For the love of a potato...

It must be my Irish roots or something, but I absolutly love anything that can be done to a potato. Smashed, fried, broiled, boiled, smashed, scattered, covered, chuncked...it doesn't matter. They are my weakness and my downfall-but more than that, they are my comfort.

Now it's not unusual because potatoes ARE a comfort food, but for me, it's more than eating them that is the comfort. You see, every Friday night of my childhood consisted of me and Mom hanging out together. Pop would be out on patrol with the Reserves and Kim would be either at her Dad's or out with friends and I had Mom all to myself. Every so often we'd meet Pop at the Annex for a cheeseburger and onion rings (OMG I still remember how yummy it was!), but normally Mom woudl make a huge batch of our "Friday Night Special." FNS is just fried potatoes and onions. Some salt, some pepper, and a bit of ketchup and it's heaven in a plate.

As I got older FNS began to evolve from my Mom's creation to my own. By high school I had added some sausage to make it a full meal. (Now I want no one to wonder why I was ever chunky.) This became my standby comfort meal-until I got married.

I made it for him one time and he spent the entire meal complaining that the potatoes were raw. SO, I like my potatoes with a bit of texture. He complained so often that I never tried to make it again. My comfort became contraband. I could only make it when he wasn't there and despite the fact he had affairs during out marriage, I can count the number of nights we spent apart. Ironic huh?! However, maybe I should have gotten the hint much earlier that if my comfort meal so disgusted him, mabe I shouldn't have married him. I'm just saying.

I had this meal tonight. My Mom and I shared just as we did when I was a kid and I'm glad to have the ability to make this meal for myself again-even if I totally don't need to eat it more than once every three months.

I am thankful and blessed that I have freedom. I can do, say, dress, cook, eat, talk, write, parent, and BE what I want.