The following content is sponsored through a partnership with the Washington State Potato Commission.
All opinions expressed are solely those of Raquel DeHoyos.
I'm not convinced that we have to wait until the New Year to start on resolutions. I started early and gave up Christmas, or rather, all the materialistic hype that accompanies it, in exchange for a holiday that's restful sans spending, decorating like mad, hopped up on too much Santa Baby music and dashing through the snow from one party to the next. A friend brought me the most beautiful and delicious Christmas cookies the other day so I even got to scratch that item off my list. It's not that I don't enjoy this time of year, it's actually one of my favorites, but this year I needed something a little different, something that would jump-start my intentions even before most of us get out of the gate in January, because as I'm beginning to realize, life is happening all around us, right here, right now in this very instant, so why are we waiting for a certain time to be willing participants in it?
So while many of you are battling the lines at the mall or staying up late to order gifts on-line, I've been waking up to the sound of quiet, taking morning walks and watching the rose-colored sunrises slowly paint the skies above the nearby mountains. I'm remembering what my morning tea tastes like as I sip it slowly, one unhurried swallow after another. I'm lingering in steamy bubble baths allowing my mind to just ponder what's next. It's a beautiful thing, this space between changes in our lives. It has its own sense of wonder and energy just like what people feel impressed on to create during the holidays even perhaps when they don't or can't. An early change in tradition is worth it, my friends. I'm certain we'll all be the better for it in the long run.
Instead of baking cookies this year, I've been baking potatoes. But, these sesame sriracha fries with jalapeno cream are not your ordinary kind of potato. If you must go to all of those holiday parties or, heaven forbid, host one of your own, consider knocking out this recipe and saving yourself a little sanity and time. This recipe has bold flavors that are exciting enough to stand up to any glitzy canape and guaranteed to disappear as soon as they waft through the room, and before they even have a chance to cool on the platter. For this and other festive recipes, visit the Washington State Potato Commission. And if you absolutely insist on going all in this holiday, be sure to enjoy it with the people you love, maybe with a batch or two of these tasty fries to round things out for good measure.
