French Fries Don't Have to Be Bad...

I'm on a health kick right now for many different reasons-the main reason being that I'm in my late 20s and I want to do the best I can to set a healthy lifestyle now so it's easier to follow as I get older.  The other reason-I'm going to Mexico in May and I want to look AWESOME!  ;o)

I have an amazing hubby that was blessed with some fantastic skinny genes and who can eat whatever he wants and still look great.  I, on the other hand, only have fabulous skinny jeans that can only continue to look fabulous on me as long as I stare at carbs and cupcakes from afar.

As I attempt to lose my last 10 pounds heading in to May, I have been faced with a dilemma: how do I cook  food that the hubby will love and that I can actually eat too (and not gain 2 pounds each meal)?  Luckily, I married a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy, so as long as there is a big piece of steak, chicken, fish, etc. next to some kind of starch and possibly a veggie, I can usually "WOW" him.  Typically, I just eat the meat and veggies and skip the starch, but it was Friday, and I wanted a potato, too, even though I was watching my carbs.

So, my compromise was ditching the deep fryer and package of frozen, seasoned grocery store fries, and making my own homemade, baked fries.  AND!  They turned out great, and I was able to have some without feeling guilty!  I did skip the fry sauce (ketchup, mayo, seasonings), but the fries were so deliciously seasoned, I was perfectly happy dipping them in the left over balsamic vinegar that had run off my salad to mingle with the fries.

Finished Product:  Oven-Baked, Homemade Seasoned French Fries
with a homemade fry sauce (the fry sauce was NOT healthy)

I will warn you.  These fries take some time, so plan for a good hour of prep (20 minutes) and cooking (40-55 minutes).  I started these fries at 5:00 and timed everything so dinner would be ready at 6:15.

First, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees F, and grabbed a cutting board, potato peeler, knife, bowl, spices, and oil, and set everything out on my island.

This is how I prep...

I peeled and cut up two large russet potatoes, which was more than enough for the two of us.  Then I "measured" out some spices into the bowl and covered the bottom of the bowl with oil.  I use grape seed oil because it seems to get the best health and wellness reviews.

 

This is where the fun begins, and by fun, I totally mean messy.  I had to have the hubby photograph because my hands were a little too oily to operate my iPhone.

I threw in all of my potato spears into the bowl and tossed the potatoes until every single one of the spears was coated in oil and spices.

I actually have issues with getting messy,
but this was totally worth the amount of soap I had
to use to get the oil off my hands!

After the potatoes were nicely coated, I arranged them on a baking sheet so that they weren't touching (as best I could).  In the future, I will heavily coat the pan with oil or use a silicone baking pad because these little guys stuck to the pan pretty bad.  Hey, live and learn, right?!

They smelled sooooo insanely good, even before
they went into the oven!

I placed the potatoes on a lower rack in the oven and let them back for a total of 55 minutes.  When I checked them at 20 minutes, I went ahead and placed some foil over top so they didn't get too crispy on the outside before they were done.  I continued to check on them every 10 minutes until they were perfect.

Here's my finished plate:  Grilled pork chop, side salad with O/V,
3 oz. french fries, and a glass of red wine. My whole dinner
had less than 25g of carbs!

Oven-Baked, Homemade French Fries


Ingredients
2 large Russet Potatoes (makes enough for 4, 3-oz. servings)
Grape Seed Oil (approx. 1/4 cup / 4 tablespoons)
Seasonings to taste
Note:  I used: Paprika, Cayenne Pepper, Season All, Minced Garlic, Garlic Powder, Salt, and Pepper this time around, but you can season your french fries however you like!


Directions
-  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
-  Rinse, dry, and peel potatoes
-  Slice potatoes into spears or desired sizes
-  In a large mixing bowl, throw in seasonings and add the oil
-  Toss the potato spears in the oil, adding more seasonings as needed, then arrange the spears on a greased or lined baking sheet in one layer 
-  Bake on a lower rack in the oven for a total of 40-55 minutes, first checking at 20 minutes and then every 10 minutes after that.  I did end up covering the sheet with a loose piece of foil after 20-30 minutes so that the fries wouldn't burn on the outside before they were completely finished.

My First Salt Lick Experience

If you read my post on Friday, I mentioned that we (Hubby, Troy and Susan) were taking a mini road trip down to Gruene, Texas, for St. Patrick's Day, and I would be blogging sometime this week about all the exciting food we ate while we were down in the hill country.

Our Trip to The Salt Lick

We left for central Texas after work on Friday so that we could make it down to Driftwood, Texas, for dinner at The Salt Lick.

The "Pit" at The Salt Lick... they'll let you get up close and personal!

The answer to the question in your head right now is, "Yes.  That meat was definitely as good as it looked!"  YUM!  We finally arrived in Driftwood around 8:30pm. The wine tasting place was closed but the restaurant was still open, still packed, and still cooking!  Because we got there so late, we couldn't really get the full effect of the grounds (bocci ball, vineyards, gardens, wine tasting room, etc.) but there was live music already on the patio and no line to be seated.  We'll definitely have to come back again during the day so we can fully experience The Salt Lick, but as a first time goes, my mind was still totally blown by the awesomeness that is The Salt Lick.

This was my plate:  Pork Ribs with Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Beans, and Bread

The pork ribs were fall-off-the-bone amazing.  They were a little dried out on the outside because we got there so late, but the inside was so tender and juicy.  These ribs are definitely tied with Hard 8 (original in Stephenville, TX) for most awesome ribs ever.  The potato salad was like no potato salad I've ever had, and it was to die for.  The beans and cole slaw were both good, but I would still have to give the "#1" ribbon for both to either Hard 8 or Coopers (original in Llano, TX).

My only complaint about The Salt Lick is that they don't offer sweet tea.  They don't even offer those giant sugar shakers at the table, so you'd have to tear open seven sugar packets in order to sweeten your tea.  Thankfully they did offer root beer, so I was able to get my fall-back BBQ drink, but the night would have been absolutely perfect had they had sweet tea.

My husband's chopped brisket sandwich and my ribs plate.
PS... the brisket is by far the best brisket in the state, even at 9 PM.

We ended up having to get dessert (blackberry cobbler) to-go because we were just too darn full to eat anything else before we left.  The cobbler was very good, but my "#1" ribbon would also go to either Hard 8 or Coopers for their dessert options.  I happen to like a more flakier, pie-like cobbler crust, and The Salt Lick's cobbler has a more cake-like crust, which is why I say the cobbler was just "alright."  

All in all, the location, atmosphere, and meat completely sealed the deal.  I will make it a point to come out to The Salt Lick as often as I can.  The food was amazing, the staff was super sweet, and the atmosphere was excellent!  I can't wait to come back during the day so I can experience the rest of this fantastic "BBQ resort"!  =)

Make sure to take a detour to Driftwood, Texas, next time you're in the hill country and try out The Salt Lick-but make sure to bring cash because credit cards aren't accepted!  

Stay tuned!  Coming soon (enough) I'll talk about our eats and fun on St. Patrick's Day (Sherwood Forest Faire, Adobe Cafe, and Gruene Hall)!  You can also check out my St. Patrick's Day Weekend Flickr Set from our weekend in the hill country if you get bored and want to see more pictures!

Green Is My Favorite Color

Happy Shamrock Day Eve!  I am by no means Irish, though my mother says we are 1/16 Irish, but that doesn't mean I cannot celebrate a day of drinking beer (one of my many favorite things, though to this day, I have yet to consume an actual green beer on St. Patrick's Day), wearing green (which is totally my favorite color), and celebrate the beauty of a country that actually holds the #1 spot in my "MUST TRAVEL TO" list.

I'm highlighting my "Irish Countryside Wallpapers" folder from My Docs...
How gorgeous is this?!

Sigh... I think I dream about Ireland because we only see this kind of green
here in Texas when the hay fields have just sprouted...
corn never gets this green.  It's pretty but hay/alfalfa is closer...

Have you figured it out yet?  I am distracting you with gorgeous Irish countryside pics because I'm not giving you a recipe today.  Sorry.  

Are you over it yet?  You'll get plenty of recipes next week... Enjoy Ireland.

BUT... I did have a reason for posting today, though.  I wanted to let you know that on Sunday or Monday, I'll have a super fun post for you all about the exciting foods and drinks I get to consume on our mini-getaway to Gruene, Texas.  


It's German.  It's pronounced Green.  And, I think it's a perfectly fitting place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!  If you've never been, Gruene is an adorable tourist trap historic town between San Antonio and Austin just off I-35 in the center of the hill country, perfectly situated on the banks of the Guadalupe River.  


I've been going to Gruene with my family for little "day trips" since I was in high school (going on 14 years now), and it just never gets old.  There are so many cute shops, eateries (including The Grist Mill), and wine tasting places-not to mention an historic dance hall and beautiful hill country views-that you can keep returning without every getting bored.

Weekend trip to Gruene in August 2011 for a Bachelorette Party
This was taken at The Grist Mill

Us in front of Gruene Hall, the oldest dance hall in Texas
(that's southern talk for, "No AC even in the summer")

And, now back to the reason you are reading this...  as I mentioned above, I am going to document my weekend in Gruene with the hubby and our friends (Troy and Susan) as I eat and drink my way through the Hill Country this weekend!  


On the Agenda This Weekend
  
-  Hopefully we stop at the famed Austin BBQ place, The Salt Lick, for dinner tonight
-  Sherwood Forest Faire on Saturday (this is where I hope to get my first green beer)
-  I'm sure an excellent dinner at one of Gruene's great eateries after the faire
-  Roger Creager (pronounced CrAger) concert at Gruene Hall Saturday night
-  And I'm sure we'll plan something fabulous on our way back to DFW on Sunday


So, I hope I've provided you with a nice little break today, and I hope you come back Monday to see how much weight I put on over St. Patrick's Day weekend.  Just kidding.  I'll be dancing the calories away, but I promise to have some fun stories for you next week!  Have a safe and fun St. Patrick's Day!