Father's Day Fuzzies

Yesterday was my second ever Father's Day, and I think that's worth making a big deal over. So what did I get for Father's Day?

I got to have a little sleep in. That's always good.

I got brought breakfast in bed, French toast with bacon and banana and maple syrup. Nom nom. No photos though, as I was still in bed, of course.

I got a Father's Day Gingerbread from Our Emma who came for a visit, which was really nice.

I got to pull the leaking guttering apart and repair it (fingers crossed).

I got to plant the aforementioned potatoes. Mmm, the fragrance of compost.

I got to go to the hardware store on my own - usually not allowed as it can have a devastating effect on the family finances. But to my credit I only got what I needed for the guttering and a strawberry plant for Dessert Chef C, since she cooked me such a yummy breakfast.

I got to go to the butcher's shop and talk cuts of roast beef with an expert.

I got to put all the leftover wood from the fence-building project under the house.

I got to split up some more firewood, because despite all the promissory notes being issued by Spring, its still pretty darned cold here.

I got to take the chainsaw to the pohutukawa tree and trim it up a bit. More sun for the lawn!

I got to cook dinner. But that's another story.

I got to play X-Box.

And that was Father's Day 2008.

Now as promised, here's the Smashed Potato Recipe from last week. I'm so far behind on posting dinners that it's not really funny anymore, but I'll do my best to catch up this week. The inspiration for these potatoes came from Pioneer Woman, who has a great series of photos and detailed steps for making these her way. I improvised a bit with what I had on hand.

Pioneer Potatoes

Boil a pot of potatoes, cooking 1 - 2 per person as required. When cooked, toss lightly in olive oil. On an oven rack, place a piece of baking paper and brush oil on that, too. Place the potatoes on the paper and gently crush with a potato masher, so they look like so: Dress up the potatoes with a generous dose of freshly ground salt and pepper and olive oil, then add your favourite toppings. I used onion, parmesan, Italian herbs, and finely chopped garlic. Place under the grill and brown.
Serve with pretty much anything. We had ours with steak, chorizo sausage, salad, boiled kumera and a gorgeous Pinot.