Recipe: Stuffed Potatoes

In October 2010 I was making twice-baked potatoes and wanted to "jazz" it up a bit. They were delicious! About a month ago I was making mashed potatoes and felt the need to "jazz" them up because we weren't having gravy. I remembered the jazzy potatoes and did basically the same thing. I made them again this past Sunday and I just have to say: Y*U*M!!!!

In true jazz fashion, there aren't any exact measurements so I will try to estimate.

5-6 large potatoes (I have used both bakers and red) - cut into pieces and boiled (I leave the skins on)*
1-2 T minced garlic
1- 8oz cream cheese (or the low-fat stuff which is what I used)
milk - as needed to make the consistency you like
salt - as needed to make the flavor the way you like it
1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
1/3 C cottage cheese
1/4 C bacon bits
1/4-1/2 C spinach flakes **

Put the cream cheese into the hot/drained potato chunks and then mash (with mixer or however you normally would). Add all the other ingredients (tasting along the way to get it the way you want it). When the taste is perfect, put the potatoes into a microwavable serving dish. Next, put it into the microwave on high for five minutes. I don't know the chemistry behind this but it makes the potatoes change and get more fluffy. It also melts the cheeses into the potatoes.

Serve. (10-12 servings)

* if you want to bake your potatoes and then scoop it out and save the skins, you can prepare the potatoes as directed but rather than put them in the serving dish, scoop them back into the skins and bake for 30 minutes. Also a delicious way to do these taters.

** I buy fresh spinach, wash it, dry it, put it into freezer bags and freeze it (no blanching). Then I take the bag of frozen spinach and pound it with my fist (a great stress reliever) and it breaks into flakes. These are perfect for putting into these potatoes (and soups and a ton of other things). Don't thaw them out, just throw them straight in (otherwise you'll have a wet, gloppy spinach flake).

Eden's Room

I haven't been happy with how E's room looks. She wanted pink, pink, pink, and stars but I just could figure out how to pull it all together. Having a queen sized bed in her room looked cramped and it seemed her bookshelves always look messy and old (well, they ARE old, I had them before Phil and I got married).

I decided it was time for a makeover. I moved her bed under the window. Then I covered the bookshelves with craft paper (clearance no less!) and for $3 I had two new bookshelves. I found an adorable night light (flower) at IKEA and convinced Eden to let me change the stars out for flowers (although we still have a few stars around the room). It looks so much better, more orderly, and definitely more roomy.

Take a look: