ferry. Ferry comes and it looks like we might get on.
2:17p - We move up in line. All our other friends who left the same time as us get on. The ferry is pretty full. The ferry guy shows "5" on his hand, we are the 5th car. We get excited.
2:19p - Ferry guy gives the "stop" sign to the car 3 cars in front of us. Fuck! We didn't make it. Next ferry arrives at 5:30p. Luckily my loving Daddums and Mother waited for us and we decide to go with them and leave our car. (I love them.) We are going to go to the state park and get a snack. We get a snack, I feel sick. Too much car. I get a headache. Emily with headache = bitch.
4:10p - 20 minute rest in parent's hotel room.
4:45p - Back in line for ferry. Obviously, we get right on. Mr Pepperworth falls asleep. I go find some family friends that are on the same ferry who I never see. We have a good time on the ferry.
6:15p - We get back to the main land and decide to eat. I remember this taqueria I ate at with some college roomies. $22 later we have a fabulous meal actually.
8p - We get home. Thank the lord all mighty.
8:05p - Start unloading.
8:15p - Realize cat barf on the floor. Clean up cat barf.
8:30p - Realize cat pee all over bed comforter. Clean comforter but in the process the laundry overflows.
8:50p - Realize cat is super sick and clear liquid is coming out of his anus.
9:00p - Feel like crying when I have to decide whether to sleep in sleeping bags or in old sheets and thin ass comforter.
9:20p - Realize my husband wants to cry.
9:30p - Say, fuck this. Put the cat in a room with a litter box so he can shoot clear liquid out of his butt in that and not on the bed or dog bed.
9:45p - Take a shower. It is a cold shower because I was last and the overflowing laundry machine used too much hot water. At this point, I just laugh. I can't believe this is the end of the day!

10p - Realize this all happened because I didn't wear something blue.

Good thing I gave Sissy one of my blue silly bands to wear on her wedding so she won't have to go through this next year.

Oh yeah, and good thing I love my husband so freakin' much otherwise I might take this as a sign our marriage ain't gonna go so well. But I am sure it was just the one day.