Down home cookin'!

A sick day at home, you want comfort food with no effort.
So the sick day menu included:
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Brown Onion Gravy
Sauteed Garlic Mushrooms
Toast

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Boil some chopped potatoes until they easily break when pierced with a fork (about 8-10 min). I keep the skin on.
Drain, put in a large bowl with freshly minced garlic (garlic powder for minimal work), a couple shakes of mixed dry herbs, pinch of thyme, and splash of soy milk. Mash!! You do not need to add salt because the gravy will take care of that!

Brown Onion Gravy
Very loosely based on this wonderful recipe. I was only cooking for myself so I just "eyed" the ingredients. If you do the same, make sure you have enough "milk" on hand, it thickens amazingly!

Sauteed Garlic Mushrooms
A staple at our "down-home dinners" growing up.
Get some mushrooms, any type (slice "button"-type mushrooms though), throw them in a pan with preheated olive oil and garlic powder (or if you have left over fresh garlic, put it in with the mushrooms! putting it in hot oil for too long gives it a bitter flavor). Sautee until desired consistancy.

Toast
I don't know why, but I wanted toast. With the garlic oil and mushrooms and gravy and potatoes... it was a great idea on my stomach's part. I just used some fresh baguette slices.



With a cup of OJ! Hey.. I was sick...
Not much to look at, but sooo satisfying. The garlic oil of the mushrooms soaked into the toast for some yummy garlic bread! I went back for seconds!!

I would do nothing different. It was perfect.

Potato Soup

By Rex Allen and V. Ronin

Once upon a time, in the cold, heartless days of lake-effect weather, Rex and I perfected a soup that would satisfy our souls and bellies before braving the dark evenings of work.


YOU NEED
Potatoes
Carrots
Onions
non-dairy drink(optional)
Garlic powder
Salt
Italian herb mix (or just oregano, basil, parsley, pinch of rosemary and thyme)

Blender

Cut your potatoes to the size of chunks you want (I leave the skins on). Today I used 4 medium sized white potatoes. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until they easily fall apart when pierced with a fork, chopstick, skewer, what-have-you.

After about 5 minutes, throw in a handful of chopped carrots and chopped onions into the boiling water. (Today- 1 carrot, quartered long ways, and chopped. 1/2 onion large chunks)

When potatoes are done, ladle about half of the veggie chunks and broth into the blender. We add a few hefty spalshes of regular soy milk to this for the added cream factor. BLEND until thick and uniform.

Add the blended mix back into the pot. Add a generous amount of garlic powder, and a few hefty shakes of salt. "Pepper" with your italian seasonings. Stir. Taste, and adjust the spices as you like. Serve and garnish! Rex liked his with lots of fresh pepper on top. I used parsley for a pop of color and flavor.





YUM!

**And I actually found fresh baguettes! I bought two to freeze one, since the store isn't close by. I'm so happy!