Becky's Oven Baked Fries

I think it's time for another recipe. You know, I really love French fries but instead of frying them, I bake them at a high heat in the oven to make them crispy. It took me a few years to figure this out so now you don't have to!

I love drowning my fries in ketchup and vinegar (it's a Rhode Island thing!) and I don't miss the deep fried-ness, as long as I have my condiments, I'm a happy girl!

Becky's Oven Baked Fries

4-5 medium all purpose or russet potatoes

cooking spray

onion powder

salt

pepper

garlic powder

paprika

dried parsley

Scrub the taters well and leave the skins on. Dry well with a towel or paper towel. Cut the potatoes in approx 1/2 inch wedges. Spray a baking sheet or a grill pan generously with cooking spray. Place sliced potatoes in the pan evenly so they are not on top of each other. Spray the potatoes generously with cooking spray and shake the pan around. This will help the spices to stick well without adding lots of fat. Next, take all your spices, approx 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of each and mix together in a small bowl until well combined. Sprinkle the seasonings over the potatoes and give them another shake around to evenly distribute.

Bake in 450 degree oven. Check them around the 30 minute mark and give the pan a good shake. The key to making good baked fries is high heat and not letting them stick to the pan. You can flip them over with a spatula and bake approx 15 more minutes or until they are the desired crispness.

You can get a little more adventurous with your spices. Try cumin and/or chili powder, cayenne pepper, etc. Just be mindful of the crowd you are feeding! There really is no wrong way to season them, just go easy on the salt because you can always add more later if needed.

Thanks to Mark Sylvestre, my blogtographer and #1 taste tester!

All Women Were NOT Created Equally

I am not a normal girl. It has taken me many years to come to terms with this and it's time to come out of the clothes closet. If you don't agree with me, just give me a moment to explain a few arguments to back up my theory. I've made peace with all of the below so there is no need to console me.


Point #1:

I don't feel it is mandatory at the first sign of "open-toe shoe season" to run out with my 5 hammer toes to get a pedicure. In fact, last year I made it til the end of summer and boasted that my toes had never been painted. A hammer toe is a hammer toe (times 5) and no amount of Sally Hansen is going to make them beautiful. Do I really need to draw more attention to them and traumatize the nail technician? And have you ever thought about how strange it is to PAINT your nails with a flammable toxic chemical? Who started this trend, Cleopatra? Or was it the Dutch Boy's sister, Dutch Girl?

Imagine if someone created a beauty regiment that included super gluing a feather to the tip of your nose. Would you do it because all the other girls were going to the Feather Salon to have their "feathers done"? You know now that every time you get a mani/pedi, you are going to think of me and my feathered nose.

Point #2:

And speaking of feet. I absolutely HATE wearing high heels. Who are these women that can scrunch their feet into these pointy toed stilettos and say they are comfortable? You are all lying and you know it. If you don't have hammer toes by now, you better get ready for the public ridicule when you take those Manolo's off. And did I mention the bunions? Nothing oozes sexy like elephantitis of the foot. I am more a "slip-on cloggy" kind of shoe person. Call me a granola crunching tree hugger. I don't care.

Post script: Dr. Nancy Snyderman just validated me on The Today Show. Take a peek.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/36710707#36710707

Point #3:

Many women refer to shopping as "Retail Therapy", like it is going to cure all their woes. I do not like to shop. Period. For me, shopping means I will definitely need therapy during or after my excursion.

Take yesterday's attempt at using one of my many accumulated gift cards. I left the N.Y. & Company store after trying on several items, none of which provided the promised emotional fulfillment. I thought I had put all my garments back on the rack and left the store. Much to my surprise, I exited the store and ....BEEP BEEP BEEP!! I looked down and there it was; the ill fitting cute jean Capri pants slung over my arm, ready to make their getaway home with me. I immediately rushed back into the store, red-faced and full of sorries. I think the sales girl didn't have me arrested because she took one look at my outfit and thought, "poor thing, she should've kept walking..."

I then met my husband in another store and he said he would not post bail for me if I had been arrested. I do think the prison uniform might be a step up for me so he might have done me a favor.

When I try clothes on it seems nothing fits "just right". Like the shoulders are cut too narrow (do I have Hulk shoulders?) or I'll think, "I'm 42, is this too hoochie looking for my age?" The Alfred Dunner collection is not quite my speed (yet) but I'm in that age group where you can tell some of us are trying too hard to look younger than our actual age. I really don't want to be one of those moms at the playground with the low rise jeans, fuzzy boots and a tramp stamp.

Being the What Not to Wear poster girl is not easy. I would be a very willing participant on the show with two conditions: Paper bag over my head to protect my identity and closed toed shoes.

Food Rules Part 2: Becky Style

Michael Pollan has some fantastic rules about food but I thought you'd like to see some of Becky's Rules this time around.

Here are some tips that might help you save money and eat a little healthier:

1. Look Down on Your Food

That is, in the supermarket. Did you know that the more expensive food on the market shelves lies right within your line of vision? The food companies pay "rent" to place their goods there so YOU end up paying more.

If you are vertically challenged, now is the time to make the most of it (or have your tots do the work for you!). For example, I bought a loaf of Shaw's whole wheat bread for 1.99 because it was on the bottom shelf. Compared to the Arnold or Pepperidge Farm brands (which by the way, were no healthier), I saved over $1.00. Bending down was well worth the savings. The cereal aisle is a big ripoff so try this trick there.

Just because the food is living in prime real estate doesn't mean it's any better than the one in low income housing.

2. Watch TV with your Kids

Not Dora, Sponge Bob, or Blues Clues. Think Food Network or HGTV. These channels offer a whole new perspective to your kids about food and nature. If you have a picky eater (and who doesn't at some point?), watching a cooking show is sure to inspire you both to try something new and talk about the ingredients. Then take the show into your own kitchen and cook together. Kids love the one on one time with parents and they love to get their hands dirty. Our son Luca EATS dried oregano right out of the palm of his hands. Yes, our kids are strange! They also like to suck on lemons. Go figure...

HGTV has many shows about planting and gardening. I think knowing where your food comes from and how it grows is such an important factor. How exciting and fun is it for a child to watch a plant grow from a little seedling, which leads me to the next point.

3. Visit a Local Farmers Market

Buy local. Not traveling hundreds or thousands of miles does wonders for fresh veggies' vitamin content. You will also be supporting the local economy in your state and the hardworking farmers. Plus they are great fun to visit. I particularly like Confreda Farms here in RI for their homemade pies, family friendly activities, and high quality produce.

4. Don't Grocery Shop for one Whole Week

In other words, use what you have in the house and you will be surprised at how much food you are hoarding. I tried this method this week and so far so good. The key is having a well-stocked pantry and freezer.

Pretend like you have no money for food for the week and I betcha you will come up with some pretty creative dishes!

5. If you can avoid it, don't take your kids grocery shopping

I know this sort of contradicts my points about getting kids involved in food prep, etc. However, I don't know about you but one of my kids will beg me for something (read; ice cream cones, and then of course you'd need the ice cream to go with it....). I am human. I am weak. I cave in at times and my grocery bill is probably $10 more than it should be, thanks to the little people.

6. Don't eat any scraps off your kids' plates, unless it is a fruit or a vegetable

It's amazing how quickly the calories add up with all the extra nibbles here and there. I remember a segment on The Today Show which piled all the scraps that moms (and maybe dads!) eat. The banquet-sized table represented a week's worth of "nibbles". It was over 3000 calories worth of mindless eating! That's like gaining a pound a week.

7. Stop acting like a baby

Only newborns need to eat every 2 or 3 hours. You don't.

Food Rules

I just finished reading Michael Pollan's Food Rules. Just so you know, for me to say I've actually finished a book is a huge deal. I like to read but rarely find something I can finish lately, other than the obits. Sorry, the "Italian Sports Page" as my sister Jen likes to call it, is mandatory reading with my cup o' joe, as depressing as it sounds.

Food Rules is a quick read containing 64 rules about eating. Below are some of my faves quoted directly from the book. I will list them by number as they are in the book:

1. Eat Food

7. Avoid food products containing ingredients a third grader cannot pronounce

11. Avoid foods you see advertised on television

12. Eat only foods that will eventually rot

19. If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don't.

20. It's not food if it arrived through the window of your car

21. It's not food if it's called by the same name in every language. (Think Big Mac, Cheetos, or Pringles.)

37. The whiter the bread, the sooner you'll be dead.

39. Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.

57. Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does.

60. Treat Treats as Treats

63. Cook.

One evening we had our dear friends over for dinner. I will call them Mickey and Minnie. Over dessert, Mickey decided to read the book aloud to us for fun. When he got to # 57, "Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does", my husband thought of a few more "Rules" and believe me, we all had a few belly laughs.

I need to give the Mr. complete credit for the following:

1. Don't eat where you gas or you'll have a fat a**.

2. ExtraMart means extra fat.

3. Eating at Cumby's means fat bummies (For you non-New Englanders, Cumby's is short for Cumberland Farms, a convenience store/gas station. Little Debbie lives there.)

4. Seven Eleven means faster to Heaven.

Side note, marry someone who makes you laugh. It really does make the marital ride so much easier!

Mommy Works for Yogurt

What does the title mean, you ask? Please select one of the following answers:

a. The author is moonlighting as a yogurt wrestler

b. The author is trying to teach her 2 year old lessons about money

c. The author needs to stop referring to herself in the 3rd person

d. both b & c

If you picked answer "d", you are correct!

Although, I was thinking of a side job as a Yogurt Wrestler but the thought of wearing spandex to work was too humiliating, not to mention painful for the viewer.

When Nicolas asks me, "Why do you work, Mommy?" I explain that one works to get paid so that s/he can pay for gas, electricity, clothes, the house, "supplies", and yes, yogurt. One day I found myself abbreviating my answer to: Mommy works for yogurt.

Sing it with me, "She works hard for the yogurt, so hard for the yogurt...."

Grocery shopping today. PriceRite and Trader Joe's. As you can see from the picture, we stocked up today. I bought 24 individual containers of this dairy delight which will last us a little more than a week. I am happy the little people love yogurt. However, I wish the yogurt companies would sell the flavors the kids like in the large containers so we could save money.

Are you listening; Yoplait, Dannon, Trader Joes, etc? I feel like this is another conspiracy by the food industry. Yes, kids like things in small containers and they are convenient, but they'll also eat it if you put it in a bowl or a to-go container. Why must everything be "munchkin-ized"?

Mommy really feels like her whole paycheck goes to yogurt. Your companies are alive and thriving thanks to her and she'd like a little appreciation now and again. If you don't comply with these requests she's pulling out the spandex.

Jamie Oliver is My Hero

I am watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC. This poor man may as well try to climb Mount Washington in an ice storm wearing roller skates.

I am so furious, disgusted, and saddened when I see a program that showcases a world renowned chef from England trying to revolutionize how kids are eating in America's schools. How did it come to this? Why, all of a sudden do we need a superhero from England to rescue us? How helpless and clueless has this country become? Can we be saved? That remains to be seen.

His first episode is set in Huntington, West Virginia. He is taking on the monumental task of the resistant lunch ladies, children who can't even identify a potato unless it's in the form of a French fry, and a family who uses a deep fryer for every single meal. Jamie's goal is to bring the obesity crisis to the forefront and to revolutionize the school meals served to thousands of children every day.

This show is definitely not easy to watch, especially when you see just how much of the food is thrown away by the children. I have found myself screaming at the t.v. and crying for what Jamie is up against. I am so proud of him for his convictions as a chef and a parent.

There is so much blame going around. Do we blame the lunch ladies for preparing the food? Or the ones who mandate what's on the menu? Or, the food industry for producing high fat, high sodium, cheap, processed "food"? Better yet, do we blame the parents for letting the kids eat the cafeteria food? Why can't they make the kids' lunches? Are the parents too complacent? Shouldn't they question the status quo?

There are so many questions and not enough answers. But this I know: I think Jamie and anyone else who makes a stand about these issues is a big hero. I am still angry and feel now it's too little, too late and many kids' taste buds have been seriously brainwashed by fake food. And then there is the hopeful, idealistic part of me that wants to believe that the right people are watching this show and actually listening and taking action. I hope there is some major divine intervention and they all see the light before it's too late.

Becky's Italian Style Lentil Soup

I think the lentil may very well be the perfect food. You can buy a pound of lentils for less than a buck and the nutritional value per serving is crazy good:
Fat: 0 gms
Protein: 8 gms
Fiber: 9 gms (HELLO!)
Carb: 19 gms
Calories: 70

And that is why I am sharing my favorite lentil soup with you! If you've never tried lentils, now is a good time. This flavorful, peasant dish will keep you going. My kids have been eating this soup since they started on solid food. Miracle! Nutritious, delicious and cheap to make. It also freezes very well. You can find lentils in the section where all the dried beans are sold in the market.

Becky's Italian Style Lentil Soup
Ingredients
2-3 Tbs Olive Oil
4 celery stalks, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped or crushed
1 cup sliced Baby Bella mushrooms (these hold up better in the cooking process than a white button mushroom)
2-32 Oz cartons of low sodium broth. Vegetable,chicken or beef stock will all work just fine for a total of 8 cups. I like Trader Joes stock because the price is good and the ingredients are healthy, no msg, etc. If you make your own homemade stock, all the power to you. Now's the time to use it up!
salt & pepper to taste
pinch of dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 cup dried brown lentils
water
1 cup small pasta such as Orzo or Accini de Pepe.

Directions:

In a large pot, heat oil on medium/low heat. Olive oil heats up fast so be careful. Add onion, celery, carrots, salt and pepper. Cook for approx 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add pinch of dried thyme and the garlic, cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir well.

Add 8 cups of stock, 1 cup of dried lentils, dried basil and oregano. Increase heat to high. Once it starts boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cover, cooking for approx 40-45 minutes. The goal is to not have hard lentils so be not afraid of the cooking time. Add 1 cup of water if you find it's evaporating. While it is still on a good simmer, add the uncooked pasta and make sure you keep stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot so the pasta doesn't stick (adding a drizzle of olive oil here helps too). Another option: cook the pasta separately and add to the soup but I'm lazy and don't want to dirty another pan.). Simmer the soup until the pasta is cooked. Add more water if needed. This turns out more like a stew, not too brothy. Adjust seasonings if necessary with more salt and pepper and chopped fresh parsley.

My blogtographer Mark, who says he is not a fan of soup, loved this recipe. Picture credits to him, once again. Thanks, my fellow foodie and WW'er!

PS. The focaccia posing on top of the soup is another Becky creation. Recipe to follow!