The Sweestest Thing...

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Fourth of July with no hangovers or singed eyebrows. Nor both at the same time—they seem to go hand in hand, right? We had a great time at my Pop’s house playing water volleyball, making up the rules as we went along. Just in case you ever want to play, you will have to remember that the deep end team’s gets an extra player, double hitting is okay and to the right of the rock in the shallow end in out of bounds.

The food, which is always my favorite part, also turned out smashingly. Everybody loved the sweet potato french fries and I have been asked to provide the recipe. Though I considered being the kind of person to withhold the information, feeling powerful and laughing evilly with the knowledge of my own superiority, I would rather be a sweet, kindly gnome who gives out her secrets gracefully.

Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

2 lbs. sweet potatoes/yams, peeled and cut into ½ inch strips

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tb packed brown sugar

1 Tb chopped, fresh oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (or more to taste)

Place cut potatoes in large Ziploc bag and pour in oil/spice mixture. Seal the bag well and shake, shake, shake your bootie until all the pieces of potato are coated with the mixture. Place on a greased cookie sheet or shallow baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Stir them up and return to the oven to broil at 400 degrees for a bit of crispness for a maximum of 10 additional minutes. You could also, of course, deep fry the potatoes or even cook them up on the grill.

No more holidays now until, let’s see… Geez. No holidays until Labor Day? That freaking sucks. Until then we shall just have to celebrate the everyday occasions which often pass unremarked and unnoticed. Personally, I would like to celebrate the enjoyment of Orange Pekoe tea on a rare, rainy morning in Phoenix as well as The Boyfriend, who brewed the pot of said tea for me. Oh, and the fact that I get to wear my new green raincoat. Yay.