Homemade Potato Gnocchi!

So what do you do when you have a billion potatoes.. Make pounds and pounds of gnocchi!

In the joy of cooking cookbook, my wonderful sister in law found a recipe for gnocchi that Cousin Shana was wanting to learn to make. The first step is to bake 2 pounds of potatoes (in our case 15 pounds!!!). The wonderful hubby and and sister in law scrapped all the potatoe out of the skin. Carefully measuring out 2 2/3 cups of cooked potato, which we did mash before adding in 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.

Next, after adjusting the amount of flour to make it the "right" consistency (kind of like playdoh, or a slightly crumbly dough). Flour your work area and grab a handful. Start to roll it out in to a log. 

You want to use a butter knife and try to cut it in to equal parts. Here you see, BIL, Jake uses the side of a fork.. You get the same result and dirty less dishes.. Right?!?!

Now, holding the fork flat to the cut piece, roll it slightly to slightly flatten and "score" the dough.

This is a sample of how some of ours turned out...

Now for the fun part.... Cooking the dough...

You want to cook the gnocchi floats in the water.. Then it's done!

Floating for 20 seconds.. Out to my plate and add a sauce! Yummy!

Recipe from the joy of cooking book:

Potato Gnocchi

2 pounds baking potatoes, cooked, scooped out, pushed through a ricer or sieve with the back of a spoon and divided into 2 2/3 cups

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir together vigorously, then turn out onto a work surface and knead until smooth and blended. Roll into a log about 3/4 inch wide, cut into pieces 3/4 inch long. Roll each piece against the tines of a fork while pressing a small dent into the opposite side with your finger.

To cook:

Bring salted water to a boil. Drop gnocchi into simmering water until they float, about 2 minutes. They should hold a firm shape and be chewy to the bite.

Now, for use we are freezing our for future meals... You know since we had a harvest of some houndreds of potatoes. However, we will hold out enough to have some made with homemade spaghetti sauce, tomorrow. Pictures will be updates.... Well tomorrow :)

<3 T

Muffin-polooza

We'll hey there fancy meeting you here again!!! Yes, it has been SEVERAL months since a post has been posted :) Emma and I are back in the kitchen and this time we have a brand new tool! An iPad 2 which should make blogging easier! Woohoo!! So this weekend is our monthly family weekend! So, for Sunday brunch Em and I are making muffins.. All sorts of muffins!! To start with we are making the pin "tha standard muffin" found here: http://thewholesomedish.com/standard-muffin-recipe/ . Since this recipe gives you an opportunity to be extra creative we are making blueberry and peach! 

Here we start with the dry ingredients:

We are doubling the original recipe. Next, we added all the wet ingredients (and the sugar into a separate bowl to whisk together:

Next, add the wet to the dry and mix... Now the original cooknesta said it will be lumpy and not to over mix.. This we shall do :)

And this is where the fun starts!!! Time to fill cups!

We decided to start with blueberry... After washing her hands really well, my awesome helper started topping!

In the oven these babies go for 20 minutes!

Out of the oven and on to my plater!!!

Now once my taste-tester has had lunch, she said these are "ummmmm!!! Good!!!"

Now, I did try the peach one and Em the blueberry. We both seemed to like it! Personally I wouldn't mind seeing a glaze drizzled over the top! So we will call this one a success! <3

We like this tried pin! Now, try it for yourself! Let us know how yours turn out, as well as what creative favors you used!

<3 T