Creamy, Dreamy Miso Mashed Potatoes

Well, we have officially lived in our house for just 2 weeks short of a year. Yes, we still have boxes to unpack. Don't judge me. I tried to make a dent in what is left this afternoon by sorting through stacks of boxes that were hidden away in the garage. A lot of them have been unopened for nearly a decade. They have just been moved from place to place to place without a second thought. Today, I found some treasures that took me on an unexpectedly emotional journey down memory lane. One discovery in particular made me feel especially nostalgic. My mom made a couple of keepsake boxes from two musicals I did in high school. My old costumes were inside, along with programs and posters signed by fellow cast members. It was fun to remember being Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors and singing By My Side in Godspell. Those memories don't surface often enough.

Speaking of memories and nostalgia and all that...can we talk about mashed potatoes? I have deliciously fond memories of mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving as a kid. My mom makes THE BEST mashed potatoes on the planet. True story. As a result, every time I make them now that I'm all grown up, I have her potatoes in mind. They are never exactly the same as mom's, but #lifegoals, right?

These creamy, dreamy miso mashed potatoes come in at a close second place to mom's. No, she doesn't use miso. I guess you could call that my "signature" in this case. They are creamy, rich, and so darned easy you won't even believe it. And before you go to the store to buy an entire container of white miso, check the dark corners of your fridge for that container you bought 6 months ago for that one recipe. I know there are a few of you out there with miso just waiting to be used in something as crowd-pleasing as mashed potatoes!

I used red potatoes with the skins on, but you are more than welcome to peel those babies if you prefer. I also used crispy onions (because, hello, I can't get enough!) but you could just as easily toast some panko bread crumbs and salt in a little butter and sprinkle those over the top instead! I also added a little bit of shichimi togarashi, but if you don't have any, just add some extra black pepper. Looking for a little green color? Toss some chives on top! This is one of those side dishes that will leave your guests wanting more and wondering what it was that made your potatoes so amazing! 

You're welcome. :)

Creamy, Dreamy Miso Mashed Potatoes

Makes 6-8 servings

• 2 lbs red potatoes, scrubbed and halved or quartered
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons white miso paste
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk (plus more to adjust texture if necessary)
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon shichimi togarashi plus extra to sprinkle over the top (optional)
• 1/3 cup crispy onions

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover completely with cold water.
2. Bring the water to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and set aside. Return the pot to the stove over medium low heat.
3. Melt the butter with miso paste in the bottom of the pot, stirring constantly with a whisk until the butter and miso are smooth and fully incorporated. Turn off the heat.
4. Add the sour cream to the pot and stir to combine. Add the potatoes and milk to the pot.
5. Use a potato masher to combine all the ingredients until as smooth (or lumpy) as you prefer. Add a touch more milk if needed.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Add the shichimi and stir to combine.
7. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with the onions, and serve!

The Black Tie

So apparently there are these things called "movies" that people see in a gigantic room on a ginormous screen at a "theater". I'm not sure who these people are, but they must enjoy this activity because there is an awards show devoted to the very best movies from the year. I thought the only movies out there happened on Friday nights while eating pizza and playing Candy Land. And they typically involve animated characters and musical dialogue. No?

Well, if you are fancy enough to watch the Oscars this weekend, you should make it a real event by whipping up one of these Black Tie cocktails. This is basically a slightly sweet martini made with black vodka, Créme de Cassis, and an egg white for a little added drama.

Enjoy with popcorn, potato chips, or fancy two-bite appetizers while sticking your pinky out in a delicate manner and judging red carpet dresses. (You know you're going to!)

Black Tie

Makes 1 cocktail

Total time: 5 minutes

• 1 1/2 ounces black vodka
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice
• Scant 1/2 ounce Créme de Cassis
• 1 egg white

1. Combine all the ingredients except black vodka in a cocktail shaker WITHOUT ice for 10 seconds until frothy.
2. Add a few ice cubes and shake until chilled for an additional 10 seconds.
3. Strain into a glass and set aside.
4. Rinse cocktail shaker and fill with a handful of ice. Add black vodka and shake until chilled.
5. Pour the vodka into a chilled martini glass, then pour the frothy egg mixture over the vodka.
6. Enjoy!

*Notes: Adding the black vodka after shaking the egg white helps keep a more clean, white foam for the top of the drink. The Créme de Cassis may create a slightly rosey color to the foam, but it won't be as noticeable.

Raspberry Gingersnap Parfaits

I’ve partnered with the wonderful folks at Tillamook to bring you this post. I love, love, LOVE their products and am always happy to bring you delicious new ideas to put them to use! Now that their yogurts are more widely available in the Denver area, I hope my Colorado readers will get out there and give this creamy, healthy snack a try!

I want to talk about this Raspberry Ginger Snap Parfait but can we first acknowledge the fact that we just moved? Three weeks ago we were just starting our second round of house-hunting and the very first open house we attended was the (completely unexpected) winner. And now we live here. Holy goodness gracious we are insane.

The 11 month old has been confined to the pack and play for most of his days, and the 4 year old is excited but loopy-tired and experimenting with his...um...emotional expressions. Needless to say, we are all exhausted and tired and worn out and drained and sleepy. Yep. All of those things. Because one word isn’t enough.

In the midst of all the packing, diaper changing, and time out-giving, it has been tricky to find a way to feed myself. Literally. But, lucky for me, I always have a stockpile of Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt in my refrigerator. My husband doesn’t even have to ask what brand of yogurt (or ice cream and cheese, for that matter) to buy for me because he knows I’ll always say Tillamook.

Here are a few of the reasons why I love Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt:

• Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt is less tart than other Greek yogurts (mom, if you’re reading this, this one’s for you!) because it’s made the farmstyle way. The combination of the farm fresh dairy ingredients and use of seven active yogurt and buttermilk cultures is what makes Tillamook’s Greek yogurt “farmstyle,” yielding a creamier, extra thick Greek yogurt.

• Tillamook’s authentically-strained, fat-free Greek yogurt is layered on top of sweet, ripe fruits sourced from the Pacific Northwest or mixed with other high quality ingredients like Pacific Northwest honey, giving it a satisfying taste that is uniquely Tillamook.

• Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt is made with only natural ingredients, which means they don’t use artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup. One of my least favorite ‘surprises’ is reading an ingredient list on a container of yogurt and finding high fructose corn syrup. Yuck.

• Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt also provides 14g of protein, making it the perfect snack for busy days!

And one more thing: this yogurt is so delicious that it can pass as a dessert! I’ve layered their Washington Raspberry 2% Farmstyle Greek Yogurt with zingy crushed gingersnaps and candied ginger for a holiday-ready dessert. Or if you’re not into yogurt for the dessert, this will feel like having dessert for breakfast! The layers of decadently creamy yogurt, chewy candied ginger, and crunchy ginger snaps are made even more beautiful and delicious with the addition of a few fresh raspberries.

If you’re having guests stay with you in the next couple of weeks, this is a perfect a make-ahead, healthier dessert option. An added bonus is that the kids can help assemble them!

If you’re sugared out, I would recommend that you head to the store for Tillamook’s Plain and Simple 2% Farmstyle Greek Yogurt so you can make this beautiful, stupid easy Roasted Carrot Soup. The yogurt makes the perfect topping and gives the soup a creamy flavor without the insane fat content of heavy cream. I also love swapping the topping for these sweet potato waffles with Tillamook’s Oregon Marionberry 0% Farmstyle Greek Yogurt. Breakfast perfection!

Here’s to a happy, healthy, easy holiday season!

If you’re in the Denver area and want to check out Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt, head to any of these fine establishments:

• King Soopers

• Walmart

• Safeway

• Albertsons

Raspberry Gingersnap Parfaits

Makes 4 parfaits

• 4 single-serving yogurt cups Washington Raspberry 2% Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt

• 12 gingersnap cookies, crushed

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped candied ginger

• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries

1. Scoop 1/4 cup yogurt into the bottom of four small jars or glasses.

2. Sprinkle some of the crushed gingersnaps over the yogurt, followed by a small amount of the candied ginger. Continue with another layer of yogurt, gingersnaps, and ginger, finishing with a layer of yogurt.

3. Top the final layer of yogurt with fresh raspberries and a final sprinkle of crushed gingersnaps and serve!

*Note: These can be made a few hours ahead of time, but the gingersnaps will soften. This isn’t a bad thing (in fact, I love them that way), but I thought some of you would like a heads up