PO-TAY-TOES

Gollum: "Whats taters, precious, whats taters eh?"
Sam: "PO-TAY-TOES, boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew. Oh, a few coneys and some chips, even you couldn't say no to that."
Gollum: "Oh yes we could!"

So, what do you do when you're suddenly are hit with a crash course in finacial-induced frugality?  First, you laugh because God is really funny.  He sends 11 kids to a woman with no patience and no clue about being frugal.  It's always best to laugh first.  Then you go back to your Irish roots and buy boatloads of potatoes. Thankfully our neighbor (1/2 way around the country block) has grandkids who do potatoes... very awesome potatoes I might add.  40-50c a pound.  The big kids ride their bikes there and bring home the bacon potatoes (until Sam had the brilliant idea to order 50 pounds all at once, I learned that potatoes are also add to the household decor). We do 5 pounds for a meal that will fill bellies at least 1/2 way. 13 people for $2.50 plus some meat we raised ourselves and some fruit or vegetables (often provided by our golly green giant next door neighbor!  We have also gotten to be awesome quick-pickle makers!), we're good to go.   My kids are great at making a variety of potatoes.  And secretly they seem to like trying to be frugal. Galadriel is our frugal child who gets it from the other side of the gene pool.  She is perpetually motivated to ask the price of everything and figure out the best deal.  Sometimes I feel a twinge of guilty un-frugal conscience.... sometimes I don't but should. :D

I really like people who make me laugh, perhaps it is the grump in me that wants out.  Well, The Pioneer Woman is very funny and yummy... well, she isn't yummy but her recipes are. Here is her rendition of Basic Breakfast Potatoes.