Mashed Potatoes (Debra Garry)

4-5 potatoes

1 clove of garlic

¼ c butter

½ c nonfat half & half

Sea salt

Coarse black pepper

Sour cream

Milk

Peel and quarter potatoes. Add potatoes and garlic to 8 cups of boiling water. Boil about 25-30 minutes. Drain when soft. Add butter, half and half, sea salt and pepper. Add a few Tbsp of sour cream, if desired. Mash and reheat. Store in the snow in winter or in the fridge until dinner. At dinnertime, microwave and stir. Add milk if needed for creaminess.

Mashed potatoes are a great moldable food for holidays. For Valentine's Day, use a cookie cutter on each plate to shape a mound of potatoes into a heart or shape all of the potatoes into a heart on one giant platter. Surround potatoes with cooked carrots or other veggies.

You can also add some green food coloring (if your family doesn't mind) for St. Patrick's Day. Even without the food coloring, though, potatoes count as an Irish food, right?