hasselback potatoes

These are my hubby’s new favorite, which rocks because they are sooooo easy to make. Woo-hoo!

I am dying to try them with sweet potatoes, if I can cut them…hmmmm. Sweet potatoes are a bit tough to cut sometimes. Don’t you think?

They’re called hasselback , and all you need is two wooden spoons, melted butter, a good knife and some seasoning… some people peel them-I’m a ‘tato skin kinda girl, so I don’t peel mine. If you peel yours, be sure and place it in a bowl of cold water while it’s waiting to be rubbed with butter, so it doesn’t discolor.

This is how you cut them:

align the potato between two handles of wooden spoons. This will stop your knife from going all the way through.

see how I did it? Wooden dowels or wooden spoons make great guides. They are about 1/4″ thick also, great for rolling dough. I ♥ hardware stores. At least for dowels. And dirt. And stuff…

Speaking of dirt…check out the size of that bag. Oh yeah! I had this old galvanized wash basin…and I decided to use it to plant some tomatoes, because the soil here is too sandy and lacking in organic compounds for tomatoes to thrive. So…. I now have a giant basin-tomato garden. It will look better when the plants start to grow more. It looks kinda lame with just dirt right now.

Back to ‘taters. Slice them 1/4″ evenly. Dip or brush them with melted butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 425 for 35-45 minutes.

Wanna see what else I have been up to?

I’m back on my canning kick. I made some homemade spicy marinara, and jarred it up. Which, in turn made my hubby ask about pickles. So… I did those, too

But…please don’t think I spend my days canning, baking, cooking, and gardening. That’s what I do in my free time.

After I finish: the laundry, dishes, housework,bathroom, breakfasts, lunches, bills, errands, at-home-preschool, turtle feeding, lizard feedings, fish tank cleaning/feeding, bird cage cleaning/feeding, dog poopy-duty, grocery shopping, sending away assorted door to door church and sales people,produce shopping, and preschool art and stories at the library.All of this before 2 when it’s time to pick up the older one, help with homework, start dinner, and keep the peace between the siblings. Whew. I cannot believe that I used to be one of those people that though stay at home mamas had it easy.  Fortunately, I have a schedule so that I am able to accomplish all this and still have time for the things  that keep me sane, happy and something to post about here.

Here’s a typical day:

5:15 up.

5:16 dogs outside

5:19am littlest one up, helps daddy with coffee.

5:20: dogs in

5:21: wake up bird

5:30-5:40 Make hubby’s lunch, usually leftovers.

5:45-6:30: emails, daily list, posting here

6:35: Bigger “little one” is up, make breakfast for girls

7am: make lunch for girls, (yes, two lunches- the youngest likes to have one, too-but she’ll eat it in the car.)

7:15-7:45 to school, back to school

7:45-8:30 walk/bike ride/weed (one of the three)

8:30-9:30 chores, depending on day of week; 1)dust vac/mop (every other day) 2) laundry/bathroom (Tues & Fri)

3) fish tanks (M,W,F,S) 4) Outdoor chores: rake/weed/trim 5) errands/marketing

Of course sometimes the chores take a bit longer or shorter…depending.

10-11am: at home preschool, or library time.

11-11:30 park

11:30-12 nap

*HERE’S My “fun” time!

12noon to 2pm during nap: I do one or two of the following:

bake,cook,write,organize,craft,can, garden more, decorate,rearrange, hang out with bird and dogs, paint, draw,read, take pictures,chat on the phone, reply to emails, research things I want to know about, paint my toes, and/or relax.  🙂

Now:

2:20 pm, school pick up

2:40-3:20 homework help

3:30 hubby home!♥

3:30-4pm littlest one washes daddy’s lunch container, big sis does her chores

4-5:30 goof off with girls and hubby

5:30-7:00: make dinner, take showers

7-8 dinner & dessert

8-9 hope littlest one goes to sleep early.

zzzzzzz……

That is my day. So… now you know how and when I do what I do. Oh yes, throw in the occasional tweet and facebook update. LOL! 🙂