Skip The Drive Thru

Oven Baked Fries

You can skip the drive thru with these tasty oven fries my 6 year old has proclaimed are "better than McDonald's"!

Better Than McDonald's Oven Fries

6-8 organic russett potatoes - peeled and diced

olive oil

ground black pepper

paprika

real salt*

*I use a mineral salt from the bulk aisle of a health food store, which has the same mineral content as Redmond's RealSalt.

1. Peel and dice organic russet potatoes

2. In a bowl, drizzle diced potatoes with olive oil. Then sprinkle liberally with ground black pepper, paprika and real salt. Toss to coat.

3. Place potatoes on greased baking sheet and bake at 450 for 20 minutes. Flip fries after 10 minutes.

4. Give fries another sprinkle of real salt after removing from the oven.

We love these fries with our favorite Sloppy Joe recipe.

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam - Tasty Tuesday

From Two Incomes to One

Being a wife and mother in addition to working full-time is not always easy. There were many years of struggling with my situation before God showed me I needed to step into my roles as wife, mother and home keeper now instead of later when I could be at home full-time. But in this moment, I'm truly seeing how all things work according to God's plan and in His perfect time. On Saturday, my husband was let go from his job. In this time of great economic uncertainty, our income has been cut in half. However, we are choosing to see this as an opportunity instead of a setback. My husband's job was very demanding and stressful on him as well as our family. Now he has the opportunity to find something better - and pretty much anything would be better!

I'm thankful in this time that we at least have my income to fall back on as well as our emergency fund (thanks Dave Ramsey!). God knows the desires of my heart. How I would love to be home more, even if on a part-time basis during the day. But He also knows our needs before we do. And sees our situations from a much larger vantage point. Right now, I am where God needs me to be in this season in our life. And I'm thankful for His provisions.

Heavenly Homemaker - Gratituesday

My Love Language

She gets up while it is still dark;

she provides food for her family

and portions for her servant girls

Proverbs 31: 15

Eight years ago, I did not enter marriage knowing how to cook (or how to do laundry, change diapers or clean house for that matter). My idea then of a fancy meal was chicken breasts baked in tin foil tents with barbeque sauce and two cans of veggies mixed with white rice. My mother was an excellent from scratch cook, but not a very patient teacher. So anything I gleaned from her was done from peering over the kitchen counter. My education in this home art has come in the kitchen through trial and error.

But what once was an uncomfortable setting for me, has now become a means by which I show my love to my family. I take great joy in coming home and preparing hot, home cooked meals for my family even after a long day at work. And I love knowing my husband, the kids and my Mom will get a good, nourishing start to their day with the soaked oatmeal, muffins or sprouted, buttered toast with pastured scrambled eggs I prepared before going to work. It's a bit of me that's left behind during the day and a reconnection when I return in the evenings.

A few of our family's favorite meals

Soaked Oatmeal (The Nourishing Gourmet)

Soaked Sweet Potato Muffins

Feta & Vegetable Pasta Salad

Sloppy Joes with Grassfed, local beef

Dirty Rice with Pastured, local pork sausage

Whole Wheat Pizza with fresh basil from our garden