the Interim

Right now we are in a comfortable place, even though it won't be lasting very long. All of the winter sports are over, and the spring ones haven't quite begun. So it is these few precious weeks with no practice or game nights that we get a chance to spend a little more time at home together evenings and weekends. This was one of those weekends, and it was so relaxing and nice.

However...no matter how crazy the weeks can be, we almost always spend Sunday dinner together, as a family, sharing a home cooked meal. I think this kind of thing keeps us connected. Grounded. It helps us to refuel and prepare for the upcoming week. So far, Russ and I have been very successful at protecting our Sundays for family-time. Not as the only night all week, but as a definite.

Tonight was pretty typical. Kids playing; Russ working around outside; and me, trying to catch up on laundry and cleaning up the house. For dinner we had meatloaf (my mom's recipe, very simple and the kids LOVE it). I usually have scalloped or mashed potatoes, but this afternoon I realized I am out of potatoes. Thankfully, Russ brought home potatoes from his parents' house, red skin potatoes that they grew themselves. So I pulled out one of the many recipes that I have been wanting to try for a very long time (so long that I have no idea where the recipe came from) and gave it a whirl. Creamy Red Skin Mashed Potatoes. They turned out delicious! I was a little hesitant for the kids to try since this is the kind that have potato lumps in them, but surprisingly, no one cared! They were so good I forgot to take a picture, whoops! These will definitely be added to our rotation.

Creamy Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
source unknown

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain, and place in a mixing bowl.

2. Combine butter, milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper. My advice is to warm these ingredients just a bit in the microwave, so they are not cold when mixed with the potatoes.

3. Add mixture to potatoes and mix with an electric mixer, or hand mash if preferred, until smooth and creamy.

The Kitchen Table

I have been thinking about that old saying, "the kitchen is the heart of the home", and at our house, it truly is. Not only do we prepare and eat meals together here, we also ask for the Lord's blessings here, complete homework here, gather for family celebrations here, share ideas here, plan here, play here, craft here, you get the idea? In fact, I think that the kitchen table is the setting that defines the foundation of our family. Who we are, what is important to us, where we come from, and how we interact with the ones we love. It is my intention to use this "Kitchen Table" as a reflection of life at my own actual kitchen table. The creation of food, faith, fun, and most importantly, family memories.