Gravy Cheese Fries Poutine

I have yet to make baked in the oven french fries that taste as good as the real thing:

Now, this doesn't mean it doesn't exist, I just haven't succeeded yet.

But, you know what totally makes up for any sort of problems with baked french fries flavor?

Smothering them in homemade gravy and lots of cheese.

Oh yeah.

I've never been particularly in love with gravy, but I've started coming around to it in the past year. I'll never be anywhere near my brother's level of obsession (he used to order gravy anytime he'd get chicken fingers when we were out, or sometimes he'd just like...drink gravy, lol!), but I'll eat it on occasion-such as on these fries! And the cheese really adds a great sharpness and extra bit of gooeyness.

I warn you, this is a totally dangerous and addictive recipe. I couldn't stop eating these. Poor Michael ended up with only...like...a third of the recipe instead of half-I couldn't control myself from going after his bowl!

Rich, flavorful, warm, comforting-all good things in these fabulous fabulous fries. I'd never had "poutine" fries before this recipe but now I am totally in love with the concept-so all you Canadians/Frenchies should come make me some authentic ones sometime, k? In the mean time I'll just content myself with these.

Mmm!

Coconut Toffee Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

You know what we haven't had in awhile?

Cookies.

Pretty much if we go a week without cookies here Michael or I say that to the other (it became an inside joke after he said it to me in semi-seriousness one day and I was like "...we just had cookies" "No those were chocolate cookies!"...now it's a funny thing between us :P). You've obviously ascertained by this point I have a bit of a...fondness* for cookies.

*dramatic understatement.

You've also probably figured out that I'm inclined towards large, chewy, gooey cookies. These cookies are not like that, but I love them just the same. These cookies are more on the crisp side, but I wouldn't want them any other way. We've got coconut and toffee, and-to me-those lend themselves especially well to a "thinner" cookie, if you will. The flavors are out of this world. Michael was instantly in love after he tried one. As was I. Oatmeal, chocolate chips, coconut, and toffee provide the most amazing, tasty, cookie experience.

These cookies actually bring me back to when I was filming in Maine, way back in 2010. The woman who made us all our food would oftentimes bring us the most delicious cookies, and I was shocked by how much I loved them since they were thin and crisp! But toffee was the secret. Toffee in a thinner cookie is like magic somehow. I don't know, but these cookies reminded me of those cookies but...even better. The coconut and oatmeal gave these cookies such great texture, as well as taste, and ya know...getting to eat these in the comfort of my own home instead of a lake house I was sharing with like 15 (more or less) strangers was also a plus (I totally had tons of fun filming, though! Don't get me wrong! But being nearly completely cut off from the outside world for about a month wasn't my favorite thing--internet was spotty and cell reception was borderline nonexistant.)

So yeah, these cookies are special. They're delicious. You should make them and continue to eat them to your heart's content (which means you'll eat them all...which is totally cool.)

Something Saturdays (2/23/13)

You know, I don't share nearly enough of my acting stuff with you guys. I mean...this is the cooking actress right? I've already mentioned that this week I was featured on the "Green Widow" episode of Investigation Discovery show "My Dirty Little Secret" (check the link to see next time the episode will air so you can watch it!) Annnd, I'm gonna post on here the first episode of a tv series (airing on public access in California) I'm in called Rock-Star Cafe. I play Valerie. 

Also, don't forget to enter the Walkers Shortbread Giveaway (you still have 6 days left to enter)!