Lessons Learned and Recipe of the Week

Here are some things I learned this week:

• You can screw a regular Mason jar onto the bottom attatchment of your blender and make your own "Magic Bullet"--mix up smaller portions, keep it from siezing up, and best part, if you want to mix something else, you don't have to clean anything, just grab a new jar.
• You can put oxygen pacs (used for dry pack canning) in your bags of nuts to keep them fresh if you don't have room for them in your freezer.
• Put cayenne pepper in your shoes and gloves to keep you warm.
• Tritan knows all about Html and how to edit it.

Recipe of the Week

In an effort to simplify my life and for once have the kitchen clear of dishes, I tried the cook once, eat twice (or three times). So I cooked a ham on Monday and made ham salads and sandwiches for most of the rest of the week. It worked o.k.; dinner was done quicker and the dishes were much more under control. However, the recipe of the week comes from the night I made the ham: I had Gruyere cheese I needed to use up so I found this recipe for a potato dish that was easy and heavenly (Cooking Light January 2002):

Gratin Dauphinois

1 garlic clove, halved
Cooking spray
6 red potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 TB butter, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 c. Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 cup skim milk

Preheat oven to 425*.

Rub an 11 x 7-inch baking dish with cut sides of garlic; discard garlic. Coat dish with cooking spray.

Arrange half of the potatoes in dish; drizzle with half of the butter. Sprinkle with half the salt and half the pepper; top with half the cheese. Repeat layers.

Bring milk to a boil over low heat in a small saucepan; pour over potato mixture. Bake at 425* for 40 min. or til tender. Serves 7.