Garlic Mashed Potatoes

As promised, here is my recipe for Garlic Mashed Potatoes.  I actually don't get to make them very often since my kids prefer potatoes of the oven roasted variety, but The Honey and I love these.  In fact, I'm kind of a mashed potato snob.  I really (and I do mean really) don't like instant mashed potatoes.  And although it takes a slightly longer time to make regular mashed potatoes, it's totally worth the investment.  Trust me.

As an added bonus to this recipe, it's going to roll into the next one - we're going to save our water from boiling the potatoes and turn it into the softest bread you have ever had.  So be prepared!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

4 red potatoes
1/4 c. light butter spread
2-4 Tbsp. milk
1/4 c. light sour cream
salt/pepper to taste
1 clove minced garlic OR garlic powder

Scrub and dice red potatoes.  If desired, you can peel them, but I prefer to leave the skins on.  In this case, the potatoes were old enough that by the time I finished cutting off the blemishes they were half-peeled anyway.  After you've diced the potatoes, place them into about 5-6 cups of boiling water.  Boil for about 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

When potatoes are finished, remove from water with a slotted spoon, keeping the water in the pan for future use - we're making bread, remember!

Place potatoes in a medium bowl and mash slightly with a fork.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well with a spoon.  If you prefer no lumps in your mashed potatoes, use a kitchen mixer.

Tip #1: 
 You can adjust the amount of milk you add to make the potatoes thicker if you desire. I prefer thicker mashed potatoes, so I only add the lesser amount of milk. If you aren't sure, start with 2 tablespoons and add a little more at a time till potatoes are the desired consistency.

Tip #2:
If you've never made garlic mashed potatoes before and aren't sure how much you are "into" garlicky stuff, I recommend using garlic powder your first time around.  After you have added your desired salt/pepper, add about 1/4 tsp. of garlic powder at a time, mix and taste.  If you like it, stop.  If you want it more garlicky, add a little more.  Fresh minced garlic can be very strong if you aren't careful or you have a large clove and if you aren't used to garlic, you may want to opt for the safer bet of the garlic powder.

The end result?  Umm, umm, good!

Piedmont BBQ Pork Marinade

I may be half-Yankee, but when it comes to food I'm just a southern girl at heart.  And this southern girl loves her barbecue (i.e. BBQ).  Now, for those of you non-southerners, BBQ doesn't actually have anything to go with a grill, hot dogs, or burgers.  The word "BBQ" isn't a verb - it's a noun.  In other words, it isn't something you do (i.e. "I'm going to BBQ tonight"), it's something you eat ("I'm fixin' to go get some BBQ - y'all want some?")

However, I have a few problems getting my hands on some good BBQ these days.  First of all, I now live in Oklahoma.  They don't understand here that good BBQ has to involve a pit and a pig.  Second, I was raised by a Yankee mother and a somewhat absentee southern father who wasn't redneck enough to actually cook a whole pig himself.  So now I'm completely dependent on others for my BBQ.

So what do you do when you have a craving and you can't get a BBQ fix?  Well, I chose to get some boneless pork ribs and made a marinade from a BBQ sauce recipe I found online (for the original link, click here).  I adjusted the recipe by substituting some oil for water (it IS a marinade, after all) and using cayenne pepper instead of red pepper flakes to make it a little less spicy.  And if you're a little put off by the amount of vinegar in this recipe, you should know that my dear husband, The Honey, doesn't like vinegar-based BBQ, but he LOVED this marinade!


Piedmont BBQ Pork Marinade
(Don't know what a "Piedmont" is?  It's the region in South Carolina where I used to live!)

1 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. olive oil
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

Combine ingredients in a shaker bottle or a glass with a lid.  Shake until well combined.
Yes, this is really all you need to do.

Place pork into a gallon-size ziplock bag.  I had about 1-1/2 pounds of boneless pork ribs, but you can use chops or whatever kind you prefer.  Pour marinade into the bag with pork, and let marinate for at least several hours, turning from time to time for better coverage.  The longer the better!

Grill and serve with some other yumminess, such as garlic mashed potatoes and sliced cucumbers.  (Never fear, the mashed potatoes recipe is coming up next!)