Kartoshka

My grandparents were from Poland.  They didn't speak English when they arrived here in American as children.  My grandmom had 11 brothers and sisters (is that accurate Mom?).  She has some great stories about her childhood.  I can remember growing up and my Gramps would make homemade potato chips, donuts, grape juice, and potato sticks called kartoshka (pronounced ka-tuch-key).  It is simply boiled potatoes that you mash.  You roll them into sticks and sprinkle them with garlic salt and bake them till golden brown.  To celebrate a fond memory and snack, we had a Kartoshka party.

 Be prepared for lots of flour in the air, love too, but tons of flour!

 My Mama's hands laboring in love.

My sweet girl and her girlyfriend.

 These are the faces I captured for my Norman Rockwell moment.  Gotta take what you can get, ya know what I'm sayin!?

 My adopted sister, isn't she cute?

 My adopted son, he loves strawberry yogurt and bacon, he's so easy!

 Our host in his silver studded vest and white blazer, it's all the rage in Kartoshka Land.

I am convinced that teenage boys have lost their minds and can not drum up a normal smile unless caught completely off guard.  I realize I forgot to take a picture of the finished product.  They were snarfed down so fast that you either grabbed one or were left wanting.  I think the 3 pounds of potatoes made 5 cookie trays of the potato sticks.  And yes, they were as good as I remembered!

Faithfully Yours,

E.W.