Laura's Perfect Mashed Potatoes

I have come up with the right ingredients to create the perfect mashed potatoes! Enjoy!


Laura's Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
(yields 8 servings)

10 Medium Potatoes
2 tsp Salt - (one to start, and one for later)
1/4 cup Sour Cream
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
3/4 cup Butter


Directions:

1. Peel potatoes, leaving no skin behind. Cut the peeled potatoes into cubes.

2. Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water. Add potato cubes to the pot of water.

**TIP: At this point, I like to rinse the potatoes and add new water to them. This makes them less starchy. Fill with water to cover potatoes by 1 inch.

3. Add 1 tsp salt to the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook on medium heat until tender, about 15 min.

**TIP: To check for tenderness, test the potatoes by taking a cube out onto a spoon and pressing down on the potato with a fork. It should mash easily. Do this with several cubes to ensure that the potatoes are evenly cooked through.

4. Drain potatoes. Return to pot. Add 3/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, & 1 tsp salt. Mash with Potato Masher. Then mash some more using electric mixer to make the potatoes really smooth.

Enjoy!

PB & Cranberry Crackers w/ Apple Slices

This is a great snack for kids. My 5 yr old loved this snack, and my 2 yr old seemed to just go for the apples... (maybe the crackers looked to complicated for her?? hehe). A fun way to get the little ones to eat their fruits & get some protein in there too. You can get creative with this and get your kids involved too. Alexis (my 5 yr old) and I created a Smiley-Face and also a Flower.

PB & Cranberry Crackers w/ Apple Slices


Ingredients:
(yields 2 servings)

1 apple, cut into wedges
6 crackers (we used Ritz)
2-3 TBSP Peanut Butter
1/8 cup dried cranberries


Directions:

1. As mentioned above, cut the apple into wedges.
2. Take each cracker and spread some peanut butter on the top of it.
3. Add a few dried cranberries to each.
4. Get Creative! Arrange your apples and crackers to form something fun!

Enjoy!