Regurgitation, Yarn, and Kitchen Gadgets: Life

 

Wow, It’s only been one day off and I feel like I’ve cheated on my blogging friends. I’ve been so busy with life the last two days that I haven’t had time to sit at a computer! {Shocker} I had the first test of the regurgitation of my new found knowledge, and did wonderfully. I have one more part before I’ve met my goal. It feels good to set goals and accomplish them! A long time has passed since I graduated college and I was hesitant about how this whole “expanding my brain” thing would work out .. I guess I’ve still got it in me afterall. And, its good to know you can learn something new every day!

 

In the mad dash of the last two days, I haven’t had much time to work on my blanket. Although, I was able to stop by the craft store and buy them completely out of the brand/color yarn I’m working with. {and it was on sale} Oh, and my lovely brother gave me the most fabulous idea … crocheted laptop sleeves! I’m envisioning making a ‘pillow case’ and then putting a fabric liner and zipper inside to give a little added protection to the sleeve. {I’m sure it will not be that easy, but a girl can dream} My brother already asked for the first sample… we’ll see! Just think of all the possibilities of color and style! Mmmmm. Fun!

 

Guess who came to my house today!?

My new batch of Netflix came in the mail today {love them} and I’m so excited to sit down and watch! I have the first three disks of the Julia Child and Jacquese Pepin PBS series: Cooking at Home. I’m such a nerd, but I really am looking forward to watching and learning some new recipes! {And, of course ‘oohing’ and ‘aweing’ at the fun kitchen gadgets that I will want to run out and purchase!} I’ll have to keep you all posted on that!

 

Well, I believe it’s time to settle down with a nice glass of wine, the dog, and the boyfriend, and just unwind. It’s been a crazy two days..  Night Ya’ll!

The Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Julia Child and Jacques Pepin

 

I’d like to share my ‘secret’ to the most amazing Garlic Mashed Potatoes you have ever put in your mouth! This is adapted from a Julia Child and Jacques Pepin recipe from their book: Cooking at Home.  Which I just learned was based on a PBS television series they did from 1999-2000. {I definitely added that series to my Nettflix queue!} If you aren’t a garlic lover, beware.

 

The Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes

 

You will need:

Peeled and Cubed Yukon Gold Potatoes (Approx 2 pounds)

Salt

Pepper

Milk (Approx 2/3 cup)

4 TBSP of Salted Butter

2/3 to 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream (I use Stonyfield Organic)

10-15 cloves of garlic

 

Here’s what to do: (In total, this takes about an hour to complete)

The key to this recipe is the garlic and whipping cream. You will want to start this process about 20 -30 minutes before the potatoes begin to boil. Peel the garlic and place in a small sauce pan. Next, pour in the heavy whipping cream until the garlic is covered. Heat over low-medium heat, watching periodically. You want the garlic to become so soft it ‘mushes’ when you touch it with a spatula. This takes at least 20-30 minutes, and only gets better the longer you can wait. I usually cook mine for approximately 45 minutes. You will be able to tell it is ready when you have a creamy consistency and the garlic is ‘mushy.’ About 20 minutes into this process, you can start the potatoes. Remember when boiling your potatoes to add some salt to the water. Let them boil until they too are ‘mushy.’

 

Once your potatoes and garlic/whipping cream are ready, it’s time to put it all together. Drain potatoes AND PUT THEM BACK IN THE POT so you can burn off a bit of the moisture that remains. Add the 4 TBSP’s of butter and mash the potatoes very well. While you are doing this, heat up approx 2/3 cup of milk in the microwave. Next, you want to take your garlic/whipping cream and put it into the pot through a mesh strainer. Make sure you get all the cream out of the pan, and press most of the garlic through the mesh strainer with a spatula or spoon. Next, take the hot milk and add it a little bit at a time while whipping the potatoes (a whisk works well for me) until you get a creamy consistency. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste (I tend to use a good deal of salt and also prefer to use Sea Salt).

 

If you didn’t already catch on, you are basically making regular mashed potatoes with a few extra steps: the garlic whipping cream creation, and for some people hot milk is different. I really think these two steps make them extra creamy and obviously garlic filled! I’ve heard of people whipping them with an electric  mixer, but I don’t have one .. so the combination of a masher and whisk work great for me!

 

Hope you enjoy the potatoes. I know that my house could NOT survive without some form of potatoes. If you make these, I would love to hear how they turn out! Oh, and here is a picture of the cookbook I was talking about. It’s a GREAT one to have in your home!