My Grandmother's Mashed Potatoes

So you may all think you have the best recipe for mashed potatoes, but you're wrong. You're simply wrong. There are no two ways about it. My grandmother made the BEST mashed potatoes.

The best?! How could that be, you wonder? For one reason, ladies and gentlemen. Well... maybe two.
1. Mom-Mom measured NOTHING as she made this dish. She based it off of taste.
2. It is such a simple recipe. And we all know that some of the best recipes are great because they remain uncomplicated.

This is one of those recipes that is insurmountable. Paula and Martha's recipes have NOTHING on this one. Trust me!

I was perusing my favorite cookbook to obtain this recipe to make for dinner tonight. I couldn't find it! I was quite upset, but then I realized! There is really NO recipe, per se, considering my grandmother always went off of instinct to get this side dish to be perfect!

I'll quickly refresh your memory about my favorite cookbook.
Last year, my parents gave my sister and me one of the greatest gifts possible: a cookbook with 5 generations of family recipes. I have decided to go through this cookbook and recreate some of these treasured family dishes. Although not all of these recipes are healthy, often times my sentimental nature triumphs my need to eat healthy.

Here are some excerpts from this family cookbook (bear with me, I took photos as opposed to scanned):

Here is the cover of the cookbook, so appropriately named by my father!!


The first page reads: to the next generation... meaning my sister and myself. And yes, that is my sister.... with a mullet :-)


This is a photo of my great-great grandparents. Some of my Gram Patton's recipes are in this cookbook, I cannot wait to try them out!


My great-grandparents and my grandmother as a wee little one! The best part is that some of my Nana's recipes are in here, written by hand! What a treasure!!


My grandparents... A lot of their amazing recipes are in here. Including my grandfather's famous mac & cheese (which I only found out with this cookbook it was really Stouffer's, I was both shocked and upset! Shocked that he fooled me big time... and upset that there's no recipe to replicate!)


And my parents! My mom has some KILLER recipes in here, with her notes and comments! So fun... You'll be seeing them soon!


My Uncle has some great recipes in here for entertaining. I look forward to using those when I finally have people over to the new house!


Last but not least, me and my better half... And yes, I'm really a foot taller than she is.

My hope is that I have successfully recreated this wonderful recipe- of my grandmother's mashed potatoes- that has never officially been written down. I suppose that is the true beauty of this dish, that it is not done by measurements and precision, but by taste and experience. Well, for the sake of passing it on, I tried my best to get it down to a precision so that others may try it as well. I hope I'm doing this recipe justice!!!


Mom-Mom's Mashed Potatoes
Courtesy: Joan Arasin, my grandmother
Yields about 8 to 10 servings


Ingredients
6 Potatoes, peeled and diced (to decrease cooking time)
1.5 cups of whole milk
3 TBS butter
Pinch and a half of salt

Directions
1. Boil water and add the potatoes. Cook until soft, approximately 7 minutes.
2. Drain the potatoes and place into a 5-quart plastic bowl.
3. Using a HAND MIXER (now you have to do it just like Mom-Mom did), mix the potatoes and slowly add the milk, butter, and salt. Tasting all the while to make sure it is the RIGHT amount of creaminess.

Delicious?! Huh!