Just a little mashed potatoes

I don't actually know how to cook a little of anything. I have enough Italian in me to make me want to make sure there's enough for everyone who might think about stopping by for dinner. And I have even more Irish in me, which means I like potatoes. I really like potatoes.

Tonight we made chicken thinghs. Jeffrey Came home grousing about having to to go 3 stores just to find plain 'ole chicken thighs. He kept finding the skinless, boneless ones and that's not what we wanted. I calmed him down by reminding him we still had Rice Krispie treats. That worked. We cooked the chicken simply, but it's one of our favorite methods. Olive oil (or butter) and Old Bay seasoning. And then we bake them on 350, or 380 if you're hungry and want them to cook faster. It usually takes between 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the temp you're using and how many chicken thighs you're cooking.

For sides, we had asparagus (after a couple false starts when we totally overcooked it, we really grew to love asparagus) and mashed potatoes. I made a lot of mashed potatoes. I have no pictures, mostly because we were hungry when dinner was ready. But oh man, they were some delicious mashed potatoes. I used heavy cream, because we had some leftover from making ganache this past weekend. I used butter, and salt and pepper. And that was it.

I might have had seconds and even some for lunch tomorrow.

It's easy, AND good for you

This recipe is one of new favorites. It's all over the internet, so I certainly can't take credit for it. I have tweaked it a little to make it mine, of course.

I've been researching lots of recipes the past few weeks since I've been doing the Whole30 meal plan. Basically, Whole30 means no dairy, no grains, no sugar, no legumes, no alcohol, for 30 days. You can have butter, if it's clarified. But no cheating with gluten-free anything. The idea, for me especially, has been to make myself less dependent on bread, pasta, sugar and high-fat foods. I think I've been doing pretty well. I'll write more about my whole journey on a future blog. And check out the Whole30 site for more info on the plan.

So this recipe has a few of my various tweaks -- just use the flavors you like best, or to keep it an easy dish even suitable for a busy weeknight meal, just use whatever you have on hand. On a side note, Jeff would like me to point out that he is awesome. He is, so there you go.

Ingredients

• 8-10 pieces of bone in chicken thighs 
• 1 lb . baby red potatoes (or whole small potatoes, or cut yellow or russet potatoes)
• 1/2 in onion - cut large pieces (I skip this sometimes)
• carrots -- either baby carrots or whole carrots cut in pieces similar in size to your potatoes
• 2 lemons and 2 limes (this is my biggest switch from the other recipes, which only use lemons. We really love the combo of both fruits)
• 1/3 cup olive oil (I don't actually measure, just drizzle over everyone in the pool)
• 2 cloves garlic minced (I skip this sometimes too)
• 1 tablespoon fresh Rosemary plus sprigs for garnish (or thyme, or dried if you don't have fresh)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I definitely skip this - can't eat red pepper flakes at all)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt (again, why measure???)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (see salt note above - just use how much you think looks good)
• sprinkle paprika or other seasoning if not using sprigs of rosemary or thyme

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spray a glass 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange chicken pieces (skin side up), potatoes, sliced onion and lemon slices evenly in pan. Or, use foil-lined cookie sheets (with a raised side). Make sure the thighs are sitting on the sliced limes and lemons.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Pour mixture all over chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle all over generously with additional salt and pepper.
4. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, or until chicken and potatoes are fully cooked.

Use your pretty things

This morning I was putzing around the kitchen, putting some things away, getting a few things started for Easter dinner. I opened the doors of the tiny cabinet above the microwave to remind myself what was in it. I had to use a spatula to open the doors, of course, because I can't actually reach the doors themselves. Which is why I store the china up there.

I actually have two sets of china, both of which my Mom gave to me. One is the set I remember from my childhood. It has a pretty rose pattern on just a side of the plate, in a soft silver. I would share a picture of it, but as I mentioned, I can't actually reach it, so...

The other set I have also brings back special memories. Every year at Christmas, my Dad loved shopping for everyone. And every year, he had to make that one last trip to a store to get just one more thing, usually for Mom. One year, it was a new set of china. It is also pretty, in a more modern way than the traditional flower pattern. This set is decorated by a simple silver border. What I remember most about it is not the many holiday meals we used it, but the pure joy my father displayed in buying and giving to Mom.

As I was looking at the cabinet from (far) below, my son asked why we never use the china. (The flowered set is in the cabinet and the other set is in storage in the house). I pointed out that we do, on special occasions. We then decided that our Easter dinner counted as one, even if it was just going to be the three of us tonight. We're having a pork loin with a balsamic reduction glaze, a pineapple casserole and roasted carrots with rosemary, by the way.

I also got this set of Pioneer Woman bowls for Christmas from my mother-in-law (who knows me well). It's not quite the pattern I would usually gravitate toward, but I had previously assured her that I truly loved the patterns and colors in this line. I often joke about being close to losing my 'girl card,' but sometimes I do like to use pretty things. And why not? Why do we have pretty things if not to enjoy them? Dig out the china, use the special glasses, mix lemon bar filling in the pretty bowl likely meant for display only. Enjoy your life and the things in it, and share them and the the things you make with the ones you love. They're worth the effort. And so are you.

It all started with mozarella

The other day I took advantage of a BOGO and got two balls of fresh mozzarella. Yep, Bel Gioioso. I wanted some cheese to pair with baby heirloom and other tiny tomatoes for breakfast. Unconventional yes, but it's at least not a carbohydrate-loaded meal.

Anywho, I had this mozzarella in the fridge and was thinking what to do, what to do, and I settled on naan bread pizzas. We really like doing individual pizzas on naan bread. It's light and just the perfect size for a personal pizza. This was a quick dinner, so I bought pesto rather than make it. Just a small spoonful on each bread, topped with thin slices of mozzarella, about 5-6 per pizza, a little grated Parmesan and some torn prosciutto. I baked them on sheet pans at 350 degrees until the cheese was melted and bubbly (didn't time it, sorry, but it was probably between 10 and 15 minutes).

I knew we needed a side dish too, so I got some hummus and we had carrots, zucchini and red bell pepper slices for dipping. All in all, a good, quick, and not terribly unhealthy dinner. Of course, then we had some chocolate chip cookies, so....