Baked Potato

When I first was married to my husband, I decided to serve baked potatoes for supper. I made all these toppings for a potato bar. All the toppings were in little dishes so we could specialize our own meal. The problem was I hadn't cooked the potatoes all the way. I even tried to cook the potatoes longer but it seemed like they were never going to cook. The potatoes tasted raw. The toppings weren't going to make dinner any better. Since that terrible meal, my husband would say I can cook anything but a baked potato. He thought it was a funny joke. Mashed potatoes? No, problem. Hash Browns? No, problem. Even fries were no problem. I hadn't attempted a baked potato again. Well, now my husband said I redeemed myself. I can make a baked potato and it was good! The potato was fluffy and fully cooked. Now, he will have to find something else to give me a hard time about like maybe always being late.

Baked Potato
4 large russet potatoes
Vegetable oil for coating
Toppings: bacon, sour cream, butter, cheddar cheese, green onions, chives, broccoli, etc.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Wash and scrub the potatoes. 
3. Dry thoroughly. 
4. With a fork, poke 10 holes all over the potato.
5. Coat the potatoes with the vegetable oil.
6. Place the potatoes on a middle rack.
7. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the skin feels crisp but the flesh inside the potato is soft.
8. Serve hot but be careful of the steam when splitting the potato open.

Recipe adapted from Alton Brown.

One year ago.........................I made Four Chip Cookies.
Two years ago.......................I made Peaches and Cream Cake.
Three years ago.....................I made White Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins.
Four years ago......................I made Ultimate Streusel Cake.

Did you already know..........................
-In the world, the potato is the 4th largest food crop.
-In Peru, the Inca Indians were the first to cultivate the potato.
-The Inca Indians used potatoes for medicinal remedies from toothaches to promote the healing of broken bones. 

Irish Breakfast

Have you ever been to Ireland? Someday I'll visit but not today. Instead, I figured I would try making a breakfast like one in Ireland. I will admit I didn't look hard for black pudding (blood sausage) or white pudding (sausage with oatmeal). My son selected apple chicken sausage. Yes, we know this isn't an authentic Irish meal just similar. The kids thought this was pretty cool. My husband thought it was good. I can see the similarity between the Irish breakfast and the American breakfast.

 Irish Breakfast
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 package of bacon
1 package of sausage
1 package of black pudding and white pudding
1 can of beans
4 tomatoes
4 boiled potatoes
4 eggs

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat.
2. Cook the bacon until done but not crisp.
3. Remove the bacon and place onto a plate lined with paper towels.
4. Place the bacon in the oven in the warming section to keep warm.
5. Cook the sausage until golden brown. Add the sausage to the bacon.
6. In a saucepan, heat the beans on low heat.
7. Add the tomatoes to the pan and brown until golden. Place with the bacon.
8. Slice the potatoes into the pan and brown until golden.
9. Remove the potatoes and place on the plate to serve.
10. Fry the egg and cook to desired doneness.
11. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Food Ireland.

One year ago.......................I made Creamed Spinach Soup.
Two years ago.....................I made Lasagna French Bread Pizza.
Three years ago...................I made White on White Buttermilk Cupcakes.

Did you already know.....................
-Natural redheads make up 9% of the Irish population.
-In Ireland, the longest river is Shannon.
-In Gaelic, surnames with Mac or O' mean the son or grandson of.

Zuppa Toscana

Alright, I will admit I have never had the Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup. I always pick minestrone especially in the winter time. So, I can not personally say this recipe taste like the restaurant's version. All I can say is I liked it. It is creamy. It is filling. The kids liked it. It has a vegetable in it. It is an easy dish to make. It is a great soup. I served biscuits with the soup.

Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana
4 bacon stripes 
1 lb. Italian sausage
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 quart water
2 large russet potatoes, cut inot 1/4 inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups swiss chard, chopped
1 cup light cream

Directions:

1. In a large pot, brown the bacon until crisp.
2. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside onto a paper lined plate.
3. Add the sausage and brown.
4. Add the garlic and onion. Saute for a couple of minutes. 
5. Add the chicken broth and the water. 
6. Add the potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
8. Simmer for 10 minutes. 
9. Reduce heat to low. Add the swiss chard and cream.
10. Cook for a few minutes until the soup is heated.

Recipe adapted from Food.com.

One year ago.............................I made No Bake Peanut Butter Bars.
Three years ago.........................I made Penguin Cupcakes

Did you already know................
-In 1982, the first Olive Garden opened in Orlando, Florida.
-Olive Garden is the third largest restaurant chain.
-Olive Garden's parent company is Darden.

Radish and Potato Soup

Yes, you did read the title right. I made radish and potato soup. Yes, I know I normally make a lot of sweets but I have to surprise you once in a while. I will admit radishes aren't my vegetable of choice but I received a lot of radishes lately in my CSA share. The radishes had the leaves still attached and I hadn't realized the leaves are edible. When I made the soup, the kids liked it. They even had a second bowl. Just remember, this soup is very mild but comforting. Yes, I would make it again but I probably will add some sausage to it.

Radish and Potato Soup
1 Tbsp butter, unsalted
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup radish leaves
4 cups chicken broth 
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
optional garnish: thinly sliced radish

Directions:

1. In a large pot, melt the butter.
2. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes.
3. Add the potato and saute for 1 minute.
4. Stir in the radish leaves and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the chicken broth and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Remove cover and from heat. With a potato masher/Immersion Blender, mash for a few minutes.
7. Stir in the milk. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.

One year ago................................I made Red, White, and Blue cupcakes.

Nice Photo!

Did you already know..................
-Since 700 B.C., radishes have been cultivated.
-The Ancient Egyptians and Greeks ate radishes.
-From seedling, radishes take only 30 days to harvest.

Hash Brown Potatoes

It has been unusually cold here. Yes, I know I live in Maine. Yes, I know it is cold here but not this cold. Well, we try to keep the house pretty warm. It helps to bake a lot in the winter too! I can't always tell if my children are warm enough since my oldest will wear shorts no matter the temperature outside. I just want to make sure the younger children are warm enough. This weekend when we were listening to the music countdown my son decided he should substitute his own words for the songs. He did pretty well but I had a feeling maybe the house was a little too warm for he was singing, "I'm so toasty" and "Cozy, I'm cozy warm". I really liked the dancing too. Another way to stay warm is to make these hash brown potatoes. My family really liked them but next time I'm going to use left over potatoes to save time so we will be eating breakfast and not a late brunch. Stay warm!

Hash Brown Potatoes
6 potatoes, peeled and washed
1 onion
1 tsp paprika 
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
vegetable oil for the skillet

1. In a medium pot, add the potatoes and fill with water until the potatoes are cover. 
2. Cover and boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
3. Shred the potatoes and then rinse well under water.
4. Drain and pat the potatoes dry.
5. Shred the onion and pat dry. 
6. In a medium bowl, mix the potatoes, onion, paprika, salt, and pepper.
7. In a large skillet, heat over medium heat.
8. Add about 1 tsp of oil and allow to heat for a minute.
9. Scoop about one spoon full of potato mixture and pack into a tight disk.
10. Add the potato disk carefully into the heated oil.  (I cooked about 3 disks at a time before repeating.)
11. Cook the potato hash brown for about 2 minutes per a side or until golden brown.
12. Flip the hash brown and cook the other side until golden brown.
13. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate for about a minute.
14. Serve warm. 

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker cookbook.
One year ago...................I made Mushroom Burgers.

Did you already know.....
-Hash Brown Potatoes are a variation of Swedish Roesti.
-Hash Browns are a great way to use left over cooked potatoes.
-Hash Browns are a popular breakfast food found in diners.

Rosemary French Fries

I would rather have french fries than chocolate. (My youngest daughter would disagree since nothing beats chocolate.) If I eat out with my Mom, she always shares her french fries with me if they are absent from my order. Isn't she the best? She also said she craved french fries with me. 

 Now, I know french fries are not the healthiest food out there. I don't count them as a serving of vegetables to my children. We try to limit fast food to our children. (The main reason is my son would rather I cook something that will taste good. He has told me so.) 

 Once in a great while, I will buy frozen french fries. They don't always taste the best. So, I went to one of my trusted sources and searched french fries. Sure enough, I found one and had to try it. 

 When my husband tried this recipe, he said I should always make our fries this way. I agree with him. I will never buy frozen fries again. I will probably attempt to make sweet potato fries without the rosemary. 

Rosemary French Fries
6 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into even lengthwise wedges
5 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more for seasoning)
1/4 tsp pepper
11/2 Tbsp rosemary, chopped


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. 
2. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl.
3. Cover with hot water.
4. Allow potatoes to soak for at least 10 minutes but up to 30 minutes.
5. Coat the bottom of a baking sheet with 4 Tbsp of vegetable oil.
6. Sprinkle the pan with the salt, pepper, and 1 Tbps rosemary. Set aside.
7. Drain the potatoes.
8. Pat dry the potatoes well.
9. Toss the potatoes with the remaining 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil and 1/2 Tbsp of rosemary.
10. Arrange the potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
11. Cover the baking sheet with foil and bake for 5 minutes.
12. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes.
13. Rotate the baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes.
14. Flip the fries over and bake for another 5 to 15 and until golden and crisp.
15. Remove from oven and transfer onto a paper towel lined plate. 
16. Season with additional salt to taste. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats and originally recipe found at The New Best Recipe cookbook.

Did you already know..............
-At a White House dinner, Thomas Jefferson requested potatoes made in the French way to be served.
-Potatoes are grown in all 50 states.
-The potato was the first vegetable grown in space.

Potato Latkes

Our school system always have a winter concert. The music teacher introduces many different songs for the holiday. When my youngest daughter was in elementary school, she learned the Dreidel song. She would sing it all the time. 

My daughter also has loved potato pancakes. So, I figured it would be a good night to make up a batch. I like mine with sour cream but my daughter disagrees. She thinks they taste better with apple sauce.

Potato Latkes
5 russet potatoes, peeled
1/2 onion
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable oil
salt for season

Directions

1. Add the potatoes with the onion to a food process and shred
2. Turn the potatoes onto a clean kitchen towel and wring all the excess water out.
3. Add the potatoes to a bowl.
4. Add the eggs, flour, and salt to the potatoes and mix well.
5. Heat about 1/8 of the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
6. Add a scoop of the potato mixture and allow to brown.
7. Flip the potato to the other side and allow to brown.
8. Remove from the skillet and place on a plate with paper towels on it.
9. Season with salt.
10. Serve with sour cream, apple sauce, or any other desired topping.

Source adapted from Epicurious.

Did you already know..........
-A dreidel is a spinning top with four sides.
-The dreidel game is played during the Hanukkah holiday.
-Each side of the dreidel has a Hebrew letter on it.  
-The object of the game is to bet which letter the dreidel will land on when it stops spinning.
-The word dreidel originated from the German word drehen which means to turn.

Happy Hanukkah and Happy Holidays!

Cheesy Potato Gratin

I have an evasive teenager. I bring out the camera and she disappears. My mother is the same way so I am unsure if it a learned behavior or an inherited one. There are probably more photos of Bigfoot than my daughter as a teenager. I guess I could hide and wait for her to go by. A lot of the photos of my teenager, she thinks she is a movie star and holds up her hand so the photo can not be used or sold. 

My children especially my teenager likes to help in the kitchen. For some reason, my phone seems to ring when I'm cooking. I hear a lot of "Mom, it is important. The person on the phone wants to talk to you." When I pick up the phone, the call could have waited. You are probably wondering why we don't have a cordless phone. We do but it is always missing. Bigfoot probably is using it somewhere.

I saw this recipe and wanted to try it before Thanksgiving. It didn't happen but I am glad I made it this weekend. It is very, good especially with leftover Turkey.

Cheesy Potato Gratin


1 Tbsp butter, unsalted
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 Tbsp flour, all purpose
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese, grated


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
3. Add the chopped shallot and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the flour and stir. Cook for about 1 minute.
5. Slowly, stir in the chicken stock and cream.
6. Add the Gruyere cheese and thyme. Stir until the cheese has melted.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Add the potatoes and gently stir to coat the potatoes with the cheese mixture.
9. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
10. Remove the lid and transfer the potatoes to a oven safe dish.
11. Sprinkle the Parmigiano cheese on top.
12. Cook uncovered for about 30 to 35 minutes until the edges are bubbling.
13. Let cool for 15 minutes

Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma.  

 Did you already know.................
-There are Bigfoot Field Researchers.
-Another name for Bigfoot is sasquatch which means "wild man".
-Bigfoot is purportedly to be native to the Pacific Northwest of North
America.
-The scientific community have no evidence of the existence of Bigfoot, sasquatch, or Yeti sightings.