Mashed Potato Cook-off!

After being married a year, Chris and I decided that it was time to start splitting up the holidays. Thanksgiving with one family and Christmas with the other. We would typically try to spent time with both, but it just felt like we were always rushing around instead of really enjoying the holidays. This year we spent Thanksgiving in Reno and we were greeted by beautiful snow capped mountains. It is pictures like this that really make me miss Reno...the beautiful mountains and normally blue skies. It is just gorgeous.




One of our family traditions is the "Mashed Potato Cook-off." This started years ago when I was just a little girl. We used to head over to my grand parents house every Christmas Eve. We would eat dinner and open presents with all my aunts, uncles and cousins on my Dad's side of the family. Well one year my Dad told Papa that he could make better mashed potatoes! That was all it took. The potatoes were immediately split into two separate bowls and the mashing began. Each contestant secretly added butter, cream, salt and pepper and mashed to the best of their ability. A large scoop of each bowl of potatoes was then placed out for one lucky person to taste and decide the winner. One year, Lani (now married to my cousin) was spending Christmas Eve with our family for the first time. She was asked to decide the winner. She still says to this day how nervous she was about it! But she survived! Each year the winner gets to take home the trophy...my Grand parents old potato masher. Then the next year, the winner must bring the trophy back and defend his title. His? Yes, his. It has traditionally just been the men of the family that get to compete. After my papa passed away, Derek, my cousin, took over the duties and competed with my Dad every year. Then when my brother, Kevan, was old enough...he also competed for the title.

This year, for many reasons, the family is not going to get together for Christmas Eve. In order to keep up with the tradition, we held the Mashed Potato Cook-off this Thanksgiving. My Dad, cousin Derek and Chris were the three participants. They were all in the kitchen stirring their potatoes and trash talking each other! When they were done, they placed their potatoes in separate bowls and the voting began. Over the years we have changed the voting...now all the women and non-partcipating men vote on the winner. This year it was very close...but someone added garlic which clinched the title!? Can you guess who? Of course, it was my husband. And he won...Mashed Potato Champion 2010! The trophy is proudly displayed on our fridge.