Quickies...not the kind you're thinking!

 We are living in days of change. My grandfather had a farm. My father had a garden.I have a can opener.

 (John Maxwell-It’s Just a thought)

    



All our lives seem to be so busy now, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your family’s health by only buying crappy prepackaged food. I was watching TV the other night and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, it was a commercial that showed a stressed out looking woman frantically peeling potatoes. Then in a later shot they show her looking relaxed and happy making mashed potatoes… because she was able to purchase pre- peeled, pre- diced potatoes that she just had to pop into the microwave before mashing. What has this world come to?!!!! You have got to be kidding me, potatoes are one of the cheapest and easiest foods you could possibly make for your family, but we are made to believe even that requires a little commercially prepared assistance!

 Here’s an idea, if you want mashed potatoes but don’t have the time to peel them (or just hate it as I do) buy local red or yellow skinned potatoes and mash them with the skin on!!!!!  Not only is this easy, but it’s also healthier for you as it helps the potatoes retain more of their nutrients while cooking.  These big food companies wouldn’t make any money from that, so they’d rather have us believe that this comfort food is so time consuming to make that we require their assistance. How thoughtful of them! Of course this convenience comes at a cost; these would be the most expensive mashed potatoes on the planet, not to mention I don’t think our landfills need anymore packaging in them than they already have. Making things from scratch really isn’t rocket science and it certainly doesn’t have to be all that time consuming.

Rustic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes with Spring Onions

You’ll love this low fat alternative to the usual mashed potatoes and the best part is you don’t even have to peel the potatoes. Now that’s my idea of a simple dish!

6       large yellow, white or red skinned potatoes 

(washed and chopped)
1c     buttermilk
2tbs  butter
4       spring onions (finely chopped)

salt to taste

Place potatoes into a large pot of boiling water and cook until very soft. Drain and place in your stand mixer (you can hand mash, but why do the extra work?) Add the buttermilk, butter and salt, whip until smooth. Do not over mix or they’ll become gluey! Stir in spring onions and serve. Voila, cheap, easy and healthy. What more can you ask for?

Variation:
- Replace the spring onions with anything from oven roasted garlic or tomatoes

 to any fresh herb from the garden.

- Replace the potatoes with yams and reduce the buttermilk to 1/4c, then

 instead of spring onions use 1/4c of maple syrup- if you’re lucky enough to   

 have it within your 100 mile radius.

These are a few helpful tips to make preparing a meal a little faster:

I often turn leftovers into a completely different meal. This is a real time saver because most of the hard work has already been done, so there tends to be very little clean up! You can’t ask for much more than that.

Meals that can be prepped a day or two ahead of time are also a great option. Many of us only have a couple of nights per week that are crazy, so if we can plan ahead on some of the less hectic days it makes life a lot more pleasant. Meals like soups and lasagna only get better as the flavors have time to blend together.

Properly store your foods and organize your kitchen! I store all my dry goods in clear glass jars, that way I can see at a glance what I have to work with (and what I need to buy) plus I don’t have to worry about foods going stale. There is nothing more annoying when you’re in a rush than to start making something and finding out one of the ingredients have gone bad because someone didn’t close the container properly. Plus if your kitchen well organized it’s much faster to get things done.

My kids don’t like to eat sandwiches for lunch, and I have to admit I hate packing them! So I came up with this idea and I’ve got to tell you I’ve never looked back!!! I simply make bread dough and press it into a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper then I top it with a multitude of things my girls like. Sometimes it’s just cheese bread; other times its pizza bread. I bake it, let it cool, then cut it into squares and separately wrap it in saran and throw it in the freezer. My daughters then choose which flavor to take the night before and let it thaw….there you have it, grab a piece of local fruit or some veggies and lunch is packed!!!!!  Sometimes I brush the dough with butter some salt and spices and then layer on cheese meat and veggies (peppers, tomatoes etc.) roll it up (like you would with cinnamon buns) and bake in the oven until golden brown. Let cool and  slice into thick slices, the kids think these rolled up sandwiches are cool and unlike a traditional sandwich it will never go soggy, which is why they won’t usually eat sandwiches! Brilliant, wouldn’t you say?  Plus if you get your kids to help make them they’ll have bragging rights at school- great for their self esteem, especially when even their teachers are impressed with their cooking abilities!

* My next post will be the easiest bread dough ever!!!! No kneading required, and it can be used for pizza crust, cinnamon buns, focaccia bread and buns. The possibilities are endless...you'll never buy another loaf of bread again.