My dad is Swedish, so I grew up with a Swedish grandmother who could COOK. Which means I KNOW Swedish meatballs. Maybe one day I’ll share her recipe…it’s quite the undertaking, but it’s worth it. Until then…here’s an easy way to get pretty good Swedish meatballs…

Ikea. Yet another awesome thing about our new ‘hood is the close proximity to Ikea…a few miles at the most. So awesome when you’re moving. We grabbed a bag of their frozen Swedish meatballs and a packet of their cream sauce last time we were there. It’s not what Grandma used to make, but it’s pretty good! Pair it up with the traditional boiled new potato (fancy, eh?) and some pickeled herring and you’re good to go! Okay, I’m teasing…I would NEVER eat pickled herring, no matter how much my dad and brother try to convince me otherwise. A nice salad on the side is a BIT more palatable for me. 😉

I just received an email that caught my eye…MothersClick is raising money for Boys & Girls Clubs of America by compiling and selling a cookbook, by moms and for moms. The best part: 100% of the proceeds from the book will go to Boys & Girls Clubs. That’s awesome!

Why am I telling you about this? You can enter your own recipes to be considered for the cookbook! The deadline is tomorrow, so if you have a great recipe to share, get on over to MothersClick quick!!

Today’s featured recipe comes from a reader named Michelle. She shared this simple recipe over a year ago. It is a great recipe. Easy, delicious…and you don’t have to just cook it for a holiday dinner…I just couldn’t come up with a better name. 😉

My friend Lindsay and I split the cooking responsibilities for Easter this year. Lindsay was in charge of making these potatoes. Since she’s way gourmet, she actually used fresh potatoes. As you can see in the picture, they came out great…although, since I’m a big cheat in the kitchen I’m pretty sure I’ll still use frozen hash browns in the future, but it was excellent cooked this way. One more thing – Lindsay made one dish with fresh garlic added and it was a good addition.

Creamy Holiday Potatoes

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

2 hours

Total time

2 hours 5 mins

 

Recipe from reader Michelle

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 1 package frozen, shredded hash browns
• Salt
• ~3 cups heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a baking dish, place a layer of hash browns, sprinkle with salt, add another layer of potatoes, sprinkle with salt, layering until dish is ¾ full.
3. Pour heavy cream over potatoes until potatoes are not quite covered.
4. Bake for 30-60 minutes (original recipe said several hours but that is far too long). They will be golden brown and a little crunchy on top but creamy and yummy under the crust.
5. If you are using a dish the size of a 9 x 13 cake pan, you will use about 3 cups of cream.

3.2.2807

I found the camera cord! AND I’m ready to cook. Let’s get this show on the road!

We took our first trip up to “the city” (i.e. San Francisco) yesterday (more on that later). We had a blast. It really is a great place and I can’t wait to explore it more.

Milton’s is a restaurant/deli in Del Mar (San Diego area). They also have a baking company and they make my most favorite sandwich bread, Whole Grain Plus. It tastes great, is full of whole grains and fiber, and has NO high fructose corn syrup. I thought it was local to San Diego, but it’s not – you can get it everywhere! I was so excited when I found it this week at my new Trader Joe’s. Go get yourself some, you’ll be happy.

I’m actually going to cook this week. For real.

MONDAY:
– Caprese Salad
– Good bread
– Spinach salad with pears, feta cheese & Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette

TUESDAY:
– Kitchen sink quesadillas
– Chips & Guacamole

WEDNESDAY:
– Chicken noodle soup
– Good bread

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Fettucine alfredo w/broccoli & chicken
– Salad

SATURDAY:
– Eat out

SUNDAY:
– Pot roast
– Mashed potatoes
– Veggie
– Rolls (I sure hope they have Rhodes in the Bay Area!)

Now, what are YOU eating this week?

Wow, I’m a miserable blogger. I still haven’t found my camera cord to download pictures, and I can’t get my G5 online, where all my previously-downloaded pictures are currently living. Posts about food without pictures are just no fun, so please be patient with me!

I do have this to report…Trader Joe’s is a mere 2 blocks away from my new apartment. WOO-HOO! As if I didn’t already talk about TJ’s too much…I also have a nice big kitchen with cute butter-yellow tile and big windows. Still no cooking, but getting close.

Since I’m a loser and have nothing original to say, I’ll just share one of my most favorite blogs EVER with you. Yes, you’ve probably already visited this blog, but for those of you who haven’t, I must highlight The Sartorialist. Love him, love the clothes, love the pictures. That should give you something to do while I finish unpacking…ugh.

We made it to our new apartment…and the work continues! My plan this week is to get this kitchen unpacked and maybe cook a real meal by the end of the week…cross your fingers for me. Until then, please please please post your menus!!

After several weeks of partying and packing and goodbying, it’s time to hit the road. My computers are coming down tonight and next time you “see” me, I’ll be a Bay Area blogger! 🙂

Since I haven’t cooked in ages and I don’t have time to post much right now, I thought I’d leave you with a picture of the craziest burger I’ve ever seen. Book Club threw us a goodbye party Saturday…Karen made (and ate!) this monster. 🙂 Please keep visiting the blog – hopefully I’ll have something more this week…if not, I’ll be back on track Sunday with a menu and more food!

PS – If you participated in the survey for my bro, please make sure your email spam filter doesn’t block any emails from “avenuea-razorfish.com” or “aa-rf.com” so we can get you the hot fudge recipe!