Good morning from stormy Louisiana! I am feeling pretty good today because I do love myself a good thunderstorm, in spite of a trauma I suffered earlier…I headed out into the downpour, opting not to wear my Gorton’s fish stick guy rain slicker (mistake), to feed the chickens today and all was right with my little world. I love the rain on my face and in my hair, the scent of clean earth and the way the greenery changes color when lightening shoots across the sky during these storms. The raincoat feels like it blocks too many senses with which to enjoy these things sometimes…if that makes sense.
I guess I need to stop here and tell you a secret. Like all nerds before me, I believe I have something of a super power. No, I am not delusional, but I really do have the ability to walk through a spider web where none are expected or have been before. If ever you are blazing a trail and need that person to lead the way solely for the purpose of spider web discovery, I’m your “man.” Indiana Jones would have loved me! I’m not bragging here, just stating fact. The down side is that I loathe spiders and, as tough as I think I am, those little eight-legged monsters can turn me from bad a$$ pioneer woman into a break dancing, freaking little girl in an instant, making the people in this video look like gladiators (sorry for a little language in the video).
Anyway, as I walked out to the coop today, enjoying the weather, my shins suddenly felt resistance and I was sent sprawling into the mud. As I fell forward, time seemed to slow to a crawl and thoughts swirled through my head: I thanked God that my face had not made contact with this web, I was also grateful for soft, muddy ground on which to land and not the concrete I’d just stepped off of, and OMG! What kind of mutant creature makes a web so strong that it can knock me off of my feet!?!
I gave zero thought to who might be watching this spectacle as I sprang to my feet, using my best karate, break dancing and gymnastics moves to beat the crap out of myself, assuring that I had not picked up a hitchhiker. It was exactly like this, but add mud and rain into the mix and subtract flaming shoes. Skip to 54 seconds if you don’t want to hear most of the bad language and hit the restroom first so you don’t wet your pants laughing (Note if you skip ahead; he had spilled gas on his shoes)
This strange dance lasted for what felt like hours, but likely was only seconds, until I felt I was spider free and that I might survive this horror. I was actually out of breath and thought a coronary might be what was for breakfast today when I stumbled back into the house.
My children immediately ran to my side, certain I was in real trouble, but I assured them that I would recover…in time. Yes, I was muddy and out of breath, but no, I had not been wrestling a prowler or bear at the chicken coop. My neighbors likely think that I am plagued by an aggressive ghost, am a martial arts champion, or I’m just plain crazy, but they’ve seen this display many times, so I’m not going to sweat it.
What does this have to do with rosemary potatoes? Not a frickin’ thing, but I had to get that off of my chest. Talking it through promotes healing.
Any-hoo, these are a nice, quick treat and a delicious side when you don’t have an hour to roast them in the oven. Enjoy.
Rosemary Skillet Potatoes
Prep time: 5-10 minutes Cook time: 15-20 minutes Serves: 4ish
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 pounds red or white potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, cut in lengthwise quarters and then 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 1/2-3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 TBSP minced garlic or garlic powder
- 2 TBSP dried (or fresh) rosemary (I grind my dried rosemary in the food processor or with a mortal and pestle to avoid eating twigs)
- 1-2 TBSP butter, if needed
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat and then add the potatoes, stirring to coat them with the oil. Add all but the butter and stir/toss to coat the potatoes.
- Cook, stirring often, for about 15-20 minutes, adding butter, if needed to prevent sticking, evenly coat the potatoes with the seasonings and promote a nice crust on the potatoes. Potatoes are finished when they are crusty on the outside and perfect on the inside.
- Serve alone or drizzle with your favorite sauce or condiment. A nice compliment to almost any meat main dish.
Suburban Homestead Nerd 