Potato Packets

New potatoes (I usually use 2-3 per person depending on size of potato)
Butter, about 1 tablespoon per person, you could use a little olive oil and skip the butter
whipping cream, 1 tablespoon per person
salt and pepper
aluminum foil  (I buy the foil squares to make these)

Wash new potatoes, thoroughly.

Lay out a piece of foil for every packet you are making.

Dice potatoes in bite size pieces, skin on, pile up on foil sheet.

Cut up butter in pieces and distribute on each pile of potatoes.

Salt and pepper each bundle according to taste.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of whipping cream over potatoes.

Fold up foil to form a packet around the potatoes.

Be sure the packet is sealed good, to prevent leaking and it also helps to speed the cooking process along.

Bake in a 375* oven for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are really tender.

To serve, open packet and ta-da you have a perfectly good side dish that everyone will love!

This is a recipe I altered a little from the Pioneer Woman. 
Her's can be found here . 

Lots of ways to vary this, in the summer I slice them thin, cook them on the grill with bacon pieces and when they are finished, grated Parmesan cheese. If the weather would warm up and the rain would go away, maybe I could make them outside again!! 

Salsbury Steak

1 egg
1 can french onion soup
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch pepper
1 pound ground chuck, original recipe calls for 1 1/2 lbs
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup catsup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard

Mix 1/2 cup of the soup, bread crumbs, salt and pepper in large bowl.

Add ground chuck and mix well.

Shape into 6 patties.

Brown in hot skillet for 2-3 minutes on each side.

While patties cook, put water and flour in small jar and shake well.
Remove patties from skillet and place on plate.

In skillet, add water and flour mixture and cook until smooth.

Add catsup, Worcestershire sauce and remaining soup, bring to a boil.

Stir for 2 minutes.

Return patties to skillet with the sauce, simmer 15 minutes.

Serve with egg noodles or mashed potatoes with sauce over the top.

This makes a wonderfully tender, flavorful dinner. When I make this, I double the sauce, Doug is a BIG sauce/condiment guy. 

He cooks!

Every once in a while, Caleb gets in the mood to cook something. It is often after he has tasted something when we are dining out. I think the first time he had Bread Pudding was in New York with his Uncle Mark and Aunt Margie. He has mentioned it many times and we just decided to finally try it. It is yummy alone, or with caramel sauce over the top, that's how I had mine. We used the basic recipe from my trusty Betty Crocker Cookbook.


2 cups milk

1/4 cup margarine or butter

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 slices bread, dried (we sped this up by using a warm oven)


Heat oven to 350*

Meat milk and butter over medium heat until butter is melted and milk is hot.

Meanwhile, mix eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt in large bowl.

Stir in bread cubes.

Stir in milk mixture.

Pour into ungreased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.

Place casserole pan in a larger pan of very hot water, 1 inch deep.

Bake uncovered until knife inserted 1 inch from edge of casserole comes out clean, 40-45 minutes.

Serve warm.

These were Doug's mother's dishes, she had given them to him before we got married. We don't have many left, but I sure like the ones we have.

Next time he may try Paula Deen's recipe for Coconut Cream Bread Pudding, it sounds scrumptious.

I love it when the boys want to cook. Caleb has shown the most interest over the years. This guy has more kitchen appliances than I do, I kid you not! He will be a great room mate some day when he gets his own place!