Conquering the Mashed Potato

As Bill and I started our married life, I realized quickly that I was lacking in the cooking department.  He didn't have to tell me that - I knew it.  I specialized in casseroles my mom had made when I was growing up (which Bill later banned due to the fact that since there were only 2 of us, we would end up eating the leftovers for a week), grilled chicken breasts using my George Foreman and spaghetti.  I LOVE spaghetti.  :)  Unfortunately, Bill doesn't love it with quite the same fervor.

In an effort to enhance my repertoire, I started trying new recipes I found online.  Now, this was 2005, and searching for recipes online wasn't quite what it is today.  :)  Now, you can verify that a recipe is actually good based on the star ratings and number of comments.  I find that very helpful today, and would have appreciated it then.

One night, I decided to make mashed potatoes.  Simple, right?  In fact, perhaps the most basic of all 'sides'.

Wrong.

I think it probably took me an hour and a half to create my finished product, and it was horrible. Horrible.  Lumpy, crunchy, too wet - simply NOT good.  I think we both took a couple of bites and laughed about the disaster.

I thought I had conquered the beast until last week.  I told Bill I had signed up to bring mashed potatoes, of all things, to our company Christmas lunch.  He asked, "are we sure you know how to make mashed potatoes?".  Ouch.  Well, I had thought I had crossed that hurdle, but apparently not.  :)  Sooo... I began researching.

I relied on my friend (well, she doesn't know me, but I'm sure we'd be friends if she did), the Pioneer Woman.  Everything I've ever made from her cookbook has received rave reviews, and figured she would basically be the expert in the country food staple - Mashed Potatoes.  Click Here for her recipe.

While this post is a bit premature because no one has actually eaten my mashed potatoes yet, I am writing it in confidence that I will succeed.  I will conquer this beast of the most basic, simple food item known to man.  Surely.  :) 

Do you have anything (I mean food, specifically, but we can go deeper if you want) ;) that you have yet to conquer, or that you struggled to conquer? 

I'll share an update later on the outcome.  Dun dun dun........