Potato Skins

Here is how I made them. A little labor intensive, but well worth the effort and a lot healthier and cheaper than the TGI Friday's variety in the freezer section.

You'll need:

• Russet potatoes
• Turkey Bacon (or you can use the regular kind, but I was attempting to cut a few calories)
• 2% cheese (same thing here)
• olive oil
• salt (I like kosher for this)
• fresh tomatoes, diced
  

It's summer, so I baked the potatoes in the microwave (after washing them and poking holes using a fork). **If you get crazy and decide to let a four-year-old help, guard your fingers. And hands. I'm just saying.** I had smaller potatoes, so it took about fifteen minutes.

While the potatoes were doing their thing in the microwave, I cooked the bacon and then let it drain on a paper towel.

Once the potatoes had cooled enough to handle, I cut them in half and scooped out most of the middle, using a tablespoon. Do your best to leave the skin and about 1/4 inch of the meat intact. If it breaks, it will just be ugly, but your stomach won't mind. :)

Next, mix some olive oil and kosher salt and a little garlic powder (about an 1/4 of a tsp).

Here is where you get to make a decision. If it is hot, you can do this on the grill, if not you can bake it in the oven at about 475. It is July, so outside we go. With a pastry brush, brush your olive oil mixture onto the inside of the potato and place it face down on the grill (or a cookie sheet if you're inside.) Brush the outside, and close the grill (or put it in the oven.)

Go back inside, chop your tomatoes, crumble your bacon. Relax. When you've reached 7 minutes, go back out and flip those babies over. Fill with tomatoes first, then cover with shredded cheese and top with bacon. Close the grill and let the cheese melt. Pull them off and you are done!

We had ours with sour cream, salsa, and ranch. Some parties just ate a lot of sour cream and a little potato. Oh, to be one again.

This Week's Menu

Here is what we're eating this week:

• Sunday lunch: Spaghetti and Meatballs (this was straight from the freezer, a quick after-church meal)
• Sunday dinner: Potato skins
• Monday: Baked Egg Rolls
• Tuesday: Goulash, Black Beans, Broccoli
• Wednesday: Chicken, Bean, Rice Wraps (I'll make extra for the freezer!)
• Thursday: Ham on the Grill
• Friday or Saturday: Grilled Pizzas

* We usually eat out once on the weekends. If not, there are usually leftovers, or we scrape something together out of the pantry/freezer. :)

Watch for recipes to come!

Grilled Ranch Chicken

This is a recipe for a marinade that originally came from my friend Maren. I think Maren cooks a lot of yummy things, and if I had to pick to eat at anyone else's house, she'd probably be at the top of the list. I hope she doesn't mind me sharing it, because it really is one of my favorites and I use it as a base for a ton of things I make. I increased the red wine vinegar from the original recipe, and here is my version:

• 1/2 c. Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/4 c. Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 package Ranch Dressing

Whisk together red wine vinegar, olive oil, ranch, and water. Combine chicken breasts and marinade in a ziploc bag and place in the fridge at least two hours. (The longer the better.)

Grill!!