Things I Like

Sometimes I am totally overwhelmed by the sheer volume of awesome things I come across on the daily. I try so hard to remember allllllllll the things I wanna tell you about because they plain old strike my fancy, but then I get distracted by things like baking bread or eating ice cream sandwiches.

Ice cream sandwiches are really distracting.

So before something shiny (OR chocolatey) snags my attention, let me proceed.

Awhile back my sister posted a link to these 27 Indisputable Facts that Everyone Knows are True. Numbers 7, 10, 14, 16, 19, 21, 22, and 23 are particularly awesome.

One day I came across this proposal video. I watched it twice. Then I made Chad watch it. Also I cried. Don’t judge me.

I’m so ready for fall I can hardly even stand it. I want to wear things like THIS.

I’m a teensy bit obsessed with these… like I think I need to make them yesterday…

And going back to indisputably true things… I really like it when my little Evan leaves me reminder notes taped all over the house or my Andrew sends me text messages just because he wants to talk to me… about nothing really in particular. I really like it when they solicit my approval on their Crayola masterpieces or beg me to join a card game, or pick me flowers from the yard to tuck behind my ear. I really, really, REALLY like alla that.
Also!! When the little boys rave over my baked goods it’s like a badge of honor.

Everyone likes badges. And dogs. Everyone [SHOULD] likes dogs.

I also like loaded potato skins. THEY ARE SO INSANELY ADDICTIVE.
Which is a little bit weird because baked potatoes, while pretty good and definitely falling on the list of things I like, don’t really qualify as addictive. Something happens to potatoes when you scoop out the fleshy middle (and save it for hash browns) and replace that middle with cheese.
It might be the bacon that sits on top of the cheese that puts these things over the moon. Or the sour cream that goes on top of the bacon. It could be the slight oniony crunch of scallions or chives or the chewy but crisp bite to the potato.

More than likely, it is all of these things, wrapped up into a few bites of deliciously satisfying appetizer goodness. What’s not to like about all that ?
There is SO MUCH to like about loaded potato skins that this pile grew and grew.

Then it disappeared really fast.
This morning my mind is pretty much stuck on sugary breakfasts (like those pop tarts I showed you before), so before I tell you all about how to make potato skins (which are a decidedly un-sugary breakfast food), I need to show you one more thing I like.

I like these Overnight Cinnamon Rolls so much that I really wish I’d remembered to make them last night. I’m pretty sure they would more than drastically improve my morning. Coffee cake couldn’t hurt either.

Oh! When you make yourself that pile of potato skins don’t forget that ranch dressing is important on the side. It helps the celery sticks. And while you eat, you should totally watch THIS.

Loaded Baked Potato Skins

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

Author: Heather Tullos

Serves: many!

Ingredients

• Russet (or other thick-skinned, good for baking) potatoes, smallish in size and thoroughly scrubbed. I look for potatoes that, when halved, could be eaten in about 3-4 bites.
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• shredded cheddar cheese
• bacon, cooked and crumbled
• sour cream
• green onions or chives
• coarsely ground black pepper
• ranch dressing (for dipping)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Rub the potatoes all over with the olive oil and bake for 45 minutes.
2. Remove the potatoes from the oven (but leave the oven on, reducing the heat to 350). Let the potatoes cool, cut them in half, and leaving a little flesh all the way around (don't scoop all the way down to the skin), scoop the middle out of the potatoes. Set the potato middles aside for something delicious like hash browns.
3. Rub the insides of the potatoes with the olive oil and then sprinkle with the kosher salt. Line the halves up on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese into the hollowed middles of each potato. Then the crumbled bacon.
4. Bake for another 10 minutes or so, watching for the cheese to melt but not burn. the potatoes will become a little more chewy and a bit crisp at the edges.
5. Spoon sour cream onto each potato half and then sprinkle with green onions.
6. Serve with ranch dressing.

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