Coconut Oil Potato Chips

I like snacks, they are my making-good-food-decisions downfall.  Especially, I like potato chips.  In my mind I call myself a potato chip connoisseur because that sounds better than potato chip hog or potato chip vacuum.  I do have some standards:

• No potato chips that are baked, popped, or come in a can.  Those aren't potato chips, those are crackers made out of mashed potato flakes.
• No crazy flavors--pickle, ketchup (I'm talking to you, Canada), chicken and waffle, BLT, and maple bacon (sorry Kettle Chips, you know I love you) will never pass these lips.
• No unnecessarily greasy chips and if the chips are greasy, no industrial seed oils (this is how they make them, it's super gross).

(chips sliced 1/16" thick, light and crispy, chips curl and fold)

(chips sliced 1/8" thick, more substantial, chip stays flatter)

My perfect chip is thick-cut and kettle-cooked in expeller-pressed sunflower seed oil with a light sprinkle of sea salt and is doubled-over in the middle, because the folded ones are the best.  Ideally, I would like a coconut oil potato chip, but there's only one place I've found that makes them, Honest Chips in Colorado, and over time I think the shipping would be a little much.  So I set out to make my own and I just happened to have a jar of the very best coconut oil sent to me to try from the lovely people at Tropical Traditions.  Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is creamy and snowy white, with just a hint of coconut aroma, and it melts like a dream.

So I sliced a couple baking potatoes on my mandoline slicer and dropped them into a pot with an inch or so of super hot coconut oil (that did not exceed 350 degrees, for those keeping track of that kind of thing) and once "chip" had been achieved, I rescued the potatoes from their bath, drained them on paper towels and sprinkled them with sea salt.  Perfection.  Oh, and then I may or may not have dipped some of the lucky chips in melted dark chocolate.  Because I'll be honest, sweet and salty is really my favorite kind of snack.

Here are a couple tips that will make your chip-making better.

• As you're slicing, drop stacks of slices into a bowl of cold water so they don't discolor.
• Before you drop the potato slices in the hot oil, shake off excess water and make sure most of the pot is covered because any remaining water will cause hot oil to splash out of the pan and on to you.  Ouch.
• When you're done frying, strain the coconut oil into a lidded container and save for another batch of potato chips or whatever else you might need to fry.

Are you a sweet snacker?  Or a salty snacker?  Or do you mix them?



P.S. I did receive a complimentary jar of coconut oil from Tropical Traditions to try, but my opinions are my own.  I was not required to write a review and I get no compensation for a favorable review.

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He is Risen!

"He isn't here!  He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen."  Matthew 28:6

Happy, happy Easter to you and your family and friends.  Enjoy your day, find some eggs, eat some animal-shaped chocolate.  Mostly, remember that the day is about how much Jesus loves you.

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Turn that Frown Upside Down (with free printable)

It was one of those mornings, just a miniature disaster away from becoming one of those days.  There were a bunch of little things.  I accidentally turned-off my alarm and slept later than I wanted to.  One boy threw a fit about wanting to wear the previous day's dirty jeans and the other one spilled a full glass of juice on the floor.  

Full. Glass. Of juice.

The dishwasher had to be unloaded so I could fill it with the stack of dirty dishes from the previous night.  I got an unpleasant e-mail from the web designer who deleted a dozen pages from my site.  All this added up to leaving the house late and I "had to" speed so I could still get a good spot in yoga class.  As I worked up a good simmer driving down the road, some car pulled up right behind me and tailgated me for a mile, which I really hate.  One of the boys turned around to see the car I'm telling to back off and says, "Look Mom, it's a police car!"

Then I got pulled over.

And as I wait there on the side of the side of the road for the officer to bring back my license and a hefty ticket (what I very rightly deserved) thinking, "Ugh, this is THE WORST day EVER," I had a realization: I could bounce back and still have a great day.  There was no reason to let circumstances (mostly in my control in the first place) dictate how the rest of my day would go.  Furthermore, I decided that I shouldn't let my lousy attitude allow me to make lousy decisions.  Like excessive speeding.

The very nice State Patrol officer returned with my license and because I had a clear record and, I kid you not, my kids were buckled safely (seriously? who is not making their children buckle up?), I did not get the ticket I should have gotten.  I did miss yoga entirely, but spent the time working-out with a friend instead, so nice a trade.  My morning got better and the day that looked pretty rotten was actually pretty great.

All that to say, the kind of day you have is up to you.  Your circumstances might require you to try harder to maintain a good attitude, but it's still your choice in the end.  So try starting your day with a smile (and some encouraging Bible verses never hurt either, try Isaiah 41:10 or 1 Peter 5:7) and see where that takes you.

Or print this handy and decorative reminder and frame it on your wall.  There are lots of choices because I started messing around with PicMonkey while watching Survivor the other night and I before I knew it, there were way more than I intended.  Enjoy.

If you want to download, just click on the image you like and follow to the next page.  These print best as 8 x 10 photos and if you need help with the printing, just send me an e-mail and I'll do my best to answer your questions.

Do you have any tips for keeping a positive attitude during trying times?  Any favorite encouraging Bible verses?

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Cara Cara Orange Granita

I am generally not a fad follower.   Not that I'm immune by any means, but if I can help it, I like to hang back and see if it pans out for everyone else before I jump on board.  So a month or so ago when I started seeing ads and signs at the store for cara cara oranges, I thought, "Yeah, whatever, it's just another orange."

Our local food co-op has this program where kids can pick out an apple, orange, or banana every time they come in.  My son went a couple weeks ago with my mom and came back with his pick--a regular-looking navel orange that, when cut into, was pink-fleshed and tangy and juicy and delicious.  And it had no seeds!  We checked the receipt and it said, surprise surprise, cara cara.

Then I went to Costco for produce and lo and behold, they had eight-pound bags of cara cara oranges, so into my cart they went.  We must have eaten half the bag in the first two hours after getting home.  We all hunched over the sink, juice dripping down our chins, eating wedge after wedge, only stopping to cut another one.

Days later, now on bag number two of cara caras, the frenzy slowed and I began to look for new ways to enjoy the oranges that didn't end with washing my face.  Even though it's the middle of winter, it's my opinion that anytime is a good time to eat a frozen dessert, so I decided on this granita.  Let me add, I had never made a granita before and it was just as easy and foolproof as it seems.

No cara cara oranges where you live?  Stick with regular navel oranges and taste the juice mixture before you freeze it, you may need to adjust the amount lemon juice and sugar.  This is great served alone, but is extra delicious served creamsicle-style with a healthy dollop of vanilla bean whipped coconut cream.

Find printable recipe versions for whipped coconut cream here and for the orange granita here.

Are there any food fads (or non-food fads) that you've gotten on board with that you've absolutely loved?  That haven't panned out?

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Tooth Pillow

My oldest recently lost his first tooth.  He discovered it was loose on a Sunday morning and by Monday morning it was out.  I don't remember losing teeth that fast when I was a kid, but I do remember the little white satin tooth-shaped pillow my mom made to put our teeth in under our pillows (and that we later retrieved quarters from).  At the time, I thought it was just something fun we did, but now on the other side, I see how functional the tooth pillow is.  Baby teeth are tiny and I don't see how you could find one again between a pillow and rumpled bed linens if not for putting them in something a great deal larger.

And so, I set out to make my own tooth pillow.

This is a great project for using up fabric and ribbon scraps because the pillow really isn't that large.  I happened to be cutting up for napkins some of the Mister's button-up shirts in need of retirement, so I had some scraps laying around that the boys liked.  Of course, the traditional choice would be white which would look particularly nice in a satin or velvet, especially because you wouldn't need much fabric, so it wouldn't cost much.

Supplies:
pattern (download here)
main fabric
coordinating fabric
6" ribbon
stuffing (one large handful)
basic sewing supplies (iron + ironing board, thread, needle, sewing machine)

1.  Download the pattern and cut out the tooth.  Cut two teeth from the main fabric by stacking or folding the fabric wrong-sides together, pinning in place with the pattern, and cutting.  The pattern is not symmetrical  so it is important to not cut two teeth with fabric facing the same way or they won't match up when you sew the pillow together.  Trim the ribbon to the width of the top edge of the pocket, per the pattern.  Trim the top of the pattern off so just the pocket is left and cut one pocket out of the coordinating fabric.

2.  Press all pieces flat.  Take the pocket and with the wrong-side up, fold over 1/4-inch on the top edge, press in place, then fold over again and press.  Stitch the folds in place.  Now align the top edge of the ribbon with the top edge of the pocket, pin in place, and stitch across the top and bottom edge of the ribbon to attach to the pocket.

 

3.  With the pocket right-side facing, determine which tooth piece it matches best with and lay it in place as it would look when finished, with both right-sides facing up.  Now place the other tooth piece, wrong-side facing up, on top of the other pieces.  Check for correct alignment and once it's aligned, pin in place.

4.  Stitch around the tooth, back-stitching at the beginning and end, leaving a 1 1/2 to 2-inch opening on one side to stuff the pillow.  Turn the pillow right-side out and fill with stuffing, making sure to get it well into all the corners (try using the eraser end of a pencil).  Using a needle and thread, sew closed the opening.

Just days before E discovered his loose tooth, I overheard my mom telling him that his cousin got two whole dollars from the tooth fairy, so of course he remembered this when it came time to put the tooth pillow to use.  This tooth-losing business could be pretty lucrative for the boys.  I have a friend who gives cash for the first tooth and Hot Wheels for all the other teeth and I have a different friend who gives fifty-cent pieces.  What are your tooth fairy traditions?

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DIY Tie-Dyed Crayons

In the process of doing some cleaning recently, I rescued a bag of sad-looking crayons from church.  The zip-top bag itself was opaque from much use and what remained of the crayon wrappers were dirty and stained from toddler fingers and old age.  Nevertheless, I brought the sorry mess home because I have always wanted to try melting down old crayons to make new, pretty ones.

Last Minute Meaty "Spaghetti" Marinara (grain/soy/dairy-free)

I get asked every once in a while by friends what I'm fixing for dinner and it's usually a surprise to them when I say "I don't know, I don't decide until 4:30 or 5:00."  There are definitely times that I've planned ahead and prepped well in advance of dinnertime, but mostly I just keep a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator and make what sounds good on a meal-by-meal basis.