{ SWEET POTATO FRIES }

Slice however many sweet potatoes you want. Drizzle a little olive oil (I think I added a little too much to this batch). Add salt + pepper. Bake at 450 until they are browning (about 40 minutes for this batch). Just watch them.  : )

This recipe comes straight from marthastewart.com, where we have found some of our very favorite recipes. We are sweet potato fans, and this version is so savory and sweet, but not in an “overloaded” way.

BUTTER-PECAN SWEET POTATOES

8 medium sweet potatoes (5 lbs.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
coarse salt
2 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/3 c. pecan pieces
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel potatoes and halve lengthwise; slice crosswise 1/2 inch thick. On a baking sheet, toss potatoes with olive oil; season with coarse salt.

2. Transfer half the potatoes to a second baking sheet; cook both sheets until potatoes are tender, tossing occasionally, 25-30 minutes.

(Note: To make ahead (up to 5 hours) prepare recipe through step 2. Cool; cover and refrigerate. About 15 minutes before ready to serve, proceed with recipe.

3. Sprinkle with butter, brown sugar, pecan pieces, and cayenne pepper, dividing evenly. Bake until sugar is caramelized and hard, about 10 minutes. Gently toss; serve immediately.

Anytime you see a “Mom’s” in front of a recipe name, it seems a little more reputable, doesn’t it? In this case … for sure. Love my mom’s cooking. And the fact that she’s out of the country for a year and a half means I don’t have the chance to eat any of her yumminess anytime soon. Sigh. So somehow this got me thinking about her cole slaw. If she can’t make it for me, I guess I gotta do it on my own. As a child and young adult, I wanted nothing to do with it. Then one summer (a few years ago), I gave in and tried her chili dogs with cole slaw.

Oh. My. goodness.

Okay. Seriously amazing. So fresh. So tasty. The perfect compliment to the heavy dog & chili. Wanted to heat 5 chili dogs on the spot. Anyway. Fast-forward a couple years. Last time my parents were visiting us in Arizona, I requested that she make the good grub again. Only this time I would pay attention to how she made it. I took notes. Problem is … she doesn’t measure for many of the things she makes. It’s “a little of this and a little of that”. Ugh. I’m a total recipe follower.

So — getting to my point: I have finally done it. I have MADE my mom’s cole slaw! So easy. And I measured as I added ingredients so that it could become an actual recipe that can be followed. Yay for knowing how much of what goes in!

By the way, when we made this, we ate it with ribs.

MOM’S COLE SLAW

1 head cabbage
3 large carrots
1 1/2 – 2 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Chop the whole head of cabbage with a food chopper. You want it chopped really, really fine. Do the same with the carrots and add those to the chopped cabbage. The add mayo to desired consistency. Add the sugar and salt & pepper to taste.

This side dish is a personal favorite. I would prefer seconds of this over most desserts (sometimes). My childhood best friend, Lydia, introduced this to me about 12 years ago and every time I make it I think, we need to make this more often!

CARROTS & ZUCCHINI

baby carrots
zucchini
olive oil
grated parmesan cheese
dill weed (among the spices)

Boil the carrots so they’re soft. Meanwhile, slice some zucchini. Heat a little bit of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the zucchini. Saute for a minute and then add the carrots (once they’re soft) to the zucchini.

NOTE: You don’t want the zucchini to get all mushy. They only need to be in the pan for about 5 minutes-ish. That means you’ll want to boil the carrots well before putting carrots in the pan. Maybe 15 minutes or so before. Use a fork to test the carrots so they’re “just right” for you.

Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese and dill weed over the vegetables and saute & stir for a few minutes until they’re to your liking. Serve immediately.

This is one of my lifetime favorite side dishes (even and when I was a child) and when I serve them at a dinner party, there are never any left.

DEVILED EGGS
(as taught by Mom Allgaier)

eggs
mayonnaise (not salad dressing or any substitute)
salt & pepper
mustard (liquid, not dry)
pickle juice (from a jar of sweet pickles – not dill)
paprika (found with the spices & seasonings)

You’ll notice that there are no quantities or measurements listed. I learned how to make deviled eggs from my mom and she never measured anything for deviled eggs. She just added a “little bit of this and a little bit of that” until it was just right. I like to taste it as I go to see what needs to be added.

Boil the eggs* and cool. Remove eggshells and cut the eggs in half, lengthwise. Put all egg yolks in a bowl and mash them. Add mayo, salt & pepper, mustard, and pickle juice (spoonfuls) to taste. You don’t want your egg batter to be stiff or too runny. It should be a nice, creamy texture. Remember to start light on the mayonnaise because you can always add more but you can’t go back once it’s in there. Put a dollop of the batter in each egg and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, sprinkle a little paprika on each deviled egg.

* How I boil my eggs: After the water reaches a rolling boil, turn off the stove and let the pot sit there on the range to finish. When they’ve cooled for about 15 minutes, let the eggs cool in cold water and then store in refrigerator until you’re ready to make the deviled eggs.