Yay for dinner guests!! Especially when it’s Mom & Dad!
This morning, I called up the ‘rents to see what they had planned for dinner and whether or not they wanted to come and help us figure out if we could seat four people at our new kitchen table. Luckily, they were free…
And better yet, we can seat four people at the table. It’s a tight squeeze, but it works.
And lucky me even got to sit across from this all night…
My dad sure is a character, and I can guarantee he didn’t think I’d put this picture up. Mwaaahahaha. 
******
Tonight’s dinner is not going to look a whole lot different from what you’ve been seeing lately. Sorry…but the grill is now in mid-season form and will continue to be getting quite a workout.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…there’s nothing like grilling when the weather warms up! 
Especially when hubby works his magic and makes some of the most amazing grilled chicken I’ve ever had. Not kidding.
His secret? Bread dipping seasoning blends. They’re soooo full of flavor, so he likes to mix those, along with some EVOO + water when marinating. We often use this blend of spices, which has proven to be quite versatile. It’s our absolute favorite.
Seeing as it’s so versatile, I also decided to take a stab at the bread dipping seasoning methods today when making a batch of oven roasted potatoes…
I just quartered up a bag of Tasteful Selections potatoes, drizzled them with some Tuscan Blend seasoning and a little EVOO, and roasted them in a 425 degree F oven for about 45-50 minutes. Perfection.
And since I happened to notice a lone sweet potato that’s been waiting to be eaten, I decided to cut him up into some fries and baked those as well.
These potatoes all probably turned out to be one of my best batches yet, and I’m going to tell you my secret…
Soak the cut potatoes in water! After cutting both batches of my potatoes today, I put them in a big bowl of water and let them sit for probably 3-4 hours. I saw them talk about it on the Food Network once, and I’ll agree that it definitely helped add a little extra crispness to them, without drying them out. They were super duper.
To round out the meal, I also made a big veggie salad, which was good…but I was all about the potatoes today.
When my mom asked if there was anything she could bring over for dinner tonight, there was one thing that immediately popped into my head…
Jay gave it a quick sniff test, and then we were good to go.
So I threw caution to the wind and practically dove head first into the bowl. Apparently, I had no concept of portion size or self control with dessert tonight.
Because what you see there? Yep…you can go ahead and double that. Let’s just say, the bowl was completely empty by the time I was done with it.
Whew! I guess it’s a good thing it was angel food cake and strawberries, rather than chocolate and cookies, right?
******
I just realized that the MTV Movie Awards are actually on tonight, so I’m planning on throwing on some cozies and planting myself on the couch to watch ‘em. I better get a move on though…my favorite part is all the red carpet fashion!
Question for the Evening:
What is one dessert you really lack self control with?
Mine would be this dessert…and ice cream. Always ice cream.
Welcome to Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life! I'm Courtney, a 28-year old personal trainer living in Upstate, NY. I enjoy all things related to food, fitness, and fashion, as well as feeding my huge sweet tooth. To find out a little bit more about the girl behind the blog, check out my 
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow quite the feast! The sweet potato fries look yummy, as does everything else. One dessert I last self control with is ice cream. There HAPPENED to be a pint on sale at the grocery store Friday for 3 bucks (quite the deal). That pint is now gone
oopsies.
Jamie aka “Sometimes Healthy Living Girl” recently posted..Girls on the Run 5K Recap- A Lesson in Runpowerment!
It’s so great that you live close enough to your parents to have a random dinner party with them!
I love grilled chicken and don’t think that I’ll ever get sick of them!
For me, I have no control around dessert, of course, pretzels, crackers and digestive biscuits. If it’s a carb, I’ll be obsessed!
Liv @ The Salty n’ Sweet recently posted..Do the Doughboy
Ice cream for sure for me too! I also love a giant slice of carrot cake. There’s no sharing when that’s set in front of me.
Amanda (Eating Up) recently posted..Post-Grad Life- Updating the Context of Eating Up
Definately all desserts and bread….I never get sick of either
That chicken looks good!
Definitely ice cream for me. I had a waffle cone the size of my head last night and finished the entire thing. Too good to waste
Cookies are my uncontrollable weakness! If I can have one, why not 5? lol
I defiantly have no control over ice cream. I could eat it ALL DAY!
And thanks for the potato secret!
One of my friends makes this concoction with cool whip and milk soaked chips-a-hoy. It’s like my cryptonite. That and brownies with andes mints melted on top are so deliciously dangerous for me.
Whaaaaaaaat?!? Milk soaked chips-a-hoy?? Holy moly!!
Looks like a fun night! I’m really, really bad with portion sizes when it comes to things like brownies. “One brownie” may equal 1/4 of the pan
I struggle with portion control with both breads and desserts-yummm
Cookies! Once I have one it’s hard to stop, especially the soft chewy ones!
We also grill so much in the summer time – it’s always on!
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey recently posted..grocery shopping blues- summer break style
Does your mom share the recipe? I’d love to try making that! Strawberries are my favorite.
Cupcakes are my weakness. They’re just too good to say no!
Krissie J recently posted..Seeing Green
Yup! I linked to it in the post
Oh! I see that now. I was reading from my Android before. Thanks!
Krissie J recently posted..Seeing Green
I lack self control with ice cream!!! Ohhhh my gosh, especially frozen yogurt. I kind of go crazy. hahaha
Liz @ IHeartVegetables recently posted..Secret Chili Dip Giveaway!
Ive had to stare across the table at that for 23 years
Bahahaha…actually, you haven’t always been across from him. It used to be me
mmm — those taters look tasty!
I don’t have self-control around… any dessert!! hehe
Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run] recently posted..just a reminder
Yes! I know you and I share a similar love of desserts, Hil!
Hey…I was thinking about you actually! I have some coconut oil I need to try out…any good recipes you can recommend??
hmmm… I use it to grease my waffle iron, but I mostly use (a separate jar) it as body moisturizer — hehe. I’ve made muffins with coconut oil. I think you could replace canola oil with coconut oil in nearly any baking recipe
Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run] recently posted..just a reminder
I have such a soft spot for roasted red skins. My hubby’s parents are coming over for dinner tomorrow and I might have to add them to the menu.
I lack control with desserts in general…I need to get better at that.
Kate recently posted..brewery vivant- decoded
That pie is the same as a cake my mom used to make (I called it Jello cake). SO good! Definitely can’t control myself around that either! And ice cream, the worst being vanilla ice cream with maple syrup on it! YUM
Charlie recently posted..Blueberry Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins
Dinner looks great! I’m going to go ahead and safely say I lack control with all desserts and ALWAYS go back for seconds… with that said, I usually just take half of a normal serving and go back twice. Some kind of weird mental thing (OCD maybe?) but whatever, it works for me.
ice cream! It’s physically to stop after a bite…or scoop!
Khushboo recently posted..23 years wiser
*physically impossible
Khushboo recently posted..23 years wiser
Hi Courtney,
I tried thinking of a dessert that answers your question, but really, my philosophy with all desserts that I like is to take the biggest portion I can!! My favorite is banana cream pie, and I always make sure to get there first and take a monster piece.
Lisa
Lisa recently posted..Foods that are not Sunny Seeds but are still Very Good 2
I like your style!
Great tip about soaking the potatoes! Thanks Courtney!
Nicole recently posted..Lake Chabot 5K and Half Marathon
And I lack self control with kettle popcorn smothered in cinnamon and maple syrup
It gets scary sometimes!
Nicole recently posted..Lake Chabot 5K and Half Marathon
Woah, never tried the maple syrup!?! Yum!
I don’t know what it is about desserts, but it is so easy to start with one piece, bite, etc and all of a sudden I’ve consumed so much more than planned!! I would say the worst is with cookie dough while baking – or even the amount that i lick the spoon when making cake/brownies…oh man!!
I am going to have to try the water trick for the potatoes – I have tried it before, but not for 3-4 hours….that may be the key!!
rice krispie treats, I can’t control myself around them. I can eat a whole pan and not blink an eye!!!
Bethany recently posted..Married for One Year!!
COURT!!
I’ve missed ya so much! I’m catching up on all of your past posts, so I hope you don’t mind completely random comments on old posts
Hope all has been well!
xoxo
Holly recently posted..A Sneak Peak into Our Wedding
You’re BAAAAAAACK!!!! Random comments are always welcome from you, girl!
Btw…you looked STUNNING as a bride! Can’t wait to hear about your honeymoon. I’m going to be super jealous reading…especially already knowing that it’s AMAZING there!
Your parents seem like a blast to hang out with! And thanks for the potato tip. I love my potatoes extra crispy!
Parita @ myinnershakti recently posted..Boston for the Day
Wow–looks like that’ll be an amazing first meal to beat. Yummy!
Ice cream and lemon meringue pie. I don’t even try to stop myself, because I know it’s not going to happen.
Which is why they’re never allowed in my house!
You’re dinner looks great.
Wow! What a great idea with the sweet potato fries! I can’t wait to try it.