Today’s epiphany: there are really only 2 things that have come a really long way. Technology, and fake mashed potatoes.
Ever since pagers were considered cool, I’ve considered boxed mashed potatoes absolutely nasty. I used to gag a little every time I even THOUGHT about them. At my friends house, I would choke down their parents fake taters because lets face it, I was damn spoiled with my own mom’s homemade mashed heavenly goodness.
But the facts are these: I really don’t like grocery shopping to go often to buy fresh taters, and the first (and last) time I bought a bag of potatoes I forgot about them in the cupboard, and by the time I remembered they had grown these monstrous like claws and weird discolored vines that I didn’t know what to do and just threw them back in the cupboard like the freaks they were. Cat Cora HERSELF could tell me they were ok but I would still have my reserves, they are just not normal. So at Sam’s Club the other day, it had come down to a 50 lb. bag of Russets, or this red box with Idahoan splattered across the top. And going off of pure instinct and the justification that since it says “Idaho” somewhere on it its got to be good, we purchased it and I crossed my fingers.
Fast forward a week to tonight, and after the weekly softball game I just wanted a nice hearty meal. The usual PB&J or lame attempt just wasn’t going to cut it. So on my way home I remembered this AWESOME breaded chicken my mom used to make… they made the house whole smell so delicious, they looked easy enough and man… some mashed potatoes would be so perfect along side them. BUT WHAT IF THESE WERE SUB PAR? What if they made me want to vomit like many past fake taters?
But oh the contrary. They. Were. Awesome. I was sooo doubtful at first. But I even tasted the raw bits and even THEY tasted good! The roommate remains skeptical. But thats because HE DIDN’T TASTE THEM! But Mike flipped out of socks when he saw I had made mashed potatoes, and scarfed all of it down. It was a success :)
