Baked Sweet Potato Fries... Yummm!

All of my family absolutely loves sweet potato fries.  If you order them at a restaurant, watch out!   They will be gone before you even get one.  However, our favorite fries are almost two hours away, making them a rare treat when we have to go on a trip to the big city.  Because of this, my mom and I started looking for a recipe that we could make ourselves.  We finally found this one and have been enjoying them on a regular basis since.

Ingredients:

6 cups oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup cold club soda

2 pounds sweet potatoes cut into fries

seasonings (salt, cinnamon and sugar, powdered sugar,
 cavenders, pumpkin pie spice, paprika, garlic salt, whatever floats your boat.)

Directions:

Heat the oil to 375 degrees F in a heavy-bottomed dutch oven or deep fryer. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.  Whisk the cornstarch and club soda in a mixing bowl. In batches, dip the potatoes in the batter, and place on a wire cooking rack and allow to dry. Repeat with rest of the potatoes.  Fry half the potatoes, stirring occasionally until golden brown and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with seasoning of choice , place on cookie sheet and place in the oven to keep warm until all are cooked and ready to serve.

*Note: If you go with the cinnamon and sugar or powdered sugar for seasoning then I suggest honey for dipping*

in case you are having a bad day...

How about a tiny turtle getting his tummy tickled with a tooth brush?

Or maybe a terrier with a terrifically, poofy perm?

Maybe this puppy who is positively  enchanted with this cupcake?

Now don't you feel better!!!

Fall: The World's Final Blazing Flame Before Winters Cold Sleep

The sharp bright colors of summer are softening and taking on a softer hue.  Leaves that have graciously offered shade from the blazing fever of summer are now set ablaze, turning golden hues of crimson, amber, and auburn.  They are gracefully floating to the ground in a whirling cascade that carpets the earth’s floor.  All the cheerful flowers that sprung from the ground to dance in the bright glow of the summer sun are now fading, fleeing from the chill that now threatens their soft, delicate petals.  The wind has evolved into a lonely, howling giant, which causes the crisp leaves to fall with an even greater torrent.  Sweet smells of maple mingle with the spicy smell of cinnamon and nutmeg, along with the smoky perfume that wafts up from the warm crackling fire.  The abundant harvest of the green, fertile garden of summer is now yielding itself to be stored for winter.  Apples bubbling into a spicy, sweet sauce and pumpkins along with sweet potatoes are being baked into a savory sweet velvet.  Fall is the world’s blazing flame, a final glorious show, before winters cold sleep. 

an introduction

Hi there!  I'm not much for introductions, I would much rather to just sit down and carry on a good ol' conversation, but blogger says that I should start off with an introduction.  So here it goes...

My name is Nikki and that is me with my life long, absolutest best friend Harlie,

(I'm on the right)

I live on a farm in the middle of beautiful, rural Arkansas were the tea is always sweet, the chicken is always fried, Y'all is a proper noun,yonder is a clear direction, and people pride themselves in, "being able to smell a Yankee from a mile away".

       I live on this farm with my amazingly wonderful parents...

                                                                

My positively marvelous younger sister, Rebekah

(aka. bekah, B. rebah, bek, and blondie)... 

and my awesomely cool little brother, Grant.

(ain't we a good lookin' bunch?)

Along with our two hairy babies...

Mr. Bennett, a 3 1/2 year old long haired

Chihuahua who just wants to be loved on... 

and Cowboy, a 3 year old, short haired

 Border Collie who has more than enough 

energy and just wants to make you happy. 

(Aren't they cute?)

Now for a little bit about me...

I am a college student currently working on my Associates of Arts and trying to figure out what degree to pursue from there.

I love music of all kinds from bluegrass by to Ricky Skaggs, to rap by Lecrea, and everything in between.  

I love laughing and having fun with my family and friends, chocolate, strawberry pie, and anything Italian..  I am a history buff, a crazy Christmas lady, and a hopeless romantic.

I love baking, mysteries, winter, old movies, and Rummikub.

My favorite color is green and my favorite movie is Sleepless in Seattle.

I am a sinner saved by the wonderful matchless grace of Christ Jesus my King and my Savior.

I was home-schooled K through twelfth by my incredible mama.

That's enough talking about myself.  If you want to find out more about me, why don't you stick around and get to know me a little bit better through my random chatter.