Air Fry Homemade French Fries

 

There is nothing like French Fries made from real potatoes. Oh, sure you can buy frozen French Fries, but I like fresh homemade the best. These real fries are so easy to make in your air fryer. They are crispy on the outside and so tender on the inside. My review will show you just how easy they are to make.

The way these French Fries turn out brings back some fond childhood memories for me. Growing up in New Castle a small town in Western Pennsylvania we lived near a small amusement park called Cascade Park.

The Park officially opened in May of 1897 and was a huge attraction. People would come from all over Pennsylvania and Ohio to visit Cascade Park. The park is still in existence today as a nature park.

As you walked through the midway of the park there were several food vendors. I had two favorites, one was the pizza vendor, and the other was the French Fries.

We would get a cup full of fresh real potato French Fries with vinegar and salt, oh my goodness, this was heaven when I was a kid. Now I enjoy that same goodness with my Air Fry homemade French Fries.

How to make the best Air Fryer French Fries:

3 to 4 medium potatoes (washed and peeled)

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

One-gallon plastic storage or freezer bag

Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt

Directions:

1. Wash and peel the potatoes
2. Cut to size (I have a French fry cutter for this you’ll see it below)
3. Place the cut potatoes in the plastic bag, add the oil and shake
4. Set your air fryer to 390 degrees
5. Air Fry for 18 to 19 minutes
6. When they are finished transfer to a dish or bowl, splash on the vinegar and add the salt while the fries are hot.

This is a photo of our French fry cutter that we have had for years. I must tell you the story about this cutter.

When Fran and I were dating back in high school, yes, that was a long time ago. Fran's father knew how much I loved French fries. So, he went out and bought this French fry cutter just for me. We still use it today.

Just peel your potato, cut a flat spot on the bottom of the potato so the potato stands up. Set the cutter on top and push, Ha!! it's that easy.

We use our Ninja Foodi Grill and Air Fryer to make our French Fries. You can read my review of our Ninja here.

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Get your very own French Fry Cutter, and may it last you as long as ours has.

Home Basics Stainless Steel French Fry Cutter, One Size, Silver

 

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Do You Have Any Regrets in Life? - A Personal Diary Entry

 

Do You Have Any Regrets in Life? A Personal Diary Entry

Here on ReviewThisReviews, I've made several personal diary entries. My latest entry was "Everything Will Be OK." Today I'm wondering whether you have regrets in life?

I'll Go First - Do I Have Any Regrets in Life?

Yes. I have regrets. Inside, I'm a happy person; no matter the obstacles I've faced, I have been able to maintain a peaceful soul. I've had to deal with being let down multiple times by someone close to me. It hasn't been easy. I'm not one to whine, so I hope this doesn't come across as whining - I don't mean to sound like a whiner. I accept full responsibility for where I am in life. Every decision has led me here, so I'm equally responsible for the good and the bad.

There have been good days and bad days in my life - just like everyone else on earth - however, I've tolerated a lot in my life. I've been disappointed and treated without regard at times. I've gotten through it, and I've held onto myself through the drama and disrespect.

The way I've gotten through my hurt is to not become that which I rail against. Fortunately, I'm not a vengeful person or one who seeks revenge. Thank goodness for that! I know a few vindictive people, and I honestly believe that's an unhealthy way to live. However, who am I to judge. For me, I need to get as far away in behavior from the behavior that hurt me. I don't want to become that person who intentionally hurts others out of revenge.

A friend of mine once relayed this quote to me, "hurt people, hurt people." That's not who I want to be. That's not who I am.

So What Do I Do With This Regret? - What Do You Do With Yours, If You Have Any?

To say I don't struggle with it would be a lie. However, I turn the pain and the regret into something constructive. I focus on the good, and I focus on love. I know this sounds too simple, but for now, that's what I do. 

We can't fix other people. They have to step up. What I've learned over the years is that I can't make that happen - the person who does the hurting has to take responsibility and, God willing, change. I'm at the point where I don't expect change and don't try to make it happen. I work on myself and send love.

If I Could Go Back in Time and Change My Destiny, Would I? Would You?

I don't know. Part of me says yes I would, then another part of me reflects on who I have become "inside," and I'm really very proud of the person I am today; strong, tenacious, forgiving, filled with love despite the hurt, compassionate, tolerate and I like to think that I'm kind. Sorry, I don't mean to toot my own horn, lol - I'm just expressing what all this pain has taught me. So I'm not sure about whether I would change my stars. Some days it's a blatant yes, but for the most part, I'm not sure.

How about you?

I've written poetry for over 50 years and put my life out there for everyone to read. My book, We Will Have Morning Smiles,  is available on Amazon. I started to write at eight years old and continued through my entire life. The writing process, as those of you who write know, is therapeutic. My whole life is on display, via poems, in that book.

Here's a video poem that reflects one of the poems in my book - I think this one speaks to the topic of this article. If you're reading this via mobile, you can see it here.

Remember Who I Am - A Video Poem

In the end, I hope for the best, plan for the worst, but always hold onto who I am and keep my heart filled with love. How about you?

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Reviewing The Fun of Stretched Canvases

Do you remember the fun you had as a child when you got given a new colouring in book?  I'm sure that is part of the appeal of colouring in books for adults.  The other part is that colouring in can be a fun way to alleviate stress.

Image by Lou16, created on Canva

Our state called a snap 3-day lockdown a couple of months ago and I was in a local discount store on that day looking for something when I noticed the printed stretched canvases waiting to be coloured in.  The next thing you know they were in my shopping basket along with some felt tip pens.

As it happens the lockdown wasn't extended past the three days so I didn't need to have lots of things to keep me busy.   The 3 days were long enough for me to find that I really enjoyed the colouring in.   

As it happened a few things happened in the following week that I found very frustrating and that is when I discovered that colouring in was very calming for me.   I started to spend a few minutes every day doing a little colouring in.   For me, I felt it was like other's feel when practicing meditation (my mind doesn't like to quiet itself during meditation, but it does during colouring!).

I started to do a little colouring in every day and I really enjoyed it.  Unfortunately, I can't find the exact canvases that I did online.   I went back to the store where I got my two canvases and the remaining ones are clearly designed for children and I found the same lack of printed canvases for adults when I looked online.

Feeling a little frustrated that perhaps my colouring in activities was going to have to change to a book or be replaced by something else I discovered another option in an unusual place - Facebook!

As I'm sure you're aware there are groups for just about anything on Facebook and I belong to quite a few of them.  One group that I belong to is dedicated to a popular store here in Australia and in this group, I came across a really cool idea.

This store sells amazing black and white printed canvases with images like koalas, kookaburras, zebras, elephants and more.   One day a lady in the group showed off one of the black and white koala canvases - she had coloured in the background and added some details.   It was amazing.

This thread soon exploded with a plethora of images from different people across the country who had taken these prints and added colour - sometimes colouring in the images, sometimes just the background.   Basically, adult colouring in just turned into designer art pieces for the home!

Allowing a little creativity into your life is a great way of balancing out the stresses in the world while having fun and I think colouring in is a great way of doing this.

Of course, if you don't feel up to tackling an entire canvas by yourself you could always look at one of the amazing colouring books for adults that are available.

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Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion Lego Kit Reviewed

As a special treat for Halloween a few years ago, I gave my all-time favorite trick or treater (my son) the Lego Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion.  He loves it!

Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred & Velma have been the source of entertainment for many years in our household. All ages seem to adore them, laugh with them, sing along with the intro music, and even call out the question "Scooby-Doo, where are you?"  

We are also fans of haunted houses!  Therefore, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion was a perfect "treat" choice. Not only does the set come with members of the Scooby-Doo gang, it also includes a ghost & a vampire.  However, there is one notable missing character and I have given the information below on how to buy him separately.

One very unique feature of this set is the "man" eating plant, reminiscent of the Venus Fly Trap plant recently reviewed by our own contributor, Raintree Annie.  (You can read her Venus Fly Trap review by clicking here.)

This fabulous set has 860 pieces and would be a fun project for the family on Halloween, or any time.  Over the years, I have been blessed many times by our son sitting at the dining room table, letting me sort out pieces for him into like piles, while we talk and he builds the set. These are memories that I cherish and I know you will too.  I highly recommend taking the time to sit with your Lego builder while he or she works.  You will discover a totally different reason to love Legos!

 

Lego Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion Kit #75904

The mansion alone is awesome with it's clock tower and adjoining rooms, but when you add the Halloween pumpkins, the black knight, a vampire, a ghost, and the Scooby gang, you have perfection!

The set also includes a motorbike with a sidecar, the fabulous man-eating plant with a snapping mouth, and a bunch of additional accessories including food for our always hungry friends.

When completed, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion is 14" tall, 12" wide, & 5" deep.

 LEGO Scooby-Doo 75904 Mystery Mansion Building KitCheck Price

Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion Lego Availability

This Lego set is retired, therefore, you will need to search for the set on Amazon, Ebay or a different secondary market.  If you don't see it today, check again on a later date.  Sellers frequently add new items on Ebay.  It is one of my favorite source for retired Lego sets! (links for Mystery Mansion (shown above) on Amazon or on Ebay)

Oddly enough, Fred was not included in this set.  He can be pretty expensive when sold separately, so I would recommend pairing the Mystery Mansion Lego set with the Lego Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine Set #75902.   (The following words are links to the Mystery Machine on Amazon or on Ebay)

The images below are linked to the sets available on Amazon.

 LEGO Scooby-Doo 75904 Mystery Mansion Building KitCheck Price LEGO Scooby-Doo 75902 The Mystery Machine Building KitCheck Price

 

Check Out More Toy Reviews at
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Or
Reviews on Lego Sets
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 Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion Lego Kit Reviewed by:

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Review of The Keeper of Happy Endings

 

Book Review: The Keeper of Happy Endings

This was another book I downloaded from Amazon Prime and I was absolutely captivated from page one.  In this book the author, Barbara Davis, weaves a wonderful tale of two woman decades apart whose lives are very similar.  Both have a fiance' who is missing and they fear they have lost. Both are devastated by their tragedies and at first have trouble finding the strength to continue on with their lives.

Soline

Soline Roussel has learned the bridal industry from her family.  For generations the family has had a bridal shop in Paris where they are well known for the magic in their dresses that bring happy endings to the brides who wear them.  The dresses are all hand made and beautiful and Soline learns to carefully stitch the dresses.  All is well till the war comes to Paris along with the German occupation.  Dresses are no longer in demand and Soline is pulled in many directions including working with the resistance.  Heartbreak and grief lead her to America where she starts a new life.

Rory

Decades later Rory comes in contact with Soline when she leases Soline's old bridal shop for a gallery for unknown artists.  Rory has a tragedy herself in a missing fiance' and a domineering mother.  She is torn between hiding and moving forward.  I would love to tell more of the story but do not want to spoil the surprise and twists and turns of the story.  Let us just say that the two women meeting will become a turning point in both of their lives.

Other Books by this Author

I  first read a book by Barbara Davis when it was an Amazon Prime first read last year.  The Last of the Moon Girls was another book the captivated me right from the beginning.  Here is a review I wrote about it.

The Last of the Moon Girls

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