Menu Monday: Crispy Smashed Potatoes

"You say potayto, I say potahto..."

Hello, old friends.  I've been on a hiatus.  It started out as one I didn't choose (my Macbook had to go to the hospital and then for much longer than expected) and did choose (I've been out of town for work, and since I got back, I've been trying to get back in the swing of things).  And now the semester is winding down, so I'm busy, busy, busy.  Only four three more weeks left!  (My class is on a Thursday night, which means we get Thanksgiving week off.)  So I'm back to blogging.  Nothing like procrastination to make the world go 'round, I always say.  :)

Zach got a promotion, and as I work three jobs, things have fallen by the wayside.  C'est la vie, non?  We've decided I can take next semester off from teaching, so I can do more at home to keep the house running now that he doesn't have as much time.  (Even as I type, he is going on his fourth hour of answering emails after working an hour over his normal 8 today.  And the man's been working 10+ hour days 5 days a week.  Sheesh.)

I vowed this weekend that I would get back into a normal routine this week:  cooking at home, working out, grading papers throughout the week rather than trying to get them all done Wednesday night.  As of 9:30 p.m., I've got 2 out of 3 done for today.  That ain't too shabby.

(The papers will have to wait.)

Here's a new recipe I tried tonight.  It was destined for me, and I knew it was the one I would be going after, after I saw I had pinned it THREE times:

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

potatoes (preferably red-skinned but I used russet)

olive oil

salt, pepper, spices

-Scrub potatoes.  Half and/or quarter them if using russet.  Boil until tender in salted water.

-Preheat oven to 450.  Grease cookie sheet with olive oil.  Place cooked potatoes on cookie sheet and smash until they are the size and shape of baked cookies.  Coat with olive oil using a pastry brush and generously sprinkle with spices.

-Bake for 20-30 until golden brown and crispy.

These were delicious!  I guess it was originally a Pioneer Woman recipe that took the web by storm.  I will definitely be making them again.  Next time, I'll try the red potatoes, but I think I'll stick with Italian herbs.  Happy eating!

First Apples of Autumn :)

Zach had to buy some apples for a project at work, which meant he got to bring them home when he was done.  :0  We were supposed to go to a welcoming fall party Saturday night, so I considered making something with the Galas then.  However, after seeing what everyone else was bringing, I decided to make baked beans...but we had to bail on the party because Zach and I weren't feeling too hot.  So we stayed home and had a dinner of the beans, potato salad, and leftover steak from our anniversary dinner.  And the apples continued to chill in the fruit bowl.

We've been eating loads of crap lately, so I'm trying to get more fruits and veg back into our diet.  Sunday, he and a coworker spent 14 hours editing a video--they were up until 3 a.m.!--so I wanted to make some quick and easy for dinner.  Lots of times, we end up having breakfast for Sunday dinner (brinner, if you will), so I decided to go with that.  I had come across an apple and cheddar frittata recipe when I was on Pinterest Saturday morning, and I thought it would be awesome with bacon, especially since I was trying to use up the last few strips.  And so the ABC Frittata was born!

ABC FRITTATA

2 apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)

3 strips of bacon, cooked (I used turkey--turkey, apples, and cheddar is soooo good!)

1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded

8 eggs

2 egg whites

1 Tbsp. butter

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of nutmeg

-Heat oven to 450.  Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.

-Beat eggs and egg whites.  Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese and salt and pepper.  Crumble bacon into egg mixture and stir.  Add egg mixture to skillet.

-While the edges cook to set (3-4 minutes if using cast-iron skillet), layer apple slices around the top of the egg mixture and sprinkle the remaining cheese over all.  Then add pinch of nutmeg and more salt and pepper, if desired.

-Transfer skillet to oven and bake from 17 to 20 minutes until the center is set and frittata is turning golden brown.  Remove frittata from skillet and let rest on a platter or plate for five minutes before cutting.

This was my first time making a frittata, and it is definitely going to be in my rotation this fall and winter!

How are you marking the first days of autumn?

Also, if you are so inclined, my friend's cousin and his wife are trying to adopt.  If you haven't heard, adoption is very expensive.  They need about $20,000 more to bring a baby boy home this weekend.  I know that sounds kind of wild, but the mother wants to give her son to a couple who cannot have children at all, and they are currently the only ones that fit that bill with the agency the mother is using.  They only found out a few days ago that the mother will be induced in a week.  Since this morning, they have raised almost $8,000!  They have four more days to get the rest taken care of.  If you cannot support their efforts financially, please join us in praying for Baby O.

Photo a Day in September #26

26.  Apple

This weekend, I made some caramel apple cider cookies. I found the recipe on Six Sisters' Stuff through Pinterest; I pinned the recipe last fall, but I felt it was too late in the season to make these cookies (it was more pumpkin fall time than apple fall time, if you know what I mean).  So I HAD to make them this year, and I knew the first weekend in fall was PERFECT.  I have been wanting to try more recipes from Pinterest anyway, so I've made it a loose goal to try a new recipe each week, and if it turns out alright, take part of them up to work.  I hate wasting food, but I also hate gorging myself on rich foods, so it's a win-win situation.  Everyone is always sharing food at work, so I feel like Zach and I should give back.

I brought half of the cookies in on Monday morning.  There were about twenty.  Most were gone by the end of the day!  Everyone commented that they liked how they were unusual but familiar and tasty. I would have to agree.  I altered the recipe a bit: I cut the caramels in half and rolled them out so they would disperse throughout the cookie better.  They taste just like fall with a crunchy exterior and chewy, caramel center.  Very interesting but delicious!  All of the cookies at work were gone by Tuesday, and we only have seven left (out of our 22) today.  :)

"I'm gonna move to Kansas City...where the skies are so blue..."

Well, after such a serious post this morning, I wanted to post something more fun.  Last weekend, Zach and I took a weekend trip to Kansas City, which is one of our favorite places to visit.  In February, the B&B where we got engaged hosted a sweetheart story contest, and we were a runner-up!  We were awarded a $50 gift certificate and decided to use it once I had recovered from my surgery to takedown my colostomy.

Onward to the pictures!

 ready for our next adventure

 Birch beer is like a minty soda.  I always order it at Blanc.  :)

 enjoying the delicious onion rings at Blanc

We saw this store, which reminded us of Portlandia.  Zach had to take a picture of me next to it since my maiden name is "Byrd."  :)

 inside O'Dowd's Pub

They have fixtures from Ireland; visiting here always makes me miss the Emerald Isle...

 Southmoreland on the Plaza

like a picture postcard :)

 

They were building this patio when we were here three years ago.

 mini Southmoreland for the kitties

 We spent a lot of time in the solarium.  Through the doors is the dining room where we had breakfast.  :)

They serve yummy hors d'oeuvres every afternoon and cookies every evening.  We also get mint chocolate on our pillows!

 

This little guy announced the menu and the weather.  :)

 We stayed in this room this time.  Zach said he was "The Colonel."  *lol*

We NEED a bed this big!

fresh flowers in our room

 I think coneflowers are just so summery.

 Another reason why we waited to go in June was the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival.  We caught A Midsummer Night's Dream but missed Antony and Cleopatra.

one of the Plaza's famous fountains

 Breakfast from our first morning included lemon yogurt bread, plum crisp...

 ...shirred eggs with red pepper, basil, and sausage, and a stuffed spud!

 Zach checks out my new computer; we purchased it at The Apple Store on the Plaza.  I've yet to name it!

 Arthur Bryant's, the BEST KC BBQ

 Of course, we hit up World Market where we scored some orange KitKats and HobNobs.  I loved the Queen's Diamond Jubilee items!

gorgeous hydrangeas at Trader Joe's

 

Zach checks out the fish pond.

 

 me next to the tiny fish pond

 Breakfast our second morning included lemon poppyseed bread, mango-lime puree with berries...

 ...carrot cake waffles with maple cream and spicy sausage.  I was in love with this meal!  We found the mango-lime puree recipe on their blog, so we will have to try it at home soon.  I strongly hinted to Zach that their cookbook would make an awesome Christmas present.  *wink wink*

 This kitty was so persistent; he wanted to come inside sooo badly!

 Zach bids Southmoreland and its kitties farewell.

A couple of newlyweds said they had spent a long time the night before trying to make friends with the kitties.  I explained that Zach is a truly a cat person.  The bride said they probably sensed she has a dog personality.  *lol*

We had a wonderful time in KC, and it was so hard to come home.  BUT we are going back in October to see Florence + the Machine.

Where do you go for weekend getaways?