Yarn and Parchment Paper!

Well, it's true what they say about a cat and a ball of yarn! They were having so much fun, I didn't have the heart to take it away right away. Also, duh, why would I think leaving it on the top of my bookshelf was an okay idea? I still have a lot to learn about being a crazy cat lady!
I can't believe it's December first already! I remember when I was a kid, I was in a rush for something to happen, I can't remember what, but doesn't it seem like when you were a kid you always wanted something to hurry up and happen already? Anyway, my grandpa told me to savor the moment, because I would be shocked at how fast time flies when you're a grown up. He was a wise man.
I wanted to talk about parchment paper today. When I first started watching different vegan YouTube channels, I noticed some used parchment paper when making oven fries, or roasted vegetables oil free. I never thought of trying parchment paper, since I'm not oil free.  But, when I make oven fries, I sometimes feel like I have to use more oil than I want so they don't stick. While I'm not oil free, I don't like to overuse it either. I used to just line baking trays with foil, figuring it does the same trick. But, foil sticks to things too, and I have had to peel shards of foil off of food before. Not cool. What actually made me break down and get parchment paper was the General Tso's cauliflower wings. High Carb Hannah swears by parchment paper, and her cauliflower looked so amazing, I wanted mine to be perfect as well. I have watched a few YouTube videos where they tried to use foil, and it seems that the cauliflower sogs up. Parchment paper is amazing, and all I can say is I was really missing out all those parchment free years. Nothing sticks to it. Nothing. And you can make oven fries with no oil, and they don't stick, or burn as long as you flip them. Parchment paper is also great to use when you make cookies. Vegan cookies seem to be more delicate when fresh out of the oven, and parchment paper helps keep them whole while removing from the pan. This is probably the worlds most boring post to most people who already use parchment paper on the regular, but I figured there are probably some people out there who might not yet know how helpful this paper is. It is life changing. I made delicious oven fries last night with the teeniest amount of coconut oil, and they were perfect!

I sprinkled these with some salt and pepper, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and a little curry powder. Roasted at 400 degrees for about thirty minutes. I made a spicy ketchup by adding some Cajun garlic sauce to regular old ketchup. Served with a side salad with some FYH vegan Bleu Cheese, it was a simple dinner that really hit the spot! I sprinkled some finely minced chives and parsley on the potatoes when they were fresh out of the oven. It made them super fancy!
Happy Tuesday!