Apple Turnovers

Apple pie is one of my favorite desserts. However, with only two of us, it seems a little excessive to make an entire pie. After making the Brie En Croute, I had an extra puff pastry to use.  I remembered taking a cooking class with my aunts once where we used puff pastry to make some apple turnovers.  I got hungry just thinking of it, and I was not disappointed with my results. These are perfect for a light dessert or even a special breakfast. Let me know what you think! :)

Ingredients:
*2 tablespoons orange juice
*1 1/2 tart apples (I used granny smith)
*2 tablespoons splenda (or regular sugar), plus extra to sprinkle on top
*1/2 tablespoon flour
*1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
*slightly less than 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
*pinch of slat
*1 sheet of puff pastry, defrosted
*1 egg, beaten

Preparation:
*Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

*Peel and quarter the apples. Slice them into thin pieces (about 8 per apple) and then cut the slices into halves or thirds. Place the apples in a bowl and pour the orange juice over it to prevent the apples from browning. Be sure to mix it well.

*Add splenda, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to bowl. Mix well with a spatula or spoon.

*Flour a board and lightly roll the puff pastry to a 12x12 inch square. (Just eyeball it!) Cut the sheet into 4 smaller squares, and keep chilled until ready to use.

*Place 1/3 cup of apple mixture on half the square. Brush the edges of each square with egg wash (beaten egg). Fold the pastry diagonally and seal it by crimping the edges with a fork. Transfer to a pan (you can line it with parchment paper to make it less messy, or just spray the pan with Pam or a nonstick spray).

*Brush the tops of the turnovers with the egg wash. Sprinkle the tops with splenda and a dash of cinnamon. Make 2 small slits in each turnover.

*Bake for 20 minutes until browned and puffed! :)

My apple mixture

Time to egg wash and crimp before going in the oven!

Ready for the oven

A view of the inside - cooked! Yum :)

Brie En Croute

John and I just love Brie cheese (honestly we love most all cheese). I spent a few weeks in France after my sophomore year of high school, and I developed a love for all French food, especially the cheese!  I saw some Brie on sale at the store and decided I wanted to do something a little special for a mid-week appetizer. John was a little skeptical of me playing around with his Brie, but he absolutely loved the end result. This recipe comes from Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook. I made a few modifications based on John's preference (the original called for nuts, which John isn't too fond of when mixed in dishes).  I think you'll find this is great for a weeknight appetizer or for hosting a party. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
*1 sheet frozen puff pastry
*1 small wheel of Brie (7-8 ounces, I used the "light" Brie)
*1/2 cup raspberry jam (honestly I didn't measure, I just spread!)
*1 egg, beaten

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 *Defrost one sheet of puff pastry for about 20-40 minutes and unfold.

*Gently roll pastry with a rolling pan to increase size by about 1-2 inches. Be sure to flour surface and rolling pan! Brush both sides of the sheet with beaten egg.

*Center the wheel of Brie on top of the pastry sheet. Spread jam on top of cheese, more or less depending on your preference. Bring all four corners of the sheet together above Brie and twist slightly to form a "bundle."

*Place "bundle" on cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Serve with crackers.

Brie wheel on the pastry.

Egg wash - pictures are out of order, sorry!

My "bundle" before going in the oven.

Voila! So simple!

Stuffed Pizza Pockets

One of my dearest and oldest friends, Megan, is getting married this June. I've been working with some of the other bridesmaids to plan and execute her bachelorette party, which will be at the beginning of May. I'm in charge or bringing one - or maybe more! - appetizers to the bachelorette party. I spent some time today watching cooking shows and looking up recipes for some delicious appetizers, and I found so many yummy things to try. Luckily, John loves being a guinea pig to my cooking, and I've started a bonanza of appetizers in our house. This recipe, by Giada de Laurentis, also known as the cook from Everyday Italian, was the first I tried and it was delicious.

I've gotten a few requests for vegetarian dishes and I've been really thinking about how to modify my non-vegetarian dishes or fun neutral ones to make (John loves his meat, sorry!). This recipe calls for Italian sausage, but I really think that you could substitute the sausage for mushrooms, peppers, or other veggie pizza toppings. If any of you try some substitutions, I'd love to ear how they work out for you. Happy hosting! :)

Stuffed Pizza Pockets
Recipe by Giada de Laurentis
Yields about 16 pizza pockets
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Ingredients:
*13.5 oz can of pizza dough (I found it by the juice and biscuits in the refrigerated section)
*8 oz Italian turkey sausage (or regular Italian sausage)
*1 cup packed arugula, chopped
*1/2 package or 4 oz cream cheese (I used the light cream cheese and it tasted great!)
*1/3 cup parmesan cheese (plus more to sprinkle over pizza pockets)
*1 egg, beaten
*1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (can or homemade - my Simple Tomato Sauce recipe is here)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

*Cook sausage in olive oil until crumbled and golden, about 5 minutes depending on how hot your skillet was to start. Add arugula and cook  until it is wilted. Turn off heat and cool for 10 minutes.

*Mix cream cheese, parmesan cheese and pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Add sausage and arugula. Stir to combine.

*Roll out pizza dough (labeled "pizza crust" in the grocery store) on a floured surface to a 20x12 inch rectangle (I say eyeball it). Cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 8 equal rectangles (as you'll see below, mine were not all equal).

*Spoon mixture onto 1 side of each rectangle. Brush the edges of the rectangle with egg wash (aka beaten egg). Close dough and use a fork to crimp and seal the dough (Warning: this process, while easy, is a bit tedious. See pictures below if wording is confusing!).

*Place pockets on parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each top with egg wash and sprinkle with parmesan cheese (your preference!). Bake until golden, about 12-17 minutes. (Recipe called for 15-17, but mine were done closer to 12).

*Serve with warm marinara. (Or, if you're like John, serve with marinara, cheese and ranch dressing!)

Ground sausage and arugula, off heat

My rolled and cut pizza crust

I started filling each pocket so I could assess which needed more/less filling

Fresh out of the oven. Thanks to the parchment paper - no mess on the pan!

Close up

Served with marinara

Lemon Garlic Chicken Breasts

This is a new recipe for me and I found it super, super easy. I'm sure if I could easily make it any new cook could as well. This was on an episode of Barefoot Contessa (are you guys sick of me posting Ina's recipes yet??), which I've been watching all spring break. I'm excited to have another simple recipe in my back pocket that I can whip up any time. I hope you have fun with it too!

Ingredients:
*4 chicken breasts (I used 3 because it's all I had. Bonus, John had a nice lunch the next day.)
*2 lemons
*1/3 cup dry white wine
*1/4 cup olive oil
*9 cloves (3 tablespoons) garlic, diced
*1 teaspoon fresh thyme (I used dried, but it was a little strong, so I'd use about 1/4 tsp. if you go the dried route)
*1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
*1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
*Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

*Heat olive oil in a saucepan, but don't let the oil get too hot. Add garlic and cook for about 60 seconds. (You want the garlic to cook but not burn. Add other ingredients before it starts to brown.)

*Zest one lemon so you have about 1 tablespoon (or more depending on your lemon preference) of zest.

*Add white wine, lemon zest, and juice of the zested lemon (about 2 tablespoons) to the saucepan. Add the oregano, grinding it between your hands to release the oils, and then add the thyme and salt. Stir.

*Pour the contents of the saucepan into a 9x12 inch baking dish. Place the chicken breasts in the dish. (*Note: You want the chicken on top of the marinade, don't pour the marinade over the chicken.) Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to lightly coat the top of the chicken with the marinade.

*Cut the remaining lemon into eight pieces. Place the wedges around the chicken.

*Place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes. (I flipped the breasts about 20 minutes into cooking, and cooked them for the full 40 minutes.)

*When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and cover it with tin foil to rest for 10 minutes. Serve with your choice of sides. I went for Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice and broccoli (frozen, cooked in the microwave - told you it was a quick dinner!).

As I put the chicken into the oven

After flipping the chicken breasts

Ground Turkey Tacos with Queso and Toppings

Taco night is a huge hit in our little two-person household. I've been trying to keep our food healthier when I can - sometimes you just have to indulge - and lean ground beef was one way I did it. The only problem I encountered was the cost of lean ground beef versus the regular ground beef. Wanting us to be physically healthy was important, but so was our pocketbook. One day while I was having this internal struggle I glanced at the ground turkey and noticed it was WAY less than both types of ground beef. Not only was it cheaper, it is also much lower in fat and calories. Bonus! I decided to make ground turkey tacos that night, and we haven't looked back since.

I've included my own version of queso dip - one of John's favorites. I've found this much cheaper than the jar, and I like that I experimented and came up with something that works.

Ingredients:
*ground turkey
*taco seasoning mix (I like Ortega's version)
*shredded cheddar cheese
*lettuce
*tomatoes (grape tomatoes are awesome for tacos because they're not too seedy and are easy to slice into small pieces)
*guacamole (see my earlier recipe!)
*Queso: 1 can Campbell's Nacho Fiesta soup, plus 1/3 to 1/2 can milk
*tortillas

Preparation:
*Cook the ground turkey on a skillet until browned. Juices will be released but because it is so lean you will not have the fat that requires draining. Bonus points for not requiring that extra step!

*Combine ground turkey and seasoning according to package directions.

*Chop lettuce into desired size for filling. Slice grape tomatoes into fourths, or according to your preference.

*For the queso, pour soup into a small pot. Fill the soup can 1/3-1/2 full of milk, more or less depending on how thick you'd like it. *For extra thick queso: 1/4 milk, 1/4 heavy cream. Heat on medium-low heat (too hot and the milk will burn), stirring occasionally. When you're almost ready to serve, add shredded cheddar cheese to the pot and stir until it melts. This will thicken it up and add extra creaminess.

*Heat tortillas and serve hot with your ground turkey and fixings! :)

Yellow Floral Spring Centerpiece

Since I was updating my window centerpiece I knew I had to update the floral centerpiece on the dining room table. I opted for yellow. I was never a huge yellow person, but when it came time to pick colors for my summer wedding last year, I knew I wanted a bright, happy color.  And, once I came up with the color scheme "lemon and linen" (aka yellow and white - I'm a sucker for alliteration) I became slightly obsessed with all things yellow. 

For this arrangement, I combined a yellow hydrangea, rose and daisy piece with a yellow rose piece. (Both were $3 again!) As I did with the white arrangement, I thought roses were a great filler and added some sophistication to the mix. I manipulated the wires and thanks to the thinner vase, I didn't need to use a rubber band. 

I still really liked the jewels, but I wanted something more. I saw these lemons, and knew that was it. The brightness they add to the vase is just beautiful. The shade is more vibrant than the soft yellow of the flowers, and I liked how they complimented each other. I started with the lemons and alternated layers with the jewels. I chose only 3 layers total, but you could mix it up to suit your style preference.

To take it a step further, I updated the candles in the candlesticks. I love these candlesticks because the Lismore set was used in our wedding and the Tiffany set was a Christmas gift from John. I looked for yellow candlesticks, but I'm pleased I was unable to find any. Instead I chose a green set and a cream set, and I love how it just screams spring. Whatever you choose to do - have fun!

A glance of our whole table

The vase, alternating layers

A view from the top of our centerpiece. Such great quality. Thanks, Wal-Mart!

White Floral Spring Centerpiece

It has been a LONG time since I've been blogging! I've been so busy the past few weeks getting ready for report cards and parent teacher conferences that I haven't had the energy and extra time to blog about it. Well, now that I am on spring break (yay!) I've had lots of time to catch up around the house, and on my blog! :)

Spring is officially here - woo hoo! I decided to celebrate by updating the floral centerpieces around the apartment. While I love the beautiful red flowers and hints of pine, I am SO ready for spring. I went to Wal-Mart after my last successful centerpiece shopping trip and I was not disappointed.

For my white floral centerpiece I combined two $3 floral arrangements. The first had hydrangeas and daisies and green accents. The second was simple white-cream roses. I bent the wire around so that it would be mixed up, and I used a rubber band to secure the arrangements together.

I knew my red, gold and green potpourri would no longer look appropriate with the new flowers. Instead of making a separate trip to Target, as I did for the last centerpieces, I poked around Wal-Mart some more and found some great little jewel fillers for another $3. In all, my spring/summer centerpiece cost my $9 plus tax, which is less than real flowers which would only stay beautiful for about a week. I think it was a good deal. :)

A closer look at the vase and "jewels"

Guacamole

While my heartburn (thanks, Dad!) has kept me from crazy spicy foods, I do enjoy some good Mexican food. In particular, I love guacamole. Seriously, love it! My only problem with restaurants is that most use cilantro, which I cannot stand. (Sidenote: per a Wall Street Journal article and relating study, cilantro has the highest number of people with serious aversions to it of any herb. I knew I wasn't alone!) I know Costco has some very yummy pre-made guacamole (thanks, Dad and Peggy!), but I decided I wanted to learn to make my own, and not just because we don't have a membership yet.
I've been experimenting for months, and, thanks to my wonderful hubby (aka taste-tester), I think I've stumbled upon a great recipe. It's fresh, and I think it has nice heat, while not being too much. I even tested it on my PreK team teacher Terri (love her!), and she thought it was great too. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as well, and will find it perfect for dips, sandwiches, tacos and the like!

Ingredients:
*3 avocados
*4 cloves garlic, minced
*1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons lime juice (I think fresh would be best, though I always use the lime juice in the plastic lime bottle!)
*1 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon pepper
*3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
*4-6 grape tomatoes, sliced (regular tomatoes would be fine, but these are so much easier to slice and have less juice and seeds, which I find convenient)

Preparation:
*Remove the skin and pits from the avocados. Use a knife or fork to mash the avocados (a food processor can give you extra smooth guacamole, while the fork leaves you a little chunkier).

*Add the garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and mix well. Taste to decide if you'd like more of one of the above ingredients (or any ingredients of your choice! I like to taste with chips).

*When you've decided you have the right amount of the above ingredients, mix in the tomatoes. (I like adding the tomatoes last, though you can add them at any time. In my opinion, the tomatoes stay best when they are mixed around as little as possible. They stay firmer and...fresher? Just my opinion!)

Another angle and close up of the guacamole.

This shot gives you a better picture of the whole dip, which, in my opinion, is full of color and texture.

Upside Down Mixed Berry Crostada

As you've probably noticed, desserts haven't been my primary focus on my journey learning to cook. Well, that changed when I watched an episode of "Everyday Italian" with Giada. I saw her prepare a dessert that seemed relatively easy and had the ability to be modified for a healthier twist. I found the original version to be quite tart - I mean very tart! So, I have included my suggestions for a sweeter, less tangy dessert. If you prefer desserts with a twist, you might enjoy the original, which I've included. As always my changes and thoughts are in parentheses.

Ingredients:

Dough/crust:
*1 1/2 cups flour
*2 tablespoons sugar (or, in my case, splenda!)
*1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
*1 lemon
*10 tablespoons unsalted chilled butter, cubed
*3 tablespoons cold (iced!) water
*2 packages frozen mixed berries (I used 1 mixed berries and 1 strawberries because I love strawberries!)
*2 tablespoons sugar (or splenda!)
*1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch

Preparation:

Dough/Crust:
*Place flour in food processor (blender or mixer would probably work fine) with 2 tablespoons sugar (splenda). Add zest of 1 whole lemon (less if you don't like a lemon flavor to your desserts). Add 1/4 teaspoons salt. Pulse mixture.

*Add 10 tablespoons chilled butter (remember, cut into cubes). Pulse until course. Add 3 tablespoons cold water. Pulse again.

*Flour a cutting board and roll dough into into a ball (the extra flour is important to solidify it). Wrap in plastic and chill in fridge for 1 hour.

Filling:
*Combine thawed, (previously) frozen mixed berries with 2 tablespoons sugar (or splenda - - three tablespoons for sweeter, less tart filling). Squeeze juice from lemon you zested (half the lemon for a sweeter filling) into mix. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch. Mix well (I used a spatula).


To complete:
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

*Flour board (again) and rolling pin. Roll dough for crust into a 14-inch circle (or whatever will cover/fit your baking dish).

*Pour filling into a baking dish and cover with the dough. Tuck edges of dough inside (if larger than baking dish). Bake for 40 minutes. Enjoy!

My dough out of the food processor (mini one for less than $50 at Bed, Bath and Beyond). Not what I expected, but after rolling it in the flour...

...hello perfectly round dough!

After rolling the dough out

Filling in my one-and-only casserole/baking dish. (Note to self: invest in a couple more dishes in varying sizes)

Completed crostada before going in the oven.

Fresh out of the oven...looks yummy!

Hot, tasty, not-too-unhealthy dish. :)

Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken

I cannot tell you how terrifying it was for me to cook an entire chicken.  I mean seriously, a whole chicken?? How could I not mess that up somehow? Well, as usual, my panicking was for nothing. The steps were so simple and just like my pot roast, virtually fool-proof. Thanks to my new roasting pan from John's grandmother Mimi, I was all set and ready to roast! Read on for this amazingly delicious recipe.

Yet again I've drawn inspiration from Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa. This time I took the recipe from her show, which I've begun DVR'ing along with "Everyday Italian" hosted by Giada. John has literally fallen in love with this chicken. He's several times told me it's the best chicken ever. In fact, it's now 5 days after I made it and he is still talking about how juicy and wonderful the chicken was. Woo hoo for wife points! ;)  Hope your special someone enjoys it as much as we did.

Ingredients:
*5-6 pound whole chicken (daunting to buy but so worth it!)
*1 head of garlic
*1 lemon
*1 regular sized onion
*4 carrots
*4 potatoes
*salt and pepper
*butter

Preparation:
*Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

*Remove the giblets from the chicken. (Note: I was literally terrified of this process but it was quite effortless and not nearly as gross as I expected. Thank you Perdue perfect roasting chicken!) Salt the outside of the chicken, and salt and pepper the inside of the chicken (just shake it in there).

*Take the garlic, unpeeled, and cut in half half. Place both halves inside the chicken.

*Quarter a lemon. Place it inside the chicken. Tie up legs and tuck wings under the chicken. (Note: my chicken was pretty much like this so I made it a much bigger deal than it needed to be. Don't fret.)

*Slice the onion, but do not pull it apart. The slices should be good sized, unlike the skinnier ones you'll see in my picture. (Too thin and they will burn in the oven. Whoops!) Place the sliced onion in the bottom of the pan.

*Chop carrots and throw in with the onion. Cut potatoes in quarters or sixths, depending on size and personal preference. Add potatoes to the pan. Place the chicken on top.

*"Dry" the chicken by blotting it with a paper towel. This will keep the outside nice and crispy. Brush the outside of the chicken with melted butter. Then drizzle remaining butter over veggies and mix. (I used about half a stick). Salt and pepper chicken and veggies well.

*Place in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. (Mine only needed the 1 hour 15 minutes). To check, cut between the leg and thigh - juices should run clear.

*When chicken is done, take it out and place it on a sheet pan. Cover the chicken with tin foil and put roasting pan with veggies back in the oven for another 15 minutes.

*I recommend cutting the chicken into roughly 6 pieces - 2 breasts (one big slice to cut up), 2 legs, 2 thighs.

Serve the chicken with the veggies and savor in the fact that you've cooked an entire chicken!

My stuffed bird.

Roast before going into the oven.

Some of the yummy dinner!

One more...absolutely delicious!

Pot Roast

This recipe came from an unknown guest of my Indianapolis bridal shower, thrown by my wonderful mother-in-law Leslie's (very sweet!) friends Julie, Jana and Marcia. They had the unique idea to ask each guest to contribute a recipe for a lovely recipe book.  Someone, who did not include their name on the card, gave me this recipe, and it is easily one of John's top five favorite dishes. I have wished so many times that I knew who gave this recipe to me so that I could thank her, so if you are that person, please speak up and claim your glory!

Now I know I claim most of the recipes and dishes I prepare are super easy, but this one truly is. There are a whopping six ingredients in this entire meal! Not to mention next to no work on your part, thanks to my good friend the slow cooker. I know you'll love this recipe - non-pot roast fans have actually enjoyed it! - and I hope it can become an easy Sunday staple for your home, as it has for ours.

Ingredients:
*chuck roast (however large you'd like)
*2-4 potatoes (depending on the number of people you're serving and the amount of leftovers you'd like; I prefer at least one potato to each person)
*2-4 carrots (same as above)
*1 package dry onion mix (the same thing you add to sour cream for onion dip)
*1 can cream of mushroom soup
*1 can cream of chicken soup

Preparation:
*Combine soups and onion mix in a slow cooker, stirring well to ensure it's mixed well.

*Remove any desired fat from the chuck roast. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chuck roast in the slow cooker, and cover both sides with the soup mixture.

*Peel the potatoes and cut them into halves or fourths, depending on your preference. (Note: they will shrink and potentially fall apart as they cook.) Add the potatoes to the slow cooker.

*Peel the carrots and cut them into thirds or fourths, depending on your preference. (Same note as above). Add the carrots to the slower cooker.

*Cook on low for 7 hours and enjoy your entire meal! (If you're preparing this on a day you're home, I like to turn the meat over about half way through cooking time. It's definitely not required though!)

All the ingredients in my slow cooker.

Not the prettiest picture, but I wanted to show you how much the juices from the meat and soup cook up.

A glance at how the meat looks inside. Nice and juicy :)

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

A nice serving of the mashed potatoes. *The picture makes it look a little more yellow than it was.

Who doesn't love mashed potatoes? I know that you can easily buy a tub of them, and they're not too bad at that. However, when a huge bag of potatoes is only a few dollars, I can make mashed potatoes, mustard-roasted potatoes and baked potatoes, all for the same cost of one pre-made potato dish.  That being said, I have always loved mashed potatoes and thought it would be great to find an easy, savory recipe. Mission accomplished!

Once again I turned to Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook (In case I haven't already done so, thanks Aunt Em for the wonderful shower gift!). I would definitely put this cookbook on a wish list if you have one, or I supposed you can wait for me to post my versions of her dishes. :) John devoured these mashed potatoes and said they were the best he'd ever had. He helped himself to many servings, which is always a good sign that something you made is actually tasty. :)

Ingredients:
*kosher salt (or regular will do just fine)
*3 pounds boiling potatoes (I interpreted this to mean about 7 or 8 of the cheap Idaho potatoes I buy in a bag - - worked out fine!)
*1/2 cup whole milk (I used skim because I wasn't going to buy a half gallon of whole milk for one recipe)
*1/4 lb (one stick) butter
*3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk, shaken (this I did buy because it lasts for about a month, unlike regular milk, and I used it for a banana bread recipe)
*1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Preparation: 
*In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2 inch thick cubes (see my picture below).

*Add the cubes to the boiling water and bring the water back to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.

*While the potatoes are simmering, heat the whole (or skim) milk and butter in a small saucepan making sure it doesn't boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done.

*As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander. (I didn't follow Ina's next set of directions because I was not able, but I'm including both for you to choose from.)
**Ina's steps: Place a food mill fitted with a small disk or blade over a heat-proof bowl. Pass the potatoes through the food mill, turning the handle back and forth.
**My steps: Place potatoes back in the large pot. Use a hand mixer to mash the potatoes (I started with low speed and increased it to make the potatoes more smooth).

*Once the potatoes are mashed, stir in the hot milk-and-butter with a rubber spatula (or the hand mixer for extra smooth potatoes). Ad enough buttermilk to make the potatoes creamy (I went for the whole cup). Add 2 teaspoons salt and the pepper, or more to taste, and serve hot. :)

My cubed pre-cooked potatoes.

Mixing in the hot milk and butter. So creamy!

Dinner is served - and barely touching, per my OCD :)