Homemade Mashed Taters

well, I had a lovely recipe for you ladies today

when making mashed taters I normally don't have a recipe, I just do everything to taste

well I got to work measuring and writing everything down, taking pictures and making sure that this post would be awesome. 

I wrote down the times I started and the time that it was finished so you would know how long it took to prep and cook this dish.

BUT when I went to take it out of my home management notebook, said recipe was nowhere to be found!

What good is a  home management notebook if you can't find what you need?!

lol

So I'm going to try as hard as possible to remember errathang that went down

we really like homemade potatoes. It might take a lot longer to make, but I know whats going into my food.

I know some people don't consider mashed potatoes a healthy dish, but it's healthier than you think

since it's homemade

This recipe will give you a lot of leftovers but its better to be safe than sorry

Cast of Characters: 

(serves 4)

4 potatoes

 1/4 - 1/2 cup milk

4 TBS butter

1/2 - 1 tsp paprika {or just enough to make it pink} optional

1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder

2 TBS mayo, totally optional if you want to keep it "skinny"

1 TBS salt, or to taste

get a really big pot.... as big as you can get it.

this is a Paula Deen stock pot I got for Christmas :)

peel and dice your potato. It doesn't matter to what size, as long as they're all equal in size

Place them in the pot

THEN add water, just enough to cover

put on the lid, but leave some space for the steam to release

Sometimes I get a little carried away and forgot to take pictures... sorry

set your eye to med-high heat and let water come to a boil, with taters in it

once it comes to a boil allow for 20-30 minutes or until tender

drain in a colander

Place in a large bowl or a stand mixer bowl

Start mixing in stand mixer on a low level or with electric mixer

add milk, butter and mayo until desired consistency is met

add salt and garlic powder. 

stop mixer for taste test

then add paprika

place them in a serving dish. If they're ready a little early you can place tin foil over them to keep warm

I started peeling the potatoes and at 5:41 and I set them on the table at 6:24

If you make them, let me know how they turn out for you :)

Chops :)

Found a recipe that bestilled my heart! and I knew that soon we would be fast friends! 

{Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Chops} were on my table that night! 

I used bone-in pork chops because that's what I had on hand...

I just adjusted the pan fry time for 10 minutes on each side to make sure it was cooked all the way through

and please make sure you set your eye to med-low because you don't want your sugar to burn! 

Isntead of cooking it in the pan next time I think I'll try a griddle because I can cook them all at the same time

I served it with yellow rice and green beans.

This is obviously the hubby's plate full of goodness

I made some yummy rolls, but didn't document anything because I didn't know how they would turn out...

Next time I make them I promise I will blog it! 

Happy Halloween :)

Breakfast On the Go

I've been trying to add a lot more of my family's recipes onto my blog, because let's face it! We all LOVE food... and there ain't nothin' wrong with that

I found {this} recipe for breakfast burritos and thought it was pretty yummy lookin'.

and it WAS yummy, but I also had a LOT of problems with it

There was a LOT of prep

the hashbrowns turned into mashed taters

and the bacon was chewy

So I "came up" with my own... This is what I picture when I think of breakfast burrito

1 lb breakfast sausage

12 eggs

1/2 bag - 1 bag of spinach {optional}

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

12 flour tortillas

saran wrap

2 gallon size freezer bags

that's it ! 

brown and drain your sausage

chop spinach and add to eggs

whisk eggs together and scramble

assemble ingredients on your workstation

warm your tortillas, they are so much easier to work with warm {I put 6 at a time in the micro and warmed them for 40 seconds}

Some assembly required
and yes, Im watchin YT lol

Add desired amount of sausage, egg, and cheese to each tortilla and roll!

seal it up in saran wrap

I placed 6 in each bag
and added a leftover already from the freezer
Freeze until you need them.

Place in microwave for 2-3 minutes with wrapper still on

My hubby eats these in the patrol car while he's workin
and that makes me happy knowin he can get somethin' in his tummy instead of waiting for break

he texts me often telling me how much he appreciates them :)

Let me know how they turn out for you if you try them! 

homemade comfort meal

I had Patty Melts on the menu last night, but I didn't have any swiss cheese and I was NOT running to the store for just that so I improvised... and I give you, absolute heaven

if you knew me in real life you would know I LOVE chicken. especially dark meat.

when I found {this} recipe for perfect chicken via Pinterest I fell in love with it

But if I can avoid chicken breast, I will

so decided to put my twist on it

I'm thinking about making this a permanent spice in my cabinet

 because I've used it three times in the passed week

Cast of Characters

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

Add the seasoning to a resealable bag full of thawed chicken legs

Next, add 3-4 TBS of lemon juice 

refrigerate for at least 2 hours

 Spray or butter 9x13 dish and bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, turn legs over and bake 30 more minutes

I love to serve with broccoli and {homemade} mashed taters

Now on to your taters:::

4 Idaho taters

4 TBS butter

salt to taste

milk or cream to taste

1 clove garlic/ 1 tsp garlic powder optional

Peel and cube taters

Place in boiling water for 20-30 minutes or until a fork can pierce the tater easily

drain water

mash taters in bowl and add butter and salt to taste

mixture will be somewhat dry, so add milk/cream 1 TBS at a time until desired texture is achieved

{we like a lump here or there of tater}

if you like garlic taters add that seasoning now

Prepare your broccoli however you prefer it. We buy the frozen Winn Dixie brand and prepare it according to package directions

This meal is so simple on a night when you don't really feel like having to babysit your stove. It's simple enough that the kids won't be scared to ask "What's in this?" {even your husband-age children}

When I hear that, I know dinner's gonna be a failure! 

If you try it, leave me a comment and let me know how you and your fam jam liked it!