I don't know how God manages to put up with any of us, actually.
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The plumber arrived at 6:30, just as I was heading out the door to Bunko. I have no idea what he did, but now he's gone and Theo just reported that the shower has spit up again. It doesn't look good, folks.
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I have set up a Facebook account for Anna, which activity required hours of first setting up an account for myself to figure out how everything worked. Then I had to convince Larry that this particular social networking scene seems safe enough (if we monitor it). That took another hour. All so she can gab online...sheesh...who would want to spend time doing that?
She already has more "friends" than me - not that that bothers me or anything...
She already has more "friends" than me - not that that bothers me or anything...
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I know, y'all want to know how my Iron Mom subsistence experiment is going. I have to admit, I did pick up eggs and yogurt and bread yesterday locally. So, that's 30 dollars - still better than the 350 I would have spent at the commissary (I rationalize). Brian cried at dinner because I made him finish his black bean soup before he could have any of Theo's (belated) birthday cake. And I haven't even told the poor kid yet that it's beans all week.
If roasting chickens go on sale for 69 cents a pound, however, I'm getting a couple. I figure that's like Pa Ingalls managing to shoot some game to round out the family diet, right? Or am I rationalizing yet again?
Anyway, someone tell me what to do with a bushel of potatoes, will you? I paid only 24 dollars for them at the Farmers' Market over a week ago, which is an excellent deal in these parts; but Larry doesn't think I'm going to be able to use them all before they rot. So send me your (dairy-free) recipes! I'll try them all.
If roasting chickens go on sale for 69 cents a pound, however, I'm getting a couple. I figure that's like Pa Ingalls managing to shoot some game to round out the family diet, right? Or am I rationalizing yet again?
Anyway, someone tell me what to do with a bushel of potatoes, will you? I paid only 24 dollars for them at the Farmers' Market over a week ago, which is an excellent deal in these parts; but Larry doesn't think I'm going to be able to use them all before they rot. So send me your (dairy-free) recipes! I'll try them all.
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We're making progress with Susie's housebreaking: she still poops in her pants, but she goes outside to do it. Maybe I should just buy her a leash and a pooper-scooper. Whaddaya think?
My husband visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre once. His guide told him that a screw had been loose in one area and it took two years for the six groups involved to agree who had the right to screw it in. Love of Jesus, indeed.
ReplyDeleteSuburban? The Matron must sleep after reading this post.
ReplyDeleteSatan's Familiar is being shipped out to your household.
we do a version of greek roasted potatoes
ReplyDeleteyou just cut the potatoe into wedges.
mix 1/4 c olive oil
about a tsp of garlic powder
1tbsp parmesan cheese
brush the pototoes with above and sprinke with rosemary.
roasted goodness
For some reason, we have always called oven-roasted potatoes "boppies." It's a great idea (minus the parmesan, of course).
ReplyDeletePan roasted potatoes:
ReplyDeletepeel if desired, cube the tatos. place in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any other manner of seasonings you choose. Let starchy goodness absorb the flavors while you get distracted breaking up a fight or tending a boo-boo. Come back and preheat skillet (cast iron preferred but no one has given me one yet so I use the big teflon coated one). At this point I add some oil to the pan for insurance. Throw the potatoes in the pan and brown them a bit. Then cover it to cook till soft, periodically stiring/tossing them.
Potato Soup... you may need to modify MY method here for what you have on hand..like cutting the potatoes yourself instead of using frozen hash brown potatoes. It's what I had on hand, but hopefully you get the idea.
ReplyDeletehttp://feistyirishwench.blogspot.com/2008/10/spuds-to-soup.html
Partner with salads and/or sandwiches and cheap eats that might put them in a food coma. I would like to think you could freeze the soup, but I just don't know. I haven't tried.
And strangely enough, my mother, my daughter and I have eaten raw potatoes sprinkled with salt as a snack. We're odd like that.
ReplyDeleteI had a shower story like that once. It did not end happily.
ReplyDeleteI found a glorious potato recipe at Pioneer Woman Cooks called "Crash Hot Potatoes". My family loves them. Email me if you have trouble finding the link.
ReplyDeleteWe do a similar version of the Greek roasted potatoes except I slice them very thin and lay them out on a large cookie sheet. I then brush melted butter on them, then garlic powder, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Then repeat by adding a few more layers.
ReplyDeleteBake them in the oven until they start to sizzle and turn brown around the edges.
WE call them "screaming potatoes" because of the noise they make when they're baking.
* eggs * potatoes * onion * salt * pepper * olive oil.
ReplyDeleteBoil and slice (or slice and steam) (or use leftover cooked sliced) about 1 potato per person. Slice 1 onion, thinly. Mix potatoes and onions with about 1 egg per person, plus some salt and pepper.
Heat, oh, 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil in a big (but not too heavy - you'll see why) frying pan until it's hot. Tip in the potato and egg mixture, cover, and turn the heat to medium. Leave it until it's cooked more-or-less solid on top.
Here's the fun part, and the reason you needed so much oil: slide the omelet from the frying pan onto the lid, runny-side up. Put the pan upside-down over the lid, and FLIP IT! Put the pan back on the burner, cover it, turn off the heat and let the omelet finish cooking while you set the table and make a salad or something.
It's good with ketchup.
I put rosemary instead of the parmesan.
ReplyDeleteBoiled potatoes with whatever butter replacement you use and mint are surprisingly nice as well.
Its too bad about the dairy, with potatoes it makes a complete protein-try the allrecipe ingredient search. Its awesome.
I have failed at making them grin and bear it, I spent too much money at Kroger's yesterday making it palatable. You do it for me.
ReplyDeleteWe love potato pancakes. I always double this recipe and don't have a lot of leftovers from our 5 people.
Potato Pancakes
4 lg. potatoes (3 lbs.) peeled and rinsed
1 small onion, diced very small
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt, pepper
oil
Shred potatoes. Drain and squeeze dry. Combine eggs, flour, salt and pepper with potatoes and onion. Mix well.
In 12" skillet in hot oil, cook potato mixture, 1/4c. at a time. Flatten. Cook until golden, turn, brown other side.
I put them in the oven at 250-300 while I finish the others. You want to cook them slowly so they get cooked through.
I love to do breakfast tacos with potatoes - dice them and cook them up (if I'm in a hurry, I par-bake them in the microwave and then dice them up and brown them in some olive oil on the stove top). After the potatoes are browned, I add in chopped onion and peppers to soften and then pour whisked eggs over the mixture and stir. Season with salt and pepper and cumin. Serve on warm tortillas with cheese if you please. You could also par boil the potatoes and dice them and then flash freeze them for use later.
ReplyDeleteWe did a semi-irish stew the other night .. thinly sliced cooking onions (2-3), thinly sliced potatoes(1-2lb), quartered potatoes(1-2 lb) .. and to make it only semi-irish, i used pork loin(2 1/2lb), instead of lamb for the meat. (made dinner for 2 1/2, plus enough leftovers for 2 lunches, and a toddler dinner)
ReplyDeletelayer the onion, thin potatoes, and meat over and over, seasoning with pepper & salt in between. cover with water until just over/at the top layer, put to boil. cover and let simmer for 1 3/4 hour. Take the rest of the potatoes, and put them on top to steam, cover, and simmer for another 3/4 hour.
The thin potatoes break up and become the gravy part of the stew, with the chunks retaining their form. It's a bit oniony, but thats easily remedied. And I dont see anything in the rules that says you can't add anything else in there like carrots and whatnot!
oooh.. that will teach me to not read the entire post before posting ...
ReplyDeletemy daughter did the outside thing with the pooping too .. because we told her that the doggies go outside .. and she didnt understand why she couldnt .. so we just put a potty outside for her. unfortunately, it had to go in the front yard (sorry neighbors!) as we lack a back yard .. but .. it worked!
Sorry, but I can't eat potatoes unless slathered with butter and/or cheese.
ReplyDeleteNo recipe for you (other than to second Funny Farmer's suggestion), but I'm right there with you on the housebreaking. Our almost-4 YO does everything BUT poop on the toilet. What gives???
ReplyDeleteBaked potatoes with cream-style corn over the top is a nice hot snack (or meal)of carb-loading comfort food.
ReplyDeleteI make mashed potatoes with dairy free margarine and chicken broth. They're a bit thinner than the milk/cream version, but a tasty gravy fixes that right up.
Potatoes don't freeze well, imo. But you can can them. Once canned they're pretty much devoid of any nutrients and their consistency is only good for casseroles or infant food, but at least they're not wasted.
I do miss potatoes. I could seriously eat them every day, in any form. *sob*
potato latkes, of course! Mom24 beat me to this and gave the recipe (mine is similar, only I always double up and skip onions). And you have a homemade apple sauce to go with it (I prefer sour cream, but alas dairy...) So that works with the experiment.
ReplyDeleteI can only find her facebook account, not yours. Friend me - I can up your numbers, LOL.
ReplyDeleteI'm all about the Outdoor Toddler Potty Training Program--I may hold the original patent--I hereby give you permission to use this methodology with my blessings....
ReplyDeleteHugs!
If I'm not already your friend, I'd be honored to be: Luke Holzmann
ReplyDelete~Luke
can you make bread with potatoes?
ReplyDeleteApparently, you can freeze mashed potatoes.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cheapcooking.com/potatoes-baked-fried-mashed.htm
I haven't tried it, but it sounds reasonable. (Potatoes don't even grow where I live!)
And I'm having Crash Hot Potatoes for dinner TONIGHT! WOW!!!
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/
She goes outside? That's pretty interesting...
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many times God just rolls His eyes.
You are so devoted to your family's meals. I am in awe. Last night I piled them into the Momvan and brought them to the local diner for breakfast for dinner.
Mmmm... hash browns. Make those.
ReplyDeleteLots and lots of french fries and hashbrowns.
ReplyDeleteWhen chicken is $.69/lb, I buy all I can. This has nothing to do with sticking to a budget (short term) and everything to do with keeping my freezer full for the long term. Darn children and their incessant need to eat!
ReplyDeleteOo, howbout a sort of tomato-based stew with potatoes and green beans? I've made this eleventy different ways, with tomato juice, or fresh tomatoes and vegetable broth, or canned tomatoes and chicken broth. Cook chopped onions and green beans (the broad, flat kind are better) in olive oil until well-coated, throw in a bunch of chopped potatoes, and enough tomato-substance + whatever other liquid to cover, boil, simmer, done.
ReplyDeleteWe also make potato-leek soup fairly often. Just potatoes, leeks, broth, salt, and pepper. I eat it with a bit of butter floating on the surface, but the rest of the family looks at me funny, so I suppose it's fine without the butter too.
Hmmm...dairy free? I guess this one wouldn't work...unless you get those lactose intolerent kids outta the house:
ReplyDeletehttp://chefmom.blogspot.com/2005/11/party-potatoes.html
(I know, I just stumbled upon it today, and holy goodness! Props to Suburban Turmoil)
Buuuuuut....if you don't mind making pizza dough (I buy mine at TJs, but it looks like you only need flour, water, yeast, and EVOO to make it...and maybe lots of patience...), I present my tasty potato flatbread/pizza:
**I'm not giving ingredient amounts because a) your family is bigger than most groups I cook for and b) it's really the chef's preference/taste...
Stretch pizza dough over a pizza pan or baking sheet, per instruction. Peel potatoes & slice thin. Spread out on pizza dough. In a separate pan, carmelize 1-2 onions with some EVOO & spread on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle rosemary (fresh is great, but dried works too) over everything & finish with a drizzle of olive oil & some salt & pepper to taste.
I bake @ 350 for 25-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
(For those who can eat dairy, dot with feta or goat cheese! And if you want to go totally gourmet, end with a drizzle of white truffle honey ohmygod. I should really start a blog one of these days...)
wow thats a great price on chickens! stock up now....just stopping by to say since i havent been by ina while...
ReplyDeleteI think you said you were a veteran so I wanted to wish you a Happy Veterans Day and so thanks to you and your family for all you have done for our country...little or big!!
ReplyDeleteYou can always bottle them. If you want to know how let me know and I will send you the instructions. My sister loves them!
ReplyDeleteThis is very like the outstanding potato leek soup that a friend of mine makes: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1748,128178-252194,00.html
ReplyDeleteLeftover mashed potatoes can be used in bread. Also, pot pie!
I love a baked potato as a substrate for chili.
(And I'm definitely going to try the Greek roasted potato recipe - yum!)
Haven't been here to see you in a while. Just thought I would tell you what I did with my 3 boys when I was potty training them. When I finally got serious about it I made them clean their underwear in the toilet because I was done with that. They were potty trained in less than two weeks. I'm not saying I potty trained each at the same time just when each one's time came that's how it worked for me. I tried it when they were about 2 and then once or twice after that but then (I know people will think I was wrong to wait this long) after they each turned four that was it for me and I did as I just mentioned. You might try it with your Susie if you are really set on getting her done with the potty training.
ReplyDeleteI think God puts up with us all the same way we put up with our kids. I think the pooper scooper is workable till it gets colder, then she'll probably balk at going outside. As for potatoes, I will have to hunt down the best recipe for a great tortilla from Spain recipe. Not the Mexican kind, the big fat potato dish kind. And I have a great Chilean casserole, Pastel de papas similar to shepherds pie, but mmmmmh! And you have to try a version of the great Utah tradition, the funeral potato. That's just off the top of my head, I'll try to get you recipes before all your potatoes rot. :)
ReplyDelete