Monday, April 03, 2006

Let's Kick Cliff Around!

Friday night we had some VIP's visit for supper. My Daughter and her beau, and my youngest son and his fiance'. Also two grandkids. We had a fish fry and I wanted to serve potatoes but I didn't want to fry them. This is the great idea I had. I would put those already diced up, frozen 'hashbrowns' on a large cookie sheet, and spray with non stick cooking spray, and bake them. Turned out okay but the process 1/2 browned them and 1/2 dehydrated them. They were a little crunchy.
Saturday morning, I cooked a big breakfast which included the rest of the hashbrowns. I fried them in a little oil but it didn't soften them up as I had planned. It made them even harder. I turned them dark brown. Well kind of blackish brown. Well, mostly brown, but okay, a lot of black.
Everyone was polite. Up until they tasted a mouthful. Did I mention they were crispy. They made a loud crunching sound when you chewed them that was truly amazing. My bride of nearly 35 years, the one I count on to help set a good example around our children. The one who helps me illustrate, how to treat one another verbally and physically in a long term marriage, looks at me and says, "I think you're onto something here Cliff". Waiting for the obvious upcoming compliment, I say, "how's that?" She continues, "These are exactly what I'm looking for to mulch the flower bed around the house".
They made fun of me in grade school too.

18 comments:

Ralph said...

Cliff
I can see Marilyn saying that. Funny thing is I am having a hard time imagining you cooking a bad meal.
Ralph

Rachel said...

Yuck, they don't sound too good Cliff. Crunchy and black. I'll pass. Just bake me the cake please.

Maybe this could be a sideline business, potato mulch??

Cliff said...

You women are really clever.

Anonymous said...

Cliff,
Have you got a covered smoker? It might be better for making mass quantities of potato mulch. I think it will take too long cooking them in a skillet. Just trying to help out a friend.

Look on the bright side. Nobody broke a tooth on your 'taters!

Merle said...

Hi Cliff ~~ At least you were helping with the cooking. But that is one way to avoid future requests to cook.
Method in your madness?
Cheers, Merle.

EV said...

I had some of those "pea gravel" hash browns on a camping/fishing trip with my buddies up in Ontario in the '60s. After canoeing for 26 miles and several miles of portage, they were delicious. We ate every bit of them and the fish we caught - I guess it's all relative, huh? BTW, Merle may be on to something you sly fox.

Anonymous said...

Hey how did she manage to teach that to you? LOL I need to take her class.

Dan said...

You could probably market that to Exxon to soak up oil spills. There's even a place in Tekamah that can build an oven as big as you want. Now you just need some potatoes, and I know a retired onion farmer that could probably get them to grow.

Cheyenne said...

I just love when a story like this makes me laugh out loud when I am alone in the house. Thanks for the good laugh.

Jamie Dawn said...

It's obvious that you don't have the HUMOR market cornered in your marriage. I'd say it's 50/50 between you and Marilyn.

In this instance: Cliff: 0, Marilyn: 1

You go girl!
It was nice of you to even try them, Marilyn. I would have been afraid of breaking a tooth.

Miki said...

Poor Cliff! I feel badly that you cooked the same thing TWICE and both times it was BAD! Next time, stick to the good old variety of french fries for the fish and something else for breakfast! Sorry that you were the BUTT of everyone's jokes, but some things weren't made to be flash frozen!

Peter said...

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? or conversly you could try cooking hash browns a-la-cliffe.

Rachel said...

hash browns a-la-cliffe!! Ha! Ha!

Good one Peter!!

eyes_only4him said...

I love that bride of yours cliff..

i am guessing you wont be makign breakfast next weekend!!

poopie said...

Gotta hand it to Marilyn...waste not want not :)

JUST A MOM said...

ooooooooooo man Cliff i know what ya mean, sorry when ya suck ya gotta suck it up.

Julia Reffner said...

Well before you fried em up they sound just about the way I like em. I love my potatos crunchy. I feel your pain when it comes to being picked on by the wife too.

The Lumpy

Idgie @ the "Dew" said...

I'm famous for taking the tater tots in the freezer, baking them and smooshing them into hashbrowns.

You use what you have.

I like crunchy. Just put more wet stuff like egg yolk on them.

Perfect.