Air Fryer Steak Fries

So Saturday night's meal was supposed to be easy. I had some wings to throw on the grill, a can of Bush's baked beans and I was going to round things out with some sweet potato fries. But when to went to get the fries from the freezer, I discovered I was out. Bummer. I was really looking forward to those sweet potato fries. Well, then I had to figure out what to have in their stead. I spotted some russet potatoes in the pantry. I wasn't in the mood for mashed or baked, I wanted fries. But not plain old fries.

Suddenly my brain went back to our recent trip to Oklahoma and some fries my daughter had ordered when we went out one night. They were wedged potatoes, nice and thick, with an amazing seasoning. Hmm... I could do that. And cooked in the air fryer, they'd come out nice and crisp on the outside.

Game on!

I cut five small potatoes into wedges.

Then I added some olive oil, some salt, pepper and garlic powder, and then, for a little more texture on the outside, I grated up some Parmesan, threw that in and tossed everything together.

I put them in the air fryer basket and set them to cook at 400 degrees for roughly 20 minutes, shaking them every 5 minutes. That time will vary depending on how thick the potatoes are.

Tah-dah!

Mission accomplished. They were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and packed with flavor. They were the perfect accompaniment to the wings. Though, honestly, I probably could have made a meal on the fries alone.

Could these be done in the oven? Yes. Simply line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup and prepare them the same. Be sure to give them a toss/stir midway through the cooking process. 

Next time, I think I'll try to replicate the bacon-cheddar fries our son introduced us to at a restaurant in Dallas. I can hardly wait.

What's something you've made when you were in a pinch that turned out better than you expected?

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Look who came to visit Grammy this weekend.

And since we were smack dab in the middle of Round Top Antiques Week, we just had to go. What started as an antique show in the tiny town of Round Top, TX, has grown to included neighboring communities and the result is miles and miles of flea markets, each one bleeding into the next. The biannual event takes place in the spring and fall and you never know what you might find.

If you have a need for burial clothes, they've got you covered.

You might even run into Sasquatch.

My daughter said I should have bought this and placed it in the woods somewhere to see if there were any sightings.

Miss T found what she wanted.

Round Top/Warrenton are kind of in the middle of nowhere, so it's a lovely drive through the country. Especially when the bluebonnets are at their peak.

But, alas, all good things must come to an end. Then you have to go home and fix dinner. But these Roasted Rosemary Potatoes are a quick and easy side dish.

Start with red potatoes. You can find them in large or small sizes.

I usually go somewhere in the middle. Unless you're using the really small ones, half or quarter the potatoes so they're similar in size and place them on a foil-lined sheet pan. The foil is so you'll have very little clean-up.

Drizzle potatoes with olive oil. This is kind of an eyeball thing. You don't want so much that it puddles on the pan, but you need to give the potatoes a good coating. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary to taste. Remember that potatoes are dense, so be sure to add enough salt. Toss everything to coat.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until potatoes are browned and fork tender. Depending on the size of your potatoes, this can take anywhere from 20-40 minutes or more.

These potatoes are so easy and so delicious that you may just want to make a meal out of them.

After a long day of antiquing, a bath is always in order.

Follow that with a good night's sleep and you're ready to go again.

Do you like to go antiquing or junking? Finding treasures that you can give a new life? If so, I'd love to hear about your greatest find.

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.

Herb-buttered Potato Wedges

Hey, this is a quick and delicious potato dish that Farmer Dave did last night... And I couldn't wait to tell you about it so Missy is taking a vacay-day and I'm slipping this fun potato side in!

Take 5 medium potatoes. Wash them. Leave skins on. (Bonus, right????)

Wedge potatoes, arrange them in a baking dish.
Melt one stick butter.
Drizzle butter over potatoes, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, granulated garlic and then the crowning touch, sprinkle liberally with rosemary/garlic seasoning.

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. (So you can roast meat at the same time!)

THAT'S IT!!! FOR REALSIES!!!

Flavor-filled potatoes that go perfect with the nut-crusted roast I'm showing you next week... or with anything!

I found the inspiration for this recipe years ago in Yankee Magazine and I've done variations on it over the year, and this is a wonderful side dish to have in your arsenal!

(And it's a one-dish thing, so less washing!!!)

Have a great weekend, guys... ours is looking busy, and how blessed are we that a busy weekend is a wonderful thing?

So blessed!

Ruthy is busily writing her December Love Inspired and LOVING IT... :) Find her on Twitter or facebook where she loves to talk and/or visit her website... ruthloganherne.com or email her at loganherne@gmail.com. She loves hearing from readers and writers!

The Happy Hollister Book Club

One of the things that I love about being a writer and a reader is how scenes from a book will just stick with you.

The scene I'm writing about today has stayed in my imagination for over 50 years. I'm sure I’ve talked about this before - either here or on Seekerville - about how I used to get The Happy Hollister books in the mail every month when I was a child.

I seriously wanted to be part of their family, because they always did such cool things and had such fun together.

For the uninitiated, The Happy Hollisters are a family of five children - Pete, Pam, Ricky, Holly and Sue - who lived with their mother and father in a rambling house on a lake in the fictional town of Shoreham. (I don’t think I ever really knew where Shoreham was, but it still exists in my imagination as sort of a utopia - except for the resident bully, Joey Brill.)

Mr. Hollister owned The Trading Post and Mrs. Hollister stayed home to take care of the children, their donkey Domingo and their dog and cat, but they weren't often home they were always off on fun trips solving interesting mysteries. As an adult I look back at the idea that these children, the oldest of whom was 12, were off solving mysteries that the adults couldn’t solve as kind of humorous, but as a child I loved it and I looked forward to getting the two books in the mail each month. That was far and away the happiest day of the month.


From the website:  Over one million children joined The Happy Hollisters Book Club between 1962 and 1971—were you one of them? Joining was easy: you (or your parents) simply sent a dime (yes, one thin dime!) to become a member. In exchange, you received a copy of The Happy Hollisters and the Haunted House Mystery, sold in bookstores for a whopping $1.95. The initial volume was yours to keep, even if you canceled your membership immediately. If you didn’t cancel, you continued to experience the joy of reading The Happy Hollisters, receiving one new volume each month for the low cost of $1.00 (plus shipping and handling)—what a swell deal that was!


I don't remember this part, but I sure do remember getting the books every month!

I also found this on their website:

"Andrew Svenson’s goal in writing the youth mystery novels series was to encourage a love of reading in children; each book was planned so that the first page would draw the reader in with a dangerous or mysterious situation, and each chapter would end with a cliffhanger or exciting twist that encouraged the child to turn the page and keep reading."

As an author, I love the connection so many *cough 50 cough* years later. 



So why am I blogging about The Happy Hollisters, you may be asking.

Well, I've been craving cheese and potatoes lately, and that brought to mind a scene from one of the books. I'm pretty sure it was from The Happy Hollisters and the Swiss Echo Mystery. In the scene, the Hollister children are visiting in a mountain village and one of the locals is a cheese maker. He shows them how they can take hot potatoes and hold them against the spinning wheel of cheese to make a tasty treat.

Honestly, on a night when I don’t kick feel like cooking, a big wheel of cheddar cheese and hot potatoes sounds like a fabulous combination. Alas, I had to settle for cheesy fries to satisfy the craving, but the memory of reading that scene made them taste spectacular!

So my question for you today is are there any scenes from books that particularly stand out for you because of the food?

And what is your best recipe involving cheese and potatoes?

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Well, November is turning out to be delightfully chilly here on the coastal plains of Texas. Okay, so we were close to 90 early last week, but since then, the cold fronts seem to keep coming and I couldn't be happier. 

Here's a chuckle for you. The weatherman says our fifty-some degree highs are winter temperatures in our area, not fall. Winter, fall... I don't really care, as long as they stick around for a while, because I'm happily welcoming all of these cold weather foods back into my meal rotation. Like a hearty Loaded Baked Potato Soup.

This soup is a crowd pleaser. It’s warm, delicious... Perfect for a chilly day.

Here's what you'll need:

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 6 cups milk
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 generous cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 10 bacon slices, cooked and chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 8 oz. sour cream

We’ll start with the star of this dish, the potatoes.

Gently scrub them, then prick several times with a fork and bake at 400 degrees for 40-60 minutes or until yielding when lightly squeezed. When done, set aside until cool enough to handle. Then slice in half lengthwise and scoop insides into a bowl, reserving or discarding skins.

**Mindy's tip #1: If you have leftover baked potatoes, this is the perfect way to use them up. Best of all, they’re already baked.

**Mindy's tip #2: The leftover potato skins make the perfect appetizer. Simply fill them with grated cheese and pop them into the oven until the cheese is melted. Then top the cheese with bacon, sour cream, chili, whatever you like.

Now on with the show.

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over low heat. Once completely melted, add flour and stir until smooth.

Using a whisk will ensure there are no lumps.

Cook butter/flour mixture for one minute, stirring constantly, then gradually add your milk.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly, 5-10 minutes.

Stir in potato, salt and pepper, cheese, bacon and 2 tablespoons green onions.

Cook over medium-low heat until heated through. 

Stir in sour cream and cook just until heated. Do not boil.

Sprinkle servings with additional cheese, bacon and green onions, if desired.

Yum! Just look at those chunks of potato.

Pretty easy, huh? Sure, it takes a little time, but the results are worth it. Bake your potatoes ahead of time, though, and you’re half way there. Cook your bacon in advance, and you’re even closer. By the way, I recommend using real, home-cooked bacon for this recipe. Jarred/bagged bacon bits simply aren’t the same. Trust me.

This cooler weather has me eager for the holidays. Actually, I've been looking forward to them all year. Last year at this time, we were still living in the camphouse while we waited for renovations to be completed on the big house. Since we didn't move in until December 15th, I didn't have the opportunity to savor the holidays. This year, Lord willing, I want to sit back and appreciate this blessed season and all the fun, chaos and merriment that goes along with it. And the sooner the better.

Now it's your turn. What are some of your favorite cold-weather dishes? And what are you looking forward to most this holiday season?

Three-time Carol Award finalist, Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com 

Record-setting Baked Potato!

Missy Tippens

We went out to eat the other night, and I decided to try the baked potato. I had been to this particular restaurant before when the person at the next table had ordered one. I had sat there dumbfounded, staring (and giggling) because it was the biggest potato I had ever seen.

I warned my husband and daughter to be prepared for something possibly mutated from Idaho. And then they brought the food out...

I put my hand beside it for reference. Gigantic! I couldn't believe they could grow something like that. 

But then, as I was eating and began to get full about a third of the way through, I noticed something a little odd.

There was a slice in the peel. As I checked closer, I realized that the slice went all the way through, and the edges didn't quite match. What on earth...?

The giant potato was fake! It was two potatoes put together! Hahahaha! Actually, it was more like one and a half potatoes put together.

Now that I've told you, you can probably see it in the photo. :)

So fun. And I don't care at all because it was SO YUMMY!!! And honestly, I was a bit relieved that I wasn't eating some mutant tuber. :)

Cheese, bacon, sour cream, butter and chives. All my favorite toppings for a potato!

Do you sometimes crave a big baked potato for a meal?

Missy's latest is a novella available from Amazon! Click here to check it out.

Missy Tippens, a pastor’s wife and mom of three from near Atlanta, Georgia, made her first sale to Harlequin Love Inspired in 2007. Her books have since been nominated for the Booksellers Best, Holt Medallion, ACFW Carol Award, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Maggie Award, Beacon Contest and a 2013 RT Reviewer’s Choice Award. A House Full of Hope was a Romance Writers of America 2013 RITA^® Nominee. Her recent releases include titles from Love Inspired as well as Indie published boxed sets with fellow inspirational romance writers. Visit Missy at www.missytippens.com, https://twitter.com/MissyTippens and http://www.facebook.com/missy.tippens.readers.

www.missytippens.com

Embracing Spring at the Ranch

Spring is definitely springing here at the ranch. Crisp green buds are bursting forth on trees. Even the pine trees are in bloom.

Of course, the downside to that is all that yellow pine pollen that is starting to drift through the air, coating cars and anything else in its wake. Pretty soon everything will have a yellow haze.

But it's not just the trees reveling in the rains and warmer temperatures. Walking through the woods, you can tell that all of the landscape is coming back to life.

See that tiny little flower near the center?

Though this guy is much showier.

We never know what we might see when we go for our evening walks in the woods. Lately we've been exploring a portion of the property that was badly damaged by the wildfire in 2011. 

Six and a half years later, the scars still remain.

Some trees fared better than others.

And some are just downright amazing. See the charring at the base of this tree? And it's obviously been weakened because it's fallen over.

But don't count this guy out just yet.

Against all odds, this tree is still alive. Follow the trunk. See all of the lush, green branches at the top?

A great example that we may be beaten and scarred, but we can still have a productive life. 

We did a little planting this weekend. Added some lavender and rosemary to hubby's hibiscus.

And I finally planted my flower boxes.

I'm so glad to see them with flowers in them for a change and can't wait until those plants on the ends and in the center start trailing down the sides. These planters are next to our side entrance and the colors brighten what was an otherwise boring area. Now I just need a color bowl to sit atop that chair and, perhaps, a potted plant next to it to liven up the rocks.

I gotta tell you, though, sometimes we find the strangest things hanging around here at the ranch.

But one must be careful about inviting these creatures inside, because they love to eat. Mostly meat and potatoes. Fortunately, I can cut up a few red potatoes, toss them in a skillet with some butter, add some onions...

Cook them over medium-high heat until the potatoes are browned and soft, then salt and pepper to taste.

The only problem with taking in these strange creatures and feeding them, though, is this.

If only they weren't so darned cute.

Oh, and speaking of cute creatures. Take a look at this and tell me what's wrong with this picture.

No, Big Daddy hasn't taken to eating milk bones. However, something sure is interested in his barbecue brisket. Do you see it? Can you tell what it is?

Now it's your turn. Like Jan did yesterday, I showed you some examples of how resilient nature can be. What are some of the things you appreciate most in nature? The flora? The fauna? And what are some ways you've seen nature's resilience? 

Three-time Carol Award nominee, Mindy Obenhaus, lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com