My Lovely Lauren's Favorite Comfort Food

My daughter Lauren moved to Las Vegas to work for the Wynn Hotel

Lauren and my "other daughter" Sachi

Several months ago, after Lauren had been living in Las Vegas
for awhile, I received a phone call from her.

"Mom", she said, "I can't find the mashed potatoes in the cookbook."

"They aren't in the cookbook, Lauren, because everybody
knows how to make mashed potatoes."

"I don't," she said, "and nobody's taste like yours do."

Now, I am thinking to myself, if she knew what I put in them,
she'll have a bird, or at the very least, spend a week at the
gym to make up for eating them, but if you just have a scoop, it's okay.

Lauren's calls these potatoes one of her ultimate comfort foods,
and heavens knows, she has needed them through the years.

So today, I am posting her favorite comfort food, because it's

her birthday!!!!

So wish Lauren a very Happy Birthday today, as she is turning 24!

She is our youngest,

arriving after three older brothers,


and she is Daddy's girl!



It wasn't easy growing up in a house full of big brothers.


They didn't cut her much slack in the
being a girl department...they wanted her to be tough!


They used to torment her if she would cry,
calling her, Turn on the Tiny Tears.
They were at times unmerciful.
But let anybody try to hurt their sister, and you didn't
want to mess with her brothers,

Jeffrey with his little sister

Lauren and Steven

David, Lauren, and Jeffrey at her graduation from Cornell

they could torment her, but nobody else better try that!


Lauren has just gotten herself a puppy to
keep from getting lonely when she's away from all the boys,


(you think she really might be missing all the torment???)
and of course, what does she get, a male puppy!


For this post is for my favorite daughter, when you need
some comforting and I'm not around,
my odds are on you fixing them with ease after this!

Abby with her cousin Lauren

Lauren's Favorite Mashed P0tatoes:

6 -8 large potatoes (I like Yukon Gold because they give great color to the potatoes)
1 stick of butter (at room temperature)
Half a bar (8 ounce) Philadelphia Cream Cheese or you can use one small bar (at room temperature)
1/2 pint heavy cream (at room temperature)
A little milk if necessary (this will depend on the size of the potatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into large cubes. I usually cut them in half and then thirds.
Place the potatoes in cold water until you are ready to boil them. Place the potatoes in a large pot filled with cold water. Add some salt to the water (about 2 tablespoons.) Bring the potatoes to a boil, and let cook about 20 minutes until fork tender. (This means that a fork, easily pierces the potatoes.)

Have your KitchenAid or mixer set up while the potatoes are cooking. (A hand mixer will work as well. If you like them on the lumpier side you can even use a hand masher. My family likes them creamy and smooth) set up, while the potatoes are cooking. Drain the potatoes well. Place the butter and the cream cheese in the bottom of the bowl. Add the potatoes, turn the mixer on low, so the potatoes don't come flying out of the bowl. As soon as they start to mash, you can increase your speed. Add the cream slowly, you don't want the potatoes to be soupy. You may need the whole half pint, you may not, this will depend on the size of the potatoes. If they are not creamy enough, you can add a little milk as well. Add the salt and pepper, and whip until smooth on a medium-high speed.

Place in a serving bowl, and serve with gravy if desired.

Here is what you will need for the potatoes:

Lauren's Favorite Mashed P0tatoes:

6 -8 large potatoes (I like Yukon Gold because they give great color to the potatoes)
1 stick of butter (at room temperature)
Half a bar (8 ounce) Philadelphia Cream Cheese or you can use one small bar (at room temperature)
1/2 pint heavy cream (at room temperature)
A little milk if necessary (this will depend on the size of the potatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes


Place in cold water until you're ready to cut them


Cut the potatoes into large cubes


I usually cut them in half and then thirds


Place the potatoes in cold water
until you are ready to boil them

Place the potatoes in a large pot filled with cold water
Add some salt to the water (about 2 tablespoons)
Bring the potatoes to a boil, and let cook about 20 minutes
until fork tender (This means that a fork,
easily pierces the potatoes)

Have your KitchenAid or mixer set up, while the potatoes are cooking. (A hand mixer will work
as well. If you like them on the lumpier side you can even
use a hand masher. My family likes them creamy and smooth)
set up, while the potatoes are cooking.

Drain the potatoes well


Place the butter


and the cream cheese in the bottom of the bowl


Add the potatoes, turn the mixer on low,
so the potatoes don't come flying out of the bowl


As soon as they start to mash, you can increase your speed
Add the cream slowly,
you don't want the potatoes to be soupy


You may need the whole half pint, you may not,
this will depend on the size of the potatoes
If they are not creamy enough, you can add a little milk as well

Add the salt



and pepper,

and whip until smooth on a medium-high speed


until smooth and creamy, but not too thin


Place in a serving bowl, and serve with gravy if desired.


See Lauren, it's very easy to do...
and some day, when I'm not around,

you'll always remember your mother

when you make them!

Smashed Baby New Potatoes - Yum Yum

I had seen this recipe on the Vegan Yum Yum blog awhile back, and LoLo said that she got it from The Pioneer Woman's blog. They looked so delicious that I knew they would be great with my Comfort Food Sunday dinner. I think everyone who makes them adds a little of their own touch. I know that I added grating cheese to mine. These were delicious, so with special thanks to LoLo at Vegan Yum Yum and Ree Drummond at The Pioneer Woman for this awesome recipe for Crash Hot Potatoes. You can see the original posts by clinking on the two links in the last sentence.

What you will need for this recipe:



Crash Hot Potatoes

Make as many as you want (I figured 2-3 per person, but if you have teenage boys you may want to figure 3-4 per person)

Several small potatoes, red or russet (I used baby new potatoes) 

Kosher salt
 and pepper to taste

Olive Oil

2-3 Sprigs Rosemary, finely chopped
Grated cheese of your choice (Parmesan, Locatelli-Romano, etc) I used about 3 tablespoons

Preheat oven to 450º F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Wash the potatoes until they are clean. Put the potatoes in a pot and fill with water. Add about 2 tablespoons of salt to the water. Place the water on a medium high flame and bring to a boil. Boil them until they are tender all the way through. Make sure a fork pierces them easily. Drain the potatoes. Let the potatoes cool a little. Drizzle the cookie sheet with olive oil. Place the cooked potatoes on cookie sheet.

Using a small paring knife, make an X cut on the top of each potato so it's easier to crush them. Use a potato masher and gently press on each potato until squashed but not disintegrated. You want them to stay together. If they fall apart, don't worry! Just pick up the bits into piles and keep going.

Once smashed, generously sprinkle kosher salt over each potato. Follow with pepper, and then, drizzle them with more olive oil. If desired, sprinkle each potato with freshly chopped rosemary or chives if desired. Sprinkle with smoked paprika to finish them off if desired. Bake the potatoes at 450º F for 20-25 minutes, longer is better, you want them very crisp, just don't let them burn. Serve hot!

Note: These can be done in a pressure cooker. If you have a pressure cooker, cook the potatoes whole on a trivet with 1 cup of water for 10-20 minutes at high-pressure, depending on the size of the potatoes. Turn off the heat and let the cooker release pressure naturally. Then proceed as above.

Crash Hot Potatoes

Make as many as you want (I figured 2-3 per person, but if you have teenage boys you may want to figure 3-4 per person)

Several small potatoes, red or russet (I used baby new potatoes) 

Kosher salt
 and pepper to taste

Olive Oil

2-3 Sprigs Rosemary, finely chopped
Grated cheese (Parmesan, Locatelli-Romano, etc) I used about 3 tablespoons

Preheat oven to 450º F.


Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet

Place the rosemary in a plate


Chop the rosemary very fine and set aside


Wash the potatoes until they are clean


Put the potatoes in a pot and fill with water


Add about 2 tablespoons of salt (I ran out of Kosher salt,
but if you have it, use Kosher salt) to the water


Place the water on a medium high flame
and bring to a boil.


Boil them until they are tender all the way through


Make sure a fork pierces them easily

Drain the potatoes


Let the potatoes cool a little


Using a small paring knife, make an X cut on the
top of each potato so it's easier to crush them

Use a potato masher and gently press on each
potato until squashed but not disintegrated




Place the cooked potatoes on cookie sheet
You want them to stay together. If they fall apart, don't worry!
Just pick up the bits into piles and keep going.




Drizzle the cookie sheet with olive oil
(I forget to do this step, so I added it
after the potatoes were on the
parchment paper -pictures look like they
are a little out of order, when actually, it's
my brain that is out of order :) )


Once smashed, generously sprinkle kosher
salt over each potato.


Follow with pepper,
and then, drizzle them with more olive oil




If desired, sprinkle each potato with freshly
chopped rosemary or chives if desired



Sprinkle with grated cheese





Drizzle a little more olive oil




Sprinkle with smoked paprika to finish them off if desired



Bake the potatoes at 450º F for 20-25 minutes,
longer is better, you want them very crisp,
just don't let them burn. Serve hot!