Cooking Tips and Tricks

So as we go along in life we almost inevitably get recipes, cooking tips and "secrets" from family and friends. I've had many from my mother but I was very surprised when my friend who doesn't cook much handed me the greatest helpful hint since sliced bread.

I had cooked up my batch of usual mashed potatoes with milk and butter and served them up for supper. When I complained to my friend about their lumpiness and lack of fluffiness. She said two words: cream cheese. I've heard it before and it just sounded odd to me. Call me traditional but milk or cream and butter were the only things dairy wise that went into my mashed potatoes. Long story short, I made mashed potatoes yesterday night and had cream cheese on hand so I said, "sure, why not?" I tried making a small sample with the cream cheese and I was pleasantly surprised. Apparently it's as my friend told me. Cream cheese has the perfect balance of dairy and fat. Spoon liberally into mashed potatoes and beat with electric mixer. The mixer is my tool for making the potatoes light and fluffy, it puts air into them and beats hand mixing, hands down. I have to say that I'll probably make my mashed potatoes this way here on out. Considering the ease of it I really don't see a reason not to!