Thursday Night Dinner

Tonight was Thursday-Night-Dinner that we try to do every week but some weeks it just doesn't happen... and that's ok.

Tonight was my night. I think the next time is Jimmy's night, then Donald and Don. And so on and so forth.

I am drunk right now - but not on alcohol - on southern goodness.

I made Meatloaf, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Stewed Green Beans. I am not really sure about giving out any of these recipes because one isn't mine, the other is pretty self explanatory, and one has a super secret ingredient that I have to put in my will so that Donald will someday know what it is.
That boy loves meatloaf.

I will say, for the mashed potatoes, i roasted 2 whole heads of garlic for about an hour and then Lee smashed them into the potatoes. So. Freaking. Good.
Ok fine - Recipe:
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

For the Roasted Garlic:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Take 2 – 5 heads of garlic and cut the tops off to expose the garlic cloves inside. Drizzle a round cake pan with olive oil, to cover the bottom. Place the garlic in the pan and drizzle with a generous amount of oil, to keep from easily burning. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cover the pan with foil and cook for 40 minutes. Let cool slightly and press the garlic cloves out of the skins.

For the Potatoes: (can easily be halved)
5 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and rinsed. (sometimes, i don't peel them.)
1 ½ sticks of butter
1 package of room temperature cream cheese
½ cup Half & Half (whipping cream works too)
Generous amounts of salt and pepper

Cut peeled potatoes into pieces and cook in boiling water until fork tender. Drain water and return to pot, and mash potatoes over low heat until lots of the steam has escaped. Mash in softened butter, cream cheese, and cream. Salt to taste. Dump in garlic cloves and stir in. Add fresh pepper over the top and sprinkle a few heads of garlic on top for show.
Then Don brought his chocolate cake.
I covet his chocolate cake. I dream about it. I drool over it. And the other day he made cupcakes with chocolate chips with the same batter and I had a semi-erotic moment.
Sorry.


And you know your dinner smells good when you look down and see this:
"Mom? Hey... so...can i have some?"

I am off work tomorrow, and off dinner duty (Lee won't be home). But my Dad may stop in Saturday night so I will be sure to have something yummy for him.