Growing up, my mom made us dinner almost every night. We very rarely ate out when I was younger because we just couldn't afford it as much as families can today. And I bet you that I can count on my ten fingers the same recipes that she made week after week.
Let's see...there was chili, pot roast, spaghetti, sloppy joes, hamburger steaks...I'm already running out of things to say.Let's just say that my mom didn't feed us a wide variety. Maybe it's because she fixed only what she knew we'd eat? Who knows. Maybe my dad was the picky one? ...I think we may have hit the jackpot?
Side note: my mom and dad live pretty much alone (aside from my sister that is never home) and they don't cook much anymore. They redid their whole house a few years ago and they bought a new stove. It broke shortly after. It still isn't fixed. We have a running joke between us about how the stove isn't fixed for a reason (AKA mom's cooking just isn't cutting it anymore) Sorry, mom!Anyways, since my mom didn't really cook anything extravagant (no, that blue box of macaroni isn't a delicacy) I never saw how things were made from scratch. So, my mishaps in the kitchen started quite early.
The first thing I ever made
from scratch were mashed potatoes. My mom always used the instant potato flakes (and I think we had stock in those things) but whenever we'd visit my maternal grandmother she always made
real ones. Oh, they were so good!
I wanted real mashed potatoes at home one day, so my mom loosely instructed me how to do it. Let's just say that you're supposed to cook potatoes for a while longer than what I did.
My mom ate those things with me like any supportive parent would do. We laughed while we ate those lumpy things. And then we threw them in the trash.
Mashed Taters2-3 pounds potatoes (any kind)
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup of milk
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Peel potatoes and cut into cubes/chunks. In a large pot, place cut potatoes and add water until the potatoes are covered. Place pot on stove over high heat, covered. Bring potatoes to a rapid boil and maintain for 15 minutes, or until you can very easily pierce the larger chunks with a fork. The potatoes should be very translucent once they are done.
Drain as much of the water from the pot as you can. If you use a colander, then return the potatoes back to the pot once they are drained. Add in butter and start mashing away. You can use a potato masher, or a large fork/spoon will work fine, too. It shouldn't take much for them to break apart. Once they have been mashed and all the butter is melted, add the milk. You can add more (or less) depending on how you desire your potatoes to be. If you like "creamed" potatoes, then add a bit more milk. If you like "mashed" potatoes, then don't use the whole 1/4 cup. Mix well, add salt and pepper to taste, and you're done!
Garlic Mashed Taters2-3 pounds potatoes (any kind)
2 gloves of garlic, minced
1 pint heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Follow the cooking directions above for the potatoes. Once the potatoes are almost done (about 5 minutes away from being fully cooked), pour the heavy cream into a saucepan with the garlic and bring to a quick boil. Give it a quick stir and pull the pan off of the stove. Drain the potatoes and return them to their pot. Start mashing away. You have to mash these first or else you make a mess (lesson learned, take my advice). Then add in the garlicy cream and mix well. Fold in the parmesan cheese, add salt and pepper to taste, and you're done!
And, before you freak out because there's no "milk and butter" in that last recipe,
JUST TASTE THEM. You can thank me later.
