Tastes from Home Giveaway!

When someone says the word 'home' what pops into your head? Family? Food? Sights? Sounds? The first thing I think of at the mention of the word 'home' is always my mother, the second thing is cooking with my mother. So what could be more appropriate for a "Tastes from Home" contest than to share my own recipe for a favorite childhood food --- buttery mashed potatoes. Take a gander at this:

Granny's Homemade 'Lumpy' Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients:

3-5 medium-sized white potatoes

1/4 to 1/2 Cup of whole milk

1/2 Cup of butter

1 tsp Cracked Black Pepper

1 tsp Salt

Utensils:

2-quart sauce pan w/ lid

vegetable brush

collander (or paper towels)

large mixing bowl

measuring cups

measuring spoons

fork

Instructions:
Scrub potatoes clean w/ vegetable brush + cold water. Allow to drain in a collander or pat dry w/ paper towels.

Bring 3-4 cups of water to a boil in a sauce pan. Add potatoes, cover with lid, and boil until tender (~20 minutes). Once potatoes are tender, remove from heat, and drain in collander. (Shake collander as necessary to remove any excess water.)

Pour potatoes into a mixing bowl. Use a fork to break apart tender potatoes into chunks. Add milk and butter a little at a time, beating potatoes with fork after each addition. Continue this routine until the potatoes are a lumpy mash. Add pepper and salt to taste.

Eat and enjoy!
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There's a blog giveaway coming up farther down in the post...


I chose this recipe because mashed potatoes are my goto comfort food. Anyone who knows me at all, will know of my love for potatoes, which is legendary. My family often jokes that I've never met a potato that I didn't like.

Speaking of potatoes, I love Lay's potato chips and I was excited to hear about the new Lay's Regional Flavors potato chips inspired by popular American regional cuisine. There are several varieties including: from the Northeastern U.S. - Lay's Honey Mustard, from the Midwestern U.S. - Lay's Creamy Garden Ranch, from the Northwestern U.S. - Lay's Balsamic Sweet Onion, from the Southwestern U.S. - Lay's Chipotle Ranch, and from the Southeastern U.S. - Lay's Cajun Herb & Spice. And Lay's Regional Flavored potato chips are made with all natural ingredients and cooked in healthier oils, like corn and sunflower oils, which contain 80% or more of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat --- the "good fats." These chips also contain 0 grams of trans fats per serving and less sodium in them than you might think --- a 1-oz serving of Lay's Regional Flavored potato chips contains less salt than a plain bagel!

I can't wait to try them all, but I'm really looking forward to sampling the Lay's Chipotle Ranch and the Lay's Balsamic Sweet Onion. Mmmmmm.... What are your favorite flavors? I know, betcha can't eat just one!

Well now that I've shared my "Taste of Home", you can too! Frito-Lay has asked a select group of bloggers to post recipes for an invite-only Frito-Lay Fan contest, but the fun part for you, the reader, is that there's also a blog giveaway. That's right. Just for reading my blog (or following me on Twitter), you have the chance to win a variety pack of Lay's Regional Flavors potato chips.

To enter: 1) post a comment below with something (i.e., a sight, sound, smell, or taste) that instantly reminds you of home and then tell me why the thing you've posted is special to you; and 2) make certain to leave an email address or Twitter handle so that I may contact you if you're deemed the winner. You can also follow my blog, or follow me on Twitter if you like (not required), as I may put up other giveaways from time to time.

I'll pick my favorite comment as the winner, and notify that person on 22-Aug-2011. The winner will have 24-hours to confirm receipt of the prize by sending me a shipping address. If I get no confirmation within the allotted time-frame, I'll pick a new winner and repeat the process, as necessary, until the prize is awarded.

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Blog Giveaway Rules: Participation open only to legal residents of the fifty United States or the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years old as of date of entry. One winner will be chosen based upon creativity of entry as determined by the judge (namely me). Prize will be shipped directly from Frito-Lay (or marketing representative).

Disclosure: Promotional consideration provided by Frito Lay North America, Inc.: This blog post serves as my entry into the Tastes from Home recipe contest for bloggers.