Make-ahead mashed potatoes.

I'm getting off pretty easy this year for Thanksgiving.  My folks just moved into a new house this summer and we're gathering there for Thanksgiving.  The last few years, we've hosted.  And to say I like to go overboard on the menu is an understatement--all of the magazines I get tempt me with fabulous looking recipes...and before I know it, I'm making a dozen things in varying textures and tastes, both savory and sweet.  And that's just the appetizers.

My folks will have an abundant spread, to be sure.  But it'll be nice and traditional, no frou frou.  Good, delicious, time-tested family dishes--everything from feel and memory.  In fact, my mind simply cannot form the image of my parents cooking in their kitchen while referring to a recipe in a magazine or cookbook.  You might as well ask me to picture myself eating nothing but raw celery (the one veggie I cannot stand--and it does so have a flavor). 

Along with my sister-in-law, I get to bring dessert.  I'm also allowed to bring one or two starters.  This means I'll bring five.  And they asked me to make the mashed potatoes!!  I about fell over.  But then I remembered that I recently made mashed potatoes for them (using the below recipe) and my mom and I "tasted for seasoning" a good quarter of the dish before it made it to the table.  And then I caught her licking the mixing bowl.

This recipe initially caught my eye because you can make it ahead and store in your fridge for up to 2 days--when planning a large meal, this really works for me.  But even if I'm serving it immediately, it's the only recipe I use because it is amazing.  Once you see the quantity of butter and cream, I doubt you'll doubt that.  Plus, it's from Cook's Illustrated--enough said, right? 

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoess

from Cook's Illustrated

Note:  bake the potatoes until they are completely tender; err on the side of over (rather than under) cooking.

Ingredients

• 5 lbs russet baking potatoes (evenly sized), scrubbed and poked several times with a fork
• 3 cups heavy cream, hot (** sometimes I use a cup of half and half but I've never replaced all of the cream)
• 8 tbl (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• salt (I use kosher) & pepper to taste

1.  Adjust oven rack to the middle position; preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2.  Microwave potatoes on high power for 16 minutes, turning over halfway through the cooking time.  Transfer to the oven, placing directly on the hot oven rack (use tongs).  Bake until a skewer glides easily through the flesh, about 30 minutes, flipping over halfway through the baking time (do not under cook).

3.  Remove potatoes from oven and cut each potato in half lengthwise.  Using an oven mitt or folded kitchen towel to hold the hot potato, scoop out all of the flesh into a medium bowl.  Break the cooked potato flesh into small pieces.

4.  Transfer half of the potatoes to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds, gradually adding the rest of the potatoes to incorporate, until completely smooth and no lumps remain, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides and bottom as needed (you can use a hand mixer instead but lumps will remain). 

5.  Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in 2 cups of cream, followed by the butter and 2 teaspoons of salt (this is for kosher salt--start with a lot less if you are using table salt).  Gently fold in up to 1/2 cup more of the cream as needed to reach your desired consistency.  If you are serving immediately, you are done--so dive in.  If storing--continue:  Once the desired serving consistency is reached, gently fold in an additional 1/2 cup cream (the potatoes will be quite loose...don't worry).

6.  To store:  transfer potatoes to a large microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

7.  To serve:  poke lots of holes in the plastic wrap with the tip of a knife, and microwave at medium-high (75 percent) power until the potatoes are hot, about 14 minutes, stirring gently half-way through the reheating time.  Add salt and pepper to taste--always stirring gently.  Enjoy!

*check out more "works for me" ideas over at We Are THAT Family.

Wash and repeat.

I have not been online much the last few days because it's been one of those weeks.

Our washer is about to fall apart and our dryer is not far behind.  The washer works, randomly, on roughly a 1 to 4 ratio.  When it doesn't work, I have to put it through again.  Which is awesome.  Because increasing my laundry challenge by 25%--even though there is no actual increase in laundry volume--is exactly what I need to keep this house humming.  To be fair, it really wouldn't be that bad if our 19-month-old would stop thinking it's hilarious to use his sleeve to smoosh food into everything--walls, hair, furniture..everything.  I'm desperately trying to make it until after Thanksgiving because I hear Sears is having a very good deal on front loader sets for Black Friday.  Check out other Black Friday advance ads here.

Now if you are wondering how a little hiccup in laundry could take me down and basically offline all week, well then, all I have to say is, can I come over?  Because if you cannot relate, it tells me that you must live in the kind of space that I would like to visit.   Like, now.  So put some tea on.

I did manage to stay on track on some holiday shopping and even took advantage of some deals--here are some I thought I should pass along.

Our Target has the Leapfrog Tag reading system on sale for $39.99.  You can stack Target's $10 off coupon with Leapfrog's $10 off coupon--making the system a great gift for any pre-readers on your holiday shopping list.  Plus, Amazon and Toys R Us have Tag books for under $10 right now.

Have you tried Zoya lipglosses?  Love them.  Natural and vegan friendly plus tons of colors, ya da ya da.  I heard about a promotion for some freebies.  I thought it was supposed to end on Nov 13th.  But I tried it today and it still went through--I think it now runs until Nov. 15th so hurry.  Detes:  3 full sized tubes in your choice of color, free.  They usually go for $6 each, but right now, if you go here to order, then enter LIPS in the discount code, you just pay $6.95 shipping.  Hello stocking stuffers (no.  Not for the boys).

I'm putting together a gift basket for a new mom-to-be.  The gift is from a group so I wanted to pull together lots of useful but cute items.  One thing I found were these beautiful nursing covers from Uddercovers.  And, if you use promo code 1FREE it should be free-- again, you pay shipping ($8.95).  Note that even though it appeared as if I was ordering the Carson design, I received the Jones pattern.  But I'm not complaining--I'm sure they are just sending whatever they have in abundance.  This is a super deal because they are great nursing covers and usually retail for $32.  I have no idea how long the promo will run.  I'm on the lookout for more goodies--so far, I haven't made a dent in what we collected, but the basket is already getting full.

Last, have you tried Cheryl & Co. cookies?  We use them a lot for gifts.  If you'd like to try a sample, go here to order 6 free assorted cookies (you pay $6.95 shipping).  It's a great way to sample their goodies, even if you've had them many, many times (ahem).   Plus, you get a $10 off coupon for a future order.

Back to the laundry.

Baby steps, knitting.

I mentioned in a prior post that I picked up my knitting needles.  Again.  But I think--I think--that this time it finally clicked.  Actually, scratch that.  You know how sometimes you dare not say things out loud for fear of jinxing it?  It's like that.

My grandmother, on my father's side, was of German descent.  And she taught me the basics of knitting when I was a child.  I was ten or so, I'd guess.  She taught me in the Continental style because that's what she did.  Sitting beside her, I managed to knit some dish cloths and pot holders.  Even a wallet, though my stitches were so loose and uneven that the coins fell right out--talk about a bummer, not to mention a lesson in irony. 

After I learned to knit, I'm pretty sure I liked the process well enough.  And my grandmother was certainly an inspiration, turning out beautiful items.  But still, I remember not really loving some of the end products, and I'm not just talking about kid-mangled worthless wallets.  No.  My grandmother, being a grandmother and all, was a prolific knitter.  And to keep things economical, she tended to knit with acrylic.  So although I believe I always respected the effort that she put into knitted garments, I didn't exactly treasure them.  I thought the acrylic felt funny.  I know that sounds harsh but I swear I had things that squeaked (acrylic yarn has come a long way). 

I forgot about knitting for a long time, then tried again--for about five minutes--in law school.  I devoted another minute during my last pregnancy.  Both attempts were disasters and I put away my knitting needles once again.  But I wasn't giving up for good.  I knew I'd try again.  I like to think it's part of me, somewhere. 

Flash forward to the present.  It's getting consistently cold here.  And last week, as I reached for the stash of winter garb, I was struck by what I have on hand.  Mittens and hats and scarves--all machine knitted, all mass produced, all so very blah.  What I wouldn't give for one of my grandmother's lovingly knitted items now, acrylic or not.  So I decided to try. Again.

This time, I turned to some books for help.  And I decided to try the English method, since the author of the book I'm using says it's her favorite.  The book is Stitch 'n Bitch, and I, like so many others before me, sing its praises. 

I find that when I knit in the English style, I control my tension a bit better.  I also believe it's easier to follow along with written materials and online knitting tutorials, as most seem to show the English method.  I'm not saying that I'll never go back to Continental.  I do think it's faster.  But I'm very happy that I now know how to do both styles.  Because I feel like learning both really helped me to finally understand how a stitch is constructed.  And yes, I'm a craft nerd but this time it's coming in especially handy as learning how a stitch should look--how it should sit on a needle--means I can now fix a mistake without resorting to ripping out rows and rows of work.  Can I get an amen?  Because I'm pretty sure that the very thing that killed me the most during prior attempts was the inevitable (and frustrating and curse-inducing) cycle of knit, rip, repeat.

I practiced a few nights this week.  Nothing fancy, just knit and purl in different combos using yarn I already had.  I'm just trying to achieve the right tension and find my groove.  I'm excited by how it's feeling and have to resist diving into a project that is too complicated.  Rationally, I know that the last thing I need is to get in over my head.  So I just need to stay off of The Purl Bee and Ravelry.

Over the weekend, I hope to continue knitting and maybe even visit a local yarn shop or two--just to look! 

Works for me Wednesday, holiday weight management.

Just about everyone I know dreads putting on a few pounds during the holidays.  And let's face it--it's probably going to happen.  There are countless once-a-year treats to be had, and I for one think you should have them.  Then again, at our house, butter is basically its own food group during the months of November and December, so I may be biased.  I also think it's too ambitious for anyone to try to lose weight during the holidays.  Instead, I'm all about damage control for weight management these next two months.  And to do it, I employ a simple mindset on how I eat. 

I'm not a dieter in a traditional sense and never have been.  But that's not to say I don't watch what I eat because I do.  I just don't restrict myself on a daily basis.  Instead, I think of my overall eating habits in blocks of days:  Mon & Tue; Wed & Thur; Fri, Sat, & Sun.  And I spread the good, the bad, and the downright ugly amongst these blocks of time.  If I eat horribly over a weekend (I cannot be let loose on party dip--it's really a problem), I try to redeem my diet over other days.  I actually do this throughout the year but it's especially helpful during the holidays. 

Let's talk specifics.  Most of the upcoming holiday parties will fall during the latter part of the week.  So I'll front load the veggies and fiber and all things healthful earlier in the week.  This goes for my family, too.  Because then I won't have a battle on my hands when the older boys are too excited at the party or family dinner to sit and eat like they usually do and only have eyes for the dessert spread.  Instead, I'll remember the midweek spinach fest and hardly blink when they belly up to that buffet o'treats and help themselves to, say, a third serving of pie.  In fact, they're probably just falling in line behind me--mmmm, pie.  And it's all good because come Monday, we'll crave something green and from the earth and I'll happily oblige. 

This game plan used to work on its own.  And then my aging metabolism became a factor--grrr.  Now I also up my cardio as much as possible and here's what has helped on that front: 

A few months ago, my friends turned me onto this super affordable workout video by Jillian Michaels.  It combines cardio and strength training but only takes 20 minutes.  Seriously.  And I dare say that every single one of us has 20 minutes a day (or at least every other day) to squeeze in a workout, right?  Especially when the commute is just to your TV and not your gym.  And in case you're wondering, it's no walk in the park.  I usually turn up my nose at workout videos, truth be told, because I'm a part-time fitness instructor going on my 14th year and my class motto is "hate me now, love me and your thighs later."  But this video challenges me.  And it's just the little extra I need to balance the excess in calories I cannot wait to consume.  Because as much as I love going to the gym (no sarcasm there.  I really do love to workout), I'm not going to go any more frequently during the holidays.

Here's to you, your forthcoming smorgasbord, and jeans that do not bind.

For more tips, be sure to check out the posts over at We Are THAT Family's works for me Wednesday.

Halloween 09 recap.

So this week I immediately opened my Google 2010 calendar and wrote the following, in bold, across the first week of October:

Finish boys costumes by the 15th.  Seriously.  Do it.  And while you're at it, figure out your costume (and Charlie's) if you're going to the grown-up neighborhood party.  Do not wait until the day night of the party to make something--it makes you grumpy.  

It's not as if I didn't get everything done.  That's the thing with Type A procrastinators--we're good at it.  And we usually pull it out so never really learn our lesson.  But next year will be different!  And yes, Type A procrastinators are also typically optimistic.  

Max was Clifford, Leo was Snoopy, and Will was Eeyore.  My sewing room is covered in fur and felt bits.  It's even sticking to the walls.  In one of the pictures below, I tried to capture Leo wagging his tail, which he did every time he got some candy.  He did not break character all night and it was the cutest thing.  I also whipped up some very last minute grown up costumes because one of our neighbors throws a party that begins after the munchkins are tucked in.  My parents came over to babysit so Charlie and I could go.  We went as sushi--he was a salmon roe roll and I was shrimp nigiri.  I forgot to take a picture but if I get one from the other partygoers I'll add it later.

As for treats, cake pops were made.  The kids loved the happy witches and Frankenstein Jrs.  The eyeballs--not so much.  I think someone at the party told them that they were cow eyes and they just couldn't get over it.  They did look pretty realistic--red edible marker for the veining was key.

Can you believe it's November?  How did that happen?  I've pulled out several UFOs (unfinished objects) from last year.  And I'm trying to get back into knitting.  Which makes perfect sense because, as I'm sure you know, there is always so much extra time around the holidays.  We shall see.

     

Back home.

We are back.  And I cannot believe how tired I am.  Five nights, six days of Disney.  I will no doubt put together a post of some highlights.  But not yet.  Because right now I need a day or two of just being back home in a Disney-free space.

We got in late last night.  And before we left, I offered to help out a friend's brother with their wedding flowers.  Their wedding is tomorrow, so I put together some bouquets and other personal flowers this morning. 

The friend is Max's former kindergarten teacher.  We have really lucked out with teachers at Max's school.  His current 1st grade teacher is amazing.  She has a blog for the parents and posts regularly on everything that the kids do--she even includes short video clips and pictures.  It's really incredible.  And Max happens to have made good friends with a lovely girl whose mother is also a first grade teacher at their school.  They have benevolently taken him under their wing several times for outings and other fun activities (like staying and playing in her empty classroom after school which Max thinks is the coolest thing).  And of course, Max's first crush, his kindergarten teacher.  We are extremely lucky that she still treats him like one of "her kids" even though he's moved on from kindergarten and she has a new batch of students. 

Last year, Max's kindergarten teacher really helped him develop a love for school.  So how does one go about repaying someone for such a gift?  Well, you can't.  But you can at least try, say, with a bridal bouquet for her soon-to-be sister-in-law.

The couple chose a palette that is more typical in spring and summer weddings--cool blue, lavender and purple, with touches of magenta.  The picture they showed me had spring foliage, such as hyacinth and  fiddlehead ferns, so I had to adapt their dream flowers to a fall interpretation.  I went with hydrangea, delphinium, privet berry, veronica, and freesia. 

For bridesmaid bouquets, I added in Peruvian lilies (alstromeria) and switched the magenta freesia to white.  I used coordinating flowers for the boutonnieres and corsages.  To make the groom's boutonniere stand out, I added a sprig of hydrangea.

After this gig on the heels of our trip, it's safe to say you could poke me with a fork.  But "done" is relative as I have two suitcases of laundry and an empty fridge calling my name.  And since I've been out of the kitchen for a week, I also have dough proofing and a ton of cooking to catch up on.  Then there's the three Halloween costumes to finish.  But at least I don't have to stand in line to tackle any of these.  It's good to be home.  Happy Friday!

p.s.  I was super excited to return to find that my post on the Switch Witch was featured on Tip Junkie.  I love that site!!

p.p.s.  I was not excited to return to find that none of my auto posts posted.  I suppose turning them on would've helped.  A second craft along give away as well as more Halloween crafts were supposed to post--I'll get them up asap so be sure to check back.

Switch Witch to the rescue (with download).

A few years ago a friend passed on a great tip on how to manage all of the candy that your kids haul in from trick or treating.

Enter the Switch Witch.

Switch Witch is a very kind witch (we don't like things too dark or scary here) who comes by after Halloween to take away extra candy and instead leaves a more sensible goodie.  The beauty of the Switch Witch is you get to decide everything about her.  Unlike the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, etc., your kids have probably never heard of her, which is awesome!  Because it means you are not hemmed in by any preconceived notions or expectations--how fantastic, right?  It's fun to make your own tradition.  Here's what we do.

The boys come in after a fun night of trick or treating, their bags holding an impossible amount of candy.  We dump and check the loot and they get to eat a few pieces on the spot.  Then we take out some reasonable-sized containers (we decorate empty plastic peanut butter jars) and they fill them with whatever candy they choose (to be consumed later per some house rules).  I try not to candy-shame them into picking what I consider the "good stuff"--but it's hard (because in what universe does a roll of Smarties trump any candy made with real chocolate?).

The rest of the candy is set out for the Switch Witch, who takes the candy and leaves a non-candy treat.  In years past we've done books or small toys.  This year I found some nifty rotating toothbrushes that the boys wanted--I figured a toothbrush "toy" would be a perfect switch for candy!

It wasn't until last year that either of the boys asked what happened to all of the candy.  I told them she takes it to others to share (I left out that the "others" were my then-officemates).  This year the loot is headed to my husband's office. 

Here is a printable I made up--we like the Switch Witch to leave a little note.  I tried to make her look like a funny, happy, witch, not to mention sensible--she never forgets her scarf because it's chilly whizzing about on a broom.  I have no idea what I'm doing with graphic software, but it'll work for our family.  Be sure to check out other tips at We Are THAT Family's Works for me Wednesday.

Flowers and marriage.

My good friend Caryn and I sometimes design flowers for special events.  We work mainly through referrals so are often amazed when anyone contacts us cold.  But thanks to several lovely comments on boards like Indiebride, we get a regular stream of interest--it's quite honestly as much as we can handle considering our other commitments.

Today we did the flowers for a wonderful bride named Holly.  We love fall weddings and the palettes that they inspire.  I'm also more than a bit biased because nine years ago, on a beautiful Columbus Day weekend, I married my wonderful husband.  I didn't do flowers then so it pains me a bit to look back at our photographs and see what our florist designed.  I went classic with all red roses and touches of pepperberry.  I do still love that look--and the bouquets photographed beautifully--but now that I know so much more about flowers, I would have added more variety and texture.  And although I'm not usually the biggest fan of yellow (I think it has something to do with my mother's obsession with yellow.  And the ruffled, floral, yellow canopy I stared at for untold hours as a child), today's palette is a favorite.  It reminds me of a sunset.

I'm headed, as a guest this time, to another wedding tomorrow.  I know some may not want to spend their anniversary weekend at another's wedding.  But I actually like it.  I love thinking back on our special day and there's no better place to do that then when I'm sitting in a pew, squeezing my sweetie's hand, and watching others take their vows.

As my mind wanders over the details of our wedding, it's funny what comes back so vividly.  I've always been crafty and so I think most everyone was braced for what I'd pull out for our wedding--programs, name cards, embellishing my own shoes with silk roses, etc., you know how it is.  But I think that even my parents--who have witnessed my craft frenzy first hand longer than anyone else--thought I'd overshot  it when they found me in my kitchen one morning resurfacing my table with a tile mosaic.  I hated the finish on that table.  And it didn't concern me at all that it was three days before our wedding and just two days before our open house bbq that all guests were invited to.  (BTW, I got it done.  It was gorgeous and made me smile instead of wince and it's now the table I sew on in my craft space). 

Happy Columbus Day!

Little treasures.

Just a quick post to say happy weekend to everyone.  It was a good though hectic week here.  One of the highlights was seeing my parents.  They recently moved permanently to our area and just bought a house not too far away--45 minutes to be exact.  We are an extremely tight-knit family, so I'm over-the-moon to finally have them so near.  Their last address was in Texas!

When I was at their new home, I spied some of my grandmother's glass bakeware tucked away up high in their kitchen cupboards.  And since my mom isn't much of a baker, guess who took some pieces home?

Here are some buffet plates shaped like apples.  I freaked when I saw them.  So perfect for fall!  And I don't even care that I don't have the matching teacups (see the little spot to hold your cup?  So, so sweet.)  I think they are darling and will break them out the next time I host something.  Anything.

And this lovely faceted, covered glass dish.  I'm not exactly sure if it's a baking dish, serving dish, or both.  Or maybe it's for a big vat of butter?  Unclear.  It's slightly smaller than a bread pan, but I suppose it would be the perfect size for a teacake.  I'm a little nervous to bake in it though.  It seems awfully delicate.  I think it'll be the perfect home for our fresh baked treats--the ones that get gobbled up in a day flat so there's no real need for air tightness.  I love it so much.

And last are just a few of her glass pie plates.  My grandmother was a terrific baker and taught me to bake my first pie.  It will mean a lot to me to use her plates. 

 

I hope you find some things to treasure as well this weekend.  Happy Friday!

 

Apples.

We went apple picking today.

Well actually, just the older boys and I went apple picking, as Charlie stayed back to let Will nap.  We picked a full bushel...lots of Golden Delicious and Empires, a few Courtlands, Red Delicious and Rome Beauties as well.  And of course, Granny Smith and Fuji--I think those are our favorites to eat raw.  And eat them we did.

I hope to put up pie filling tomorrow or later in the week and will post what canning recipe I settle on.  The one I used last year was pretty good but I think I can do better.  I also hope to can a nice surplus of applesauce.  I saw an interesting recipe for applesauce on a wonderful blog I just discovered called by little hands--you roast the apples.  I think this will bring a nice depth to the flavors so I'm anxious to try it.  I just love homemade applesauce.

I'm also excited to try Katie Brown's apple brownie recipe.  And for breakfast tomorrow, we're having apple popovers--can't wait.  Hope you are enjoying these beautiful fall days as well.