A Tag, An Award and some mighty good potatoes!

I was thrilled and excited this morning to find out that I had been tagged by Miranda of A Duck in Her Pond!When I was a kid I loved playing tag and it's even more fun now, except that I don't have to chase people around! I just have to think of their names!

It's a Random 6 things about me Meme! I'm not sure I can think of 6 things about me that I haven't already told you about, but what the hey, I'll give it a good go!

The rules are as follows:
# Link to the person who tagged you.
# Post the rules on the blog
# Write six random things about yourself.
# Tag six people at the end of your post
# Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
# Let the tagger know when your entry is up.



1. I'm a front seat driver, as opposed to a back seat driver, which only means I do the same thing, but from the passenger seat in the front. It drives Todd up the wall, but I can't help myself! I am always reminding him of the speed limit, or where to turn etc. Sometimes I try really hard and keep my mouth shut, (it does take an enormous effort) and he ends up missing the turn or some such and I wish I hadn't been so quiet! (He does too probably!)

2. Most little girls dream of being ballerinas or teachers when they grow up. I dreamt of being Aunt Bea. For those of you who aren't familiar with the character she was the maiden Aunt of a man in a television program in North America called the Andy Griffith Show. Andy was a widower with a little boy named Opie. Aunt Bea moved in with them to help take care of them. She did all the housework and cooking and they loved her to bits. She was very grandmotherly, loving and pleasantly plump, and always wore a flowered dress with an apron on top, and her lovely silvery hair up in a bun. She enjoyed sharing a bit of gossip from time to time and had a heart of gold. We were watching the show on DVD the other night, and I told Todd that I had always wanted to be Aunt Bea, and he looked at me and said, well . . . I think you are quite similar! (I didn't know whether to slap him or hug him!)

3. I used to smoke. I started when I was 17 and quit for the last time when I was 34 and now I can't believe that I ever did. My parents both smoked, but my dad quit when we were quite young. I tried many times to quit, but never succeeded for very long. The last time I tried, determined that I was going to kick the habit for good and I did. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. If I can do it, anyone can.

4. I would live in my pajamas if I could. Sometimes on Saturdays if I don't have anywhere to go or anyone to see I spend the whole day in them. One of the first things I do when I get home from work is to get undressed and put them on. They are so comfy and relaxing. Todd doesn't understand my penchant for wearing them. He gets dressed as soon as he gets up and washed in the morning, and doesn't put them back on until he is ready to get into bed at night. I expect that when I die I will want to be buried in a new nightie. It sounds like the perfect way to go . . . dressed for comfort.

5. I can wiggle my eyebrows and wiggle them independently of each other, although I find it somewhat easier with my left eyebrow than my right. I am not sure what that says about me, except that I am predominantly right handed, although I can and often do use both. I can also curl my tongue. I cannot, however, wiggle my ears . . . although I've always really wanted to be able to do that!

6. I've had three serious boyfriends in my life and married each one of them. I wish I could say I've had one serious boyfriend in my life and I married him . . . but alas, I cannot. My first two husbands were both born on January 4th, 1954, which is really weird, I know. Todd's really lucky he was not, because if he had of been, I'd have given him the heave ho right off the bat!



Whew! That was a lot easier than I thought! Now comes the fun part . . . the part where I get to tag six of you! I tag:

Holly from My Kids Say I'm Silly
Erin of The McGibbon Family
Angie of Can You All Hear Me At The Back
Jeannene of Love Conquers All
Maddy of A Glass House
Sylvie of A Pot of Tea and a Biscuit

You're all it!



Every once in a while I am honored to receive a lovely little award from a blogging friend and I was thrilled to read this morning that Grammy Staffy from Grammy's News had chosen to give me the "Good Cookin Award" Thanks so much Grammy! If there's one thing I don't mind being known for it's for being a good cook! If I thought it would travel alright in the post I'd bake you a cake to help celebrate this goodness! I may bake one anyways! One of the best things about receiving an award is that I get to pass it along and I'd like to pass this one on to Julie of Tulips Kitchen . Julie is one of the cookinest people I know! She loves to cook for her family and friends and blogs about it. She's an ardent low carber and often posts delicious pictures of all the low carb food she has cooked on her page. I swear I gain ten pounds every time I go there to have a look. She's also a Pampered Chef consultant and works as a nutritionist/cook at a nursery school, so you can see she is definitely cookin! Julie, enjoy!

Here's another thing about me you may or may not know. The potato is my favourite vegetable. I could eat them and, nothing but them, every day for the rest of my life, and be quite happy and never get bored of eating them. There are so many delicious ways to prepare them. That's why low carb never works for me. I miss my potatoes too much and just have to cave in and eat them eventually. Here's one of my favourite ways of preparing them. I could just eat a plate of this, with a nice pat of butter melting on top, and nothing else!



*Colcannon*
Serves 4

I'm not sure where this recipe originates from, but I think it may be Ireland. Now if there is anyone who knows what to do with a potato is has to be an Irish person!

1 1/2 pound of floury potatoes (Desire, King Edward, Russet etc. you want a good mashing potato)
8 ounces of firm green cabbage, thinly sliced
12 spring onions, trimmed, washed and very thinly sliced (both white and green parts)
(about 2 bunches)
3 ounces of single cream
3 ounces butter
a grating of fresh nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
More butter to serve, if desired

Peel your potatoes and cut them into chunks. Place them into a pan of salted water and bring to the boil. Pop on a lid and then simmer them gently for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, melt about 1 ounce of the butter in a large skillet and tip in the cabbage. Saute the cabbage, stirring it frequently, until tender and started to turn golden brown on the edges. Tip in the sliced onions and cook for a minute or so longer. Remove from the heat.

Once your potatoes are very tender, drain them very well. Tip them back into the pan and pop them back onto the burner for a few minutes to dry up any excess moisture. Mash them very well, adding the cream, remaining butter, a grating of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the cooked cabbage and onion. Pile into a serving bowl and make a small indentation in the top and add a good knob of butter if desired. Serve hot.