It’s Pea Daddy’s birthday.
It’s no secret I hit the jackpot when it came to that guy.
He lets Lulu sit on his lap during lunch, with Blankie, while she eats applesauce with chopsticks.
He gives Gigi the last cookie in the batch, his quarters for her piggy bank and a willing ear and hearty applause when she performs an over amplified, off-key rendition of a song I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard before and am not sure I can handle ever hearing again.
He keeps the litter box clean and Pea Kitty on his side of the bed. Which is still too close.
He overlooks that I talk too much, that I sometimes wear the same shirt two days in a row and that I skip all the hard parts in my workout DVDs. Don’t act surprised. You hate mountain climbers too.
He turns down Eddie Vedder tickets to take his girls to see the Mary Poppins Broadway musical. Now that’s supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
And with all these things he does, I’m reminded of what a special man I married.
Because it takes a pretty incredible guy to make caring about his family so damn attractive.
Jackpot.
It’s the summer of kiddie pools. Probably the last one. When the girls sat down in it together today, all the water splashed over the sides and I had to wedge them out with a broomstick.
It’s the summer of beach towels. Both real and pretend.
The summer of pickles. Heck, the year of pickles.
The summer of flip flops. As in the girls (as of today) can now both wear them with the toe strap between the appropriate toes. That was an awkward and very long walk around the grocery store last week.
The summer of root beer floats.
And Chai tea smoothies.
And Tofutti ice cream sandwiches.
And clearly not the summer for Kleenex.
But it is the summer of neti pots.
The summer of the book.
And conference calls.
And explaining why children are pretending to be drowning cats fighting over a kickboard in three inches of water in the background.
The summer of backyard picnics.
Or cheese and pickle sandwiches. It is the year of the pickle, you know.
And it’s the summer of fries.
Sesame Lime Sweet Potato Fries w/Creamy Hoisin Fry Sauce
Serves 4
Sesame Lime Sweet Potato Fries:
- One 15 oz. package Alexia sweet potato fries or 1 lb. of sweet potatoes, cut into fries
- 1 lime, juiced and zested
- 1 t. sesame oil
- 2 t. maple syrup
- 1/2 t. ground ginger
- 1/2 t. coarse sea salt
- 2 t. sesame seeds
Creamy Hoisin Fry Sauce:
- 1 T. Vegenaise or other vegan mayonnaise (reduced fat or original)
- 1 T. organic hoisin sauce
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine lime juice and zest, sesame oil, maple syrup and ginger.
Add sweet potato fries and toss to coat.
Spread coated fries on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle evenly with sea salt and sesame seeds.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning at least once during baking, until fries are crisp and browned.
For fry sauce, whisk together vegan mayonnaise and hoisin sauce.
Serve while fries are hot.
Wowsa.
It’s the summer of “Stop hogging all the fries!”
And of “Pass the sauce.”
The summer of “Yum.”
And of “Go rinse the sauce off your swimsuit in the pool!” But do it one at a time.
The summer of indecision. As in deciding which recipe to enter in Alexia “Reinvent a Classic” fry competition. Because pickle fries are awfully tasty too.
But any way you slice it, I’d call this summer is a winner.
Disclosure: Alexia Foods has provided me with product coupons and monetary compensation for my participation in this program.
