I Heart Mashed Potatoes

Since I was a young child, I have loved mashed potatoes. No matter how full I am at the end of a meal, none shall go wasted in my house.

One thing I don't like is actually making mashed potatoes. I even have a potato ricer so I can make smooth, velvety spuds like my MIL made when Paul was a child.

So, I'm in love with prepared spuds that can be purchased in all different varieties at the Crazy B.

This week, I tried the H-E-B brand Homestyle Mashed Potatoes. It was love at first bite! The texture isn't like the other prefab ones - nor is it like the ones served with an ice cream scoop. Instead, they were this fluffy, starchy pillow of potatoey goodness.

Others I've tried and think are buy-worthy:

• Simply Potatoes. I love all the varieties, though I haven't tried the sweet spuds.
• Ore Ida frozen mashed potatoes. They were my intro to premashed pots. I first tried them as recommended in a recipe for my delish Cheesy Garlic Potatoes (see below). I think this may have been the first incarnation of the prefab spuds, but looking at their site - they no longer offer them. (I've moved on since those days in 1998-99.)
• Country Crock. I have to admit that I like the Deluxe Loaded variety. I bought them once by accident, and I think they're pretty tasty (when I'm in the mood for bacon).

Cheesy Garlic Potatoes

Your choice of prepared mashed potatoes, heated according to package
directions

Garlic and Herb Alouette spread

Shredded Cheddar Cheese, to taste

Add the Alouette and cheddar cheese, to taste. Microwave and add a
little milk, if needed. Yummy!

The Omnivore's Hundred (a MeMe)

As I've said before, I'm quite known as the Foodie in my circles. I've had dinner at The French Laundry (and I covet my wooden clothespins that I keep in my top drawer in my bathroom - looking at them every morning reminds me of these delicious little smoked salmon "ice cream cones" filled with creme fresh). I've personally prepared a multiple-course meal and even stir-fried with Martin Yan. Yep, I'm a foodie.

So, when I saw this list, I thought, "How Fun!"

British food blogger Very Good Taste cooked up a list of a hundred things that every good omnivore should try.

Here are my notes. Things I've tried are in bold and red. Things I'd never eat in a million years are italicized and in blue.

Once you've made your list, leave me a comment so I can compare notes! (I've only missed 23 on the list - and just 2 made the list of NEVER, though I may have had a Scotch bonnet in salsa, but I think of this as a challenge to have it solo!)

The Omnivore's Hundred

1. Venison (This is Texas!)
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros (Ditto Numero Uno!)
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (I've had alligator, though!)
6. Black pudding (just learned about this on "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern - like, about 45 minutes ago - no lie!)
7. Cheese fondue (Though, Paul will call it "fon-don't")
8. Carp
9. Borscht (not a beet fan, but I'll try - almost - anything)
10. Baba ghanoush (Is any other food more fun to say?)
11. Calamari (mmmmm....)
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich (not a fan, but I'll eat it)
14. Aloo gobi (also fun to say!)
15. Hot dog from a street cart (in Central Park, no less!)
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle (delish in mashed potatoes!)
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns (mmm, buns)
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras (I heart foie gras!)
24. Rice and beans (again, this is Texas)
25. Brawn, or head cheese (ditto)
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (I'm a foodie, not a glutten for punishment!)
27. Dulche de leche
28. Oysters (fried, raw, chicken fried, sauteed, with ginger sauce ...)
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (from Boudin Bakery to now-closed Barnacle Bill's - yumO)
33. Salted lassi (have enjoyed with No. 14)
34. Sauerkraut (deslish on No. 15!)
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (though, one time I did try a "gourmet" amaretto cigar from Cuba at a party - and I threw up out the window while my smarter hubby drove down the freeway!)
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (here in the South, we call 'em "jello shots," and my mother once called me to ask how to make them!)
39. Gumbo (my mama makes the best!)
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal (My fave Indian restaurant doesn't make it - probably too hot to appeal to the masses. I bet they'd whip some up for me, though, if I asked.)
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth 60 GBP/$120 or more (No, but I can name one!)
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala (Buy Ethnic Gourmet's meal in your freezer section and check this one off your list - you'll go back for more! And, hit your local Indian buffet for the real deal!)
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (I've made a rule to only eat them hot and fresh - that prevents me from eating too many! And, I've only pulled over twice because of the beacon on the sign!)
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly Pear (You can get it as a margarita at Boudro's on the River Walk!)
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer (Again, get thee to an Indian buffet and check a lot off the list.)
55. MacDonald's Big Mac Meal (sadly)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini (oh so good, and yet oh so bad!)
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine (Sort of - I've had fries covered in cheese and white cream gravy)
60. Carob chips
61. S'mores (As a kid, I've even had one made with marshmellows toasted over the open flame of my mom's gas cooktop!)
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frog's legs (again, I'm from Texas)
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (yes, yes, yes and yes)
68. Haggis (Paul just tried to convince me that "it's just sausage, in a natural casing." Just the name turns me off - and I've tried some really gross stuff!)
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini (When preggo with Mitchell, I actually asked the OB if I could have caviar on New Year's. He said no, so Mitchell came out early. - I don't think I had any that New Year's, though.)
73. Louche, absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie (Granny always had a ton on hand, and the coconut was always my favorite.)
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini (The white peach bellini at the Rose Pistola in San Fran kicks butt!)
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict (Try it with smoked salmon!)
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant (Again, The French Laundry)
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse (Rumor has it that it's what's inside the 2 for 99 cents tacos at Jack in the Box, so maybe ...)
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam (not a fan, but mama likes hers fried)
92. Soft shell crab (Decedant at Louisana Lagniappe in Destin, Florida - served on top of grouper!)
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole pablano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake (rattlesnake in chili or as nuggets, yikes!)

Bon Appetit!