Week 2--Let's Hear if for Carbs!

Currently I am in week 2 of the after surgery diet.  It has been 10 days since my surgery.  This week I was allowed to add light yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, unsweetened applesauce, loose mashed potatoes, and loose oatmeal or cream of wheat into my diet.  In other words, carbs.  Mmmm....carbs.  I was so excited to dive into the mashed potatoes.  I make rockin' mashed potatoes.

However, my first batch turned out way soupier than I like.  Like a good girl, I ate them anyway.  My daughter loved them, and polished them off (since I can't eat much at once, I didn't make much).  The next day I made another batch.  Just as I was getting ready to add the milk, I realized...I was out of milk.  Crap, now what?  So I added some of that damn chicken broth instead.  They turned out ok, but with a distinct chickeny flavor that I was sick of.  So I was sitting on my couch, nibbling away, thinking "what can I add to these to make them better?"  Enter the "ah-ha" moment.  I added a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and popped it into the microwave to melt.  Better, but not great.  The next cup I had, I added the parm, but also a smidge of garlic powder and stirred in some cottage cheese.  "Cottage cheese?" you might say with disgust...well, if you pop it in the microwave, it melts to give you a little cheesiness.  Cheesyness?  I don't know how you'd spell that, but you know what I mean.  Turns out they were great.  Again I will add my disclaimer...if you try it and get sick, it's all on you, not me.

I'm getting sick of peeling and boiling potatoes though, not to mention the dishes it dirties every time.  So yesterday at Walmart I decided I'd go with instant.  My recommendation to you for instant potatoes:  Idahoan.  They come in an envelope, they're with all the rest of the instant potatoes, and they taste far more real.  There are several kinds: homestyle (plain), butter, garlic and herb, loaded, etc.  Just a little tip from me to you.  Enjoy!  I'm trying to.