Potatoes-bake the whole bag!

If you're going to wait 45-90 minutes for a couple of potatoes to bake, why not bake a bunch? For a perfect baked potato-Rinse, scrub, and dry the potatoes. Pierce with a fork on all sides to let steam vent out during baking. For a soft skin, rub with olive oil or butter. Bake for 45 minutes as 400, 60 minutes at 350, or 90 minutes at 325. Use them throughout the week in a variety of meals. Here are some of my favorites:

• Potato Bar-Dress it up with butter, sour cream, chili, cheese, onions, green onions, chives, parsley, rosemary, cottage cheese, peppers, green chilies, olives, etc. Use any combination that suits you.
• Potato skins-Cut each potato in 4 wedges. Cut away some of the white insides (eat it or store it for later). Make a mixture of butter, salt, pepper, and rosemary; brush it over the wedges. Grill potatoes, skin side up, uncovered, over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn and cook 2 more minutes. Top with cheese and put back over heat until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with bacon bits and green onions and serve with sour cream! If you don't want to grill these, you can certainly use your oven or stove top for a similar affect. They are so yummy!
  
• Potato salad-peel and cube up the baked potatoes. Use in any potato salad recipe you like.
• Hash browns-I like to just cube them up and fry them in butter until they're browned and season with salt and pepper. You can also shred them and do the same.
  

What can I do with a huge pot of rice?

If you're like me, you don't want to have to start dinner 2 hours early so that it will be done at "dinner time". Waiting for the rice cooker to finish is sometimes stressful if you're trying to hurry. What I like to do is make a bunch of rice and then use it throughout the week for a variety of meals. You can do this while you watch a movie, read a book, play with your kids, etc. There are 2 very easy ways to make rice. My favorite is using the rice cooker! All I do is measure it in and press a button and my brown rice comes out perfect every time. Another way to cook rice is to measure one part rice to two parts water in a baking dish. Bring to a boil on the stove top and then cover and place in a preheated oven at 350 for 1 hour. Add seasonings after being cooked so you can use it for a variety of meals. Below are a few suggestions:

• Fried Rice-Put a little oil in the pan (about 1 Tbs. for 3 cups). Add rice and stir around to cover evenly. Pour soy sauce to taste. Add a couple lightly scrambled eggs, veggies, and any meat that you like. I like to use a bag of frozen mixed veggies, chopped cabbage, mushrooms, gluten meat(made from wheat gluten), and anything else I feel like throwing in there. Nuts add a delicious flavor. It's a yummy dish to eat plain or serve with egg rolls!
• Stir Fry-Put oil or butter in the pan. Add garlic and onion and a little salt. Chop up any veggies that you like. Put in pan according to which takes the longest to cook. I use carrots, green and yellow zucchini, mushrooms, cranberries, squash, snap peas, green pepper, broccoli, and fresh green beans. You can use any or all of these. Add some soy sauce and ginger. Serve over plain cooked rice or season with herbs. The fresher the better! Cilantro is a fun flavor!
• Hawaiian Haystacks-Basic idea: dish up rice, pour gravy over rice, add any toppings you like, pour more gravy over the top(if you like gravy as much as I do!!). This is what I like: make a chicken gravy (or any type). For toppings: shredded cheese, chopped green pepper, diced tomato, chopped celery, pineapple tidbits or chunks, sprouts, and crunchy chow mein noodles. Get creative.
• Casseroles-Rice is so versatile that you can mix almost anything with it. Beans, broccoli, meats, squash, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheeses, cream soups, etc. If you are in need of ideas, there are lots of free recipe websites. I like to go to allrecipes.com for new ideas. They have ratings and reviews on every recipe.
• Spanish rice-Saute some onions in a pan, add cooked rice and salsa and heat through.
  
• Rice pudding-3 cups cooked rice, 3 cups milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 Tbs. butter. Cook over medium heat until thickened(about 30 minutes), stirring often. Add 1 tsp vanilla. Serve hot or cold. I like to add cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins to mine.
  
• Soups: add to any soup that needs a little bit more substance. Rice is a good filler.
• Sides: With precooked rice, you can make a side dish to go with any meat or vegetable entree you have. Just add some butter and a few spices or cook up with a cream soup.
  

Any more ideas you may have are welcome! Enjoy! :)