FRIDAY FAVES: Sweet Potato Fries

There's nothing like a cheeseburger, fries, and diet coke.
Sometimes I just CRAVE it (even if it's from the $1 menu at McDonald's!).
Of course it is better from a sit-down restaurant...with ranch and avocado.

Being on a budget, we try our best to do all of our cooking at home, so we've been excited to have a weekly burger and fries night at home...just us and our trusty 'ol George Foreman grill :)

In working on getting my a1c down, losing weight, and being healthier
in general, I've traded in my cheeseburgers for salmon burgers
(Derek is still sticking with his weekly cheddar bacon burgers)
and instead of french fries,
we enjoy a healthy side of SWEET POTATO FRIES!!!!

I first experimented with Sweet Potato Fries this summer after reading about them on blogs.
I googled a recipe and got to work:
peeling, chopping,
seasoning (olive oil, salt, cinnamon, paprika...), and baking.

The results were tasty, but
after too many run-ins involving my fingers and the knife,
I knew there had to be a better way!

On a random trip to the Jewel, I spotted them...
Sweet Potato Fries,
already chopped, peeled, and seasoned,
in the freezer section!!!

From there, we branched out to other variations
found at Whole Foods
(Chipotle Seasoned, Crinkle Cut, Waffle Cut, etc...)

Prices range anywhere from
$1.89 (Aldi) to $4.39 (Waffle Cut, Whole Foods) per 1 pound bag.
And just when we thought it couldn't get any better,
they arrived at Costco!!!

For $5.89 for 4 pounds, we've found our best deal yet...and it will last us for a month.
That's right, 1 pound of french fries
shared between the 2 of us each week!
(That's for dinner 1 night and leftovers for lunch the following day).

These delicious sweet potato fries have filled me up at meals,
been gracious to my blood sugar, are easy to count out,
making carb counting quick and painless,
and have added health benefits, with wonderful nutrients, and vitamins.
And with Thanksgiving around the corner, sweet potatoes are in season.

Ladies and Gentleman,
please give it up for
my current Friday Fave....Sweet Potato Fries!!!

Happy Friday...
now go enjoy some Sweet Potato Fries!

It's a Love-Hate Relationship...WHOLE FOODS

Whole Foods in Lincoln Park, Chicago...it's like no other WF I've been to.

(source)

With a trail mix bar, a grind your own nut butter station, mini chicago restaurants right in the store, a graffiti artist, music stage, wine and cheese bar, cafe, etc... it's quite the shopping experience!

Now I know WF is often called Whole Paycheck and I agree that yes, if you do ALL of your shopping here, you're gonna have to fork over your entire paycheck.

There are a few staples that I get from Whole Foods each month such as: ground flax seed, flax seed oil, probiotic vitamins, gluten free spinach & feta pizza, an occasional metro mint water (delicious), rice crackers, Lara Bars, etc.

Speaking of Lara Bars... Whole Foods-LP has an UH-MAY-ZING selection of them, as shown above!

These bars are one of the only gluten free granola bars that don't raise my blood sugar, are made with all natural ingredients that you can pronounce (usually only 3-4 different ingredients), and are 20-30 grams of carbs depending on which one you eat.

The Apple Pie tastes like Apple Pie.

The Banana Bread tastes like Banana Bread.

The PB&J tastes like PB&J.

"...and the snozzberries taste like snozzberries" (Willy Wonka).

So, while there are many things I love at WF...there is one aspect of the store that is going to be the death of me!!!

The DOWN escalator!!!

I'm so thankful for parking at this WF. It's rare to see a FREE parking garage in the city. So when I parked for the first time, I was amazed and grateful. However, when I walked through the door to see this escalator...I booked it for the elevator! I don't know why it's so scary to me. It's just REALLY steep, the area where you stand is SUPER thin, and I just can't do it!

Oh, I've tried, (several times) to get on...only to make myself look like a fool, putting my head down in shame, and walking over to the elevator where the other moms are getting on with their karts and kids...as I get on alone, holding one empty shopping bag, already starting my grocery shopping in defeat.

Alright, I know escalators don't have to be so dramatic...it's just that every time I ride one, going down, I feel like I'm gonna plumit to my death!

Ya know, every now and then I fear complications of Diabetes...kidney failure, blindness, leg amputations, etc...but mostly, I just fear the Whole Foods Lincoln Park Chicago down escalator. It's true!!!

The odd thing is, going UP is no problem!!!

So on my lunch break Friday, I grabbed some frozen organic strawberries (for making smoothies), an orange-mint water, gluten free spinach feta pizza, and 2 Lara Bars, met Ilene at the check-out register, handed the cashier my reusable shopping bag, paid, and made my way onto the escalator, going up...as if I had no known fears of escalators at all!

Ilene (visit her cute etsy shop here), enjoying a slice of WF veggie pizza.

Ilene and I drove back to work, discussing weekend plans, my weird fear of going down escalators, and our favorite OPI nail polish colors.

A successful lunch break.

Enjoy your weekend...and don't be afraid to share your weird fears with eachother :)