Crash Potatoes

this makes a easy side dish for chicken,pork,or beef.  this came from the Pioneer Womans' food blog via my sweepstakes forum.  they smelled so good coming out of the oven I think I remember eating one off the baking sheet (purely to insure recipe integrity i'm sure...). you can use baby red bliss potatoes or the small dutch golds,both came out delicious.

12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)


3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Kosher Salt To Taste

Black Pepper To Taste

Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste  * i've used Mrs Dash blends and its been fine



Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown

*the instructions say 6 servings,but i'm just saying i know even lilmama asked for seconds and thirds on these potatoes. I liken the smell to french fries when they are baking.

White Pizza Dip

I love white pizza with veggies on top,its a nice change from a tomato based sauce. came across this dip on a blog and it was originally printed on a Lipton box. reminds me of the same taste,still the same calories and fat i'm afraid..smile.



1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Savory Herb and Garlic Soup Mix

1-16 oz container sour cream

1cup (8 oz) ricotta cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup pepperoni, chopped



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a shallow, 1 quart casserole, combine soup mix, sour cream, ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella on top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve with slices of Italian or French bread or your favorite cracker.

Fruit Dips

with all the summer abundance on sale I've had to figure out how to use up the fruits and veggies before they turn.  one quick and easy way to get your kids to try fruits and veggies they may not like is to use dips. who doesn't love dipping food into ketchup,onion dip,salsa,etc?  today i'm concentrating on 2 sweetened fruit dips,both easy and take 2 minutes,plus no cooking required.


1. cream cheese dip

couldn't be simpler,take a 8 oz brick of cream cheese(i've used neufchatel,never fat free so can't comment on it) mixed with a jar of marshmallow fluff. cover,refrigerate and enjoy! I usually halve this since its just the 2,now 3 of us.


2. sour cream fruit dip

4oz sour cream
2 teaspoons brown sugar

mix in a bowl,cover and refrigerate.

guacamole~ how to enjoy avocados

1st things 1st,pick a nice ripe avocado.  i prefer haas avocados, the nice dark smaller wrinkled kind usually we think of as californian, i've found most come from mexico or south america in my local markets.  easiest way to chose one is to gently press on the skin and feel some give. if you press too hard, it will bruise the fruit ala apples,bananas.
when your ready get yourself a sharper knife(no butter knives here!) a spoon,fork,and bowl.  take the knife and slice into the pointed end til you hit the pit,then rotate the avocado as you cut around its longitude (like Greenwich Mean Date line instead of the equator).  you should have 2 halves,one containing the pit,so its pit time.  they are slippery,so theres 2 ways i remove it. if its a very ripe fruit,just squeeze and sometimes the pit will roll right off.  or hold the pit bearing side firmly and take your knife,nicking it into the pit so you can pull it out and pinch it off the knife.  then use youe knife and score the flesh,taking care not to go through the skin into your hand of course. think a checkerboard pattern,nice squares,nothing exact.  take the spoon and scoop out the avocado into your bowl,if you have some brownish areas just avoid them,they just got overripe like bananas brown spots.
next take your choice of citrus(lemon or lime) and squeeze some juice onto your avocado,  i use 1 lime per 2 avocados.  you could leave it out if your immediately going to eat the entire bowl, i've heard leaving the pit in your bowl  keeps it from browning but it hasn't worked for me. commercial factory preperation uses powdered ascorbic acid to keep the packaged guac from turning brown.
sprinkle 2 shakes of salt on your chunks unless ur reducing your salt intake, use your fork and mash them up. if you prefer chunky just mash about half of it.  seasoning and additives are up to taste,i usually add a healthy tablespoonful of store bought pico de gallo i always have around from my local produce section at Weis(diced tomato,serrano,onions,celery) to mine along with a few dashes of hot sauce, some like onions,jalapenos,garlic, sundried tomato or a small spoonful of sour cream to make it creamier.

a little background

Welcome to our online kitchen home.  i was a 22 yr old who actually roasted a chicken w/ the bag and the stuff inside of it once,thanks to Food Network,recipes,trial and error i no longer feel like a amateur.  now i'm passing on some knowledge to you,as well as my daughter who loves cooking.  i will try to post good instructions,pics when i remember,and eventually video when i figure out how to get my kodak zi8 camcorder to work..lol.  im also a frugal one,love sales and saving $,so you will not see extravagant ingredients or $100 apiece cookware. i have a few fave brands,gadgets which i will get more into on another post. no gourmet kitchen,i downgraded to a smaller apt so no luxurious island,Viking range or granite countertops here.