Best Mashed Potatoes EVER!

I love homemade mashed potatoes.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes
From Pressure Perfect

3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 in chunks
1 t salt plus more to taste
4-5 T butter
2/3 C half and half

Pour 1 c water into a 4 qt pressure cooker.  Add the potatoes and sprinkle with salt.

Lock the lid in place.  Over high heat bring to high pressure.  Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 8 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Quick release the pressure.  Make sure the potatoes are fork tender.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander.  Set the cooker over low heat.  Melt 4 T butter and stir in 2/3 c of the half and half.  Mash the potatoes.

Delicious!!  I'm so excited to try the garlic and Parmesan varieties.

Pineapple Chicken

Today's recipe was sort of a bust.  First - always read the entire ingredient list before you start a recipe and check that you have those items.  Who knew I wouldn't have soy sauce or ground ginger in the house?

It was still tasty but not wonderful.  For those of you who have Mother's Sweet n' Sour recipe stick with that.  It didn't even get a picture.   But the fresh pineapple from Bountiful Baskets was a nice touch. 

Pineapple Chicken
From The Ultimate Chicken Cookbook

Corn Bread, Root Beer Butter and Frozen Raspberry Yogurt Salad

Corn Bread
From Go Forth to Serve

2 eggs
1 C sugar
2 C buttermilk
2 C flour
1 C corn meal
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. soda
2/3 C water

Mix the eggs, sugar and buttermilk. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the egg mixture.  Add the oil and water.  Bake in a 9 x 13 pan for 30 minutes.

This was tasty cornbread but more like cake.  I'm still on the searched for the perfect corn bread.

The Root Beer Butter was my homemade Root Beer Jelly mixed with butter - Super tasty!

Frozen Raspberry Yogurt "Salad"
From 101 Things to Do with Gelatin

1 small box raspberry gelatin
1 C boiling water
1 container (6 oz) raspberry yogurt
1 C fresh or frozen raspberries
1 C frozen whipped topping (thawed)

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water.  Chill until partially set about 45 minutes.  Fold in yogurt, raspberries, and whipped topping.  Pour into an 8 x 8 pan.  Freeze until set.  Thaw slightly before serving.

Lincoln LOVED this.  Everyone thought it was pretty tasty but Dave said we shouldn't have frozen it at all.

I've got to work on my food pictures, but in my defense Lincoln was freaking out when I was trying to take this picture.  He did not see the need for photography - He just wanted to eat it.

The Goal

I have been in a serious funk lately.  I just can't seem to find a good motivation for life.   That is a depressing statement but sadly true.  I needed something to get excited about.  So I decided 2011 was going to be the year I find that.  You know with all the blogs that do the word for the year.  I've decided my word for 2011 was New.  New Outllook, New Attitude, New Adventures, New Challenges, New Furniture, New Workouts, New Schedule, etc.  New New New!

I started with a silly goal on one of my cookbooks I just bought.  52 Weeks of Proven Recipes for Picky Kids.  Once a week I was going to cook their menu plan.  It wasn't working out so great some of the recipes were just not an option.  So here on the third week of January I'm changing the goal.

 Here is the new goal.

I'm going to cook something new out of everyone of my cookbooks this year.  All 99 of them.

Cookbooks are one of my passions.  I would have a whole room dedicated just to them if I could.  I own so many and I've never even used at least half of them.  I don't expect many people to read this blog but it will be my journal.  I hope to post a picture of each recipe.  This will be also a New thing.  New more techinally savvy person who knows how to take her own pictures off her digital camera.

I was inspired by my brother Dave.  If he can wear a tie everyday of the year I can try something new from each of my cookbooks.