Do you ever get a case of the grumpies?  You grumble, mumble and lash out.  You can’t be cheered up no matter what anyone says or does.  You may even start to react violently and fling scrambled eggs across the room.  (What kind of lunatic does that…um…thanks for cleaning mine up, Honey.)

I had a really bad case yesterday.  I woke up in a mood and was not going to get happy no matter what.  I was like a 92-pound lump of grump.  (Pretty much anything said to me resembled a bee in a jar….I was buzzing and ready to sting.)

I felt bad for my hubby because even though he was not the cause of the cantankerous behavior…he was definitely my punching bag.  As my irritability was not going to waiver, he did the best thing he could….hide.  (Sort of like a scary movie where the victim is squatting in the corner of the closet hoping the monster doesn’t find them….but she does!)

My grouchery then was making me sad because I usually don’t get like this and felt disappointed in myself that I could not get off this slippery slope.  I love the feeling I have when I’m good humored and smiling and this other emotion cyclone was not my thing.

So, when I got up today, I was determined not to be prickly and just make it a better day but alas it was Monday.  Arghh!  I can’t do this again…. desperate times call for desperate measures.  I had to get my mood switch flipped and I had to do it fast….I needed to eat French fries.  I’m sure any of my arm chair psychologist friends would say you shouldn’t comfort food eat….but it was either this or go back into attack mode.

The good thing was that I had some leftover fries from Sam & Harry’s that were in the fridge.  (Normally, I would not get my fries in a take home box but Sam & Harry’s has really excellent fries and it would be a crime to waste even one of them.) 

Reheating them was a very delicate operation.  If I didn’t do it right, I could get crabby again and no one wants that.  If I did it right, I could make something good come out of this whole grumpy episode.  I could become the recycled French fry hero!!!

I first thought I’d just bake them in the oven but decided that it could turn into a hot box of horror if I didn’t do it correctly.  I didn’t know what temperature to use or how long to cook them.  If I burnt them, there would be no going back….I’d be testy and hungry.  If they came out mushy, I’m not sure I would just get frustrated again and fling them across the room.  (And since it was Monday, my hubby would be at work and not here to pick them out of the blinds.)

I knew the microwave was out because all that produces is a screaming hot, stick of starch.  (And I already am a screaming hot stick of starch…ooooo….that could be my rapper name.)

So, the stovetop would be my only option.  Thinking this out rationally or as rationally as anyone who is trying to reheat French fries, I thought that they would already have some “oil” on them from being fried.  I squeezed one to be sure.  It wasn’t dripping oil but I could feel it on the fry so I know I was good.

I put a nonstick pan over medium high heat for a minute so it would get nice and hot.  While the pan was heating up, I chopped up the fries.  When the pan was hot, I added the fries.  I let them cook about 2 minutes untouched and then I scooted them about in the pan.  I would let them sit again for a couple minutes and then scoot them about.  When I noticed the chopped part of the fry starting to brown, I added a BIG handful of grated cheese and a couple slices of cooked bacon.  (A couple meaning 4 because it was Monday and I was sad.)  I let the cheese get a little crispy and then I removed it from the heat.

I put the whole thing in a bowl and sprinkled it with some chives and then slowly took my first bite.  This bite was everything…if it was bad….I think I would have flipped out….if it was good…I would never look at leftover French fries the same again.

These leftover fries were……….. EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!  It was like a bowl of bacon potato hash.  The only thing that would have made it better would have been a poached egg on top.  (But we know now that bad moods and eggs don’t go together.)

I think you could get creative and mix in any of your favorite things like ham, broccoli, sour cream or even ranch.  Whatever you want….

This concludes my bad mood and in the future, I know that if I feel this way again…I’ll fry if I want to!