I was gone for three days for seventh grade Marine Biology Camp in Port Townsend. I really don't like to be away from my family, but Marine Biology Camp is worth the extra pain to all of us. The seventh graders learn so much about Washington marine life in three days, they come home teaching their families about it. We dissected herring, counted life in the eel grass, investigated low tide, had plankton races, made crab dichotomy keys, studied habitats, and made our own sea creature based on that knowledge. We were all exhausted, but full of accomplishment.
While I was off helping my students for three days, Arnie and the kids were fending for themselves back home. They certainly had fun, but both kids said they missed me because things are never quite right without me. Aren't they sweet? Arnie, too, was glad to see me Friday night.
On Saturday, I decided to spoil the whole lot of them. Usually after a long, stressful week, I don't sleep well. Anyone else have that issue? I know! A lot of us do. So I woke up too early. After being awake for a couple of hours, I was bored and lonely. I made the kids' favorite breakfast. Pancakes. Hmmmm. I just used a mix, but added vanilla extract for extra yumminess. Then, I snuck into each room with the hot steaming plate, wafting sweet baking fumes toward each child. Pretty soon, they were up, hugging me and eating up the pancakes.
Next, I planned a picnic lunch. Pizza puffs and pasta salad (with pepperoni and cheese) - all their favorite foods. The pizza puffs were a big hit. I had Portuguese sausage, so I used that with both cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. I loaded the pasta salad with veggies and wheat macaroni. We picnicked at the Riverfront Park in the sunshine. Arnie and the kids played some ball and we even got to see a train go past about 30 feet from us.
Finally, the kids helped me prepare dinner. Again, I went for their favorites. We had barbecued burgers, french fries, and salad. Robby made the fries for us. Peeling potatoes, cutting them into wedges, oiling and seasoning them. They were delicious and crispy. That kid can cook. The burgers were great, too, I must say. For dessert, Katie helped me make strawberry shortcake. She sliced the angel food cake and whipped the cream. Again, besides the sugar, she and I splashed some vanilla in it. Yum. Sweet and creamy. I feel so much happier tonight after spoiling my family all day. I leave you with Robby's amazing homemade french fries recipe.
6 small russet potatoes
1 tbsp seasoning salt - Robby chose Lawry's tonight. We also like the fries with Tony's, or sometimes with our own concoction.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash, peel (I don't always peel them), and slice each potato into wedges. You should get 8 wedges from each potato. Soak them for 5 minutes in water, then pat them dry with paper towels. Put them in a bowl. Add the oil and seasoning and stir to coat well. Lay them in one layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn them over with a spatula and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes. Check at 10 minutes. My family likes them crispy, so I usually go an extra 5 minutes.
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