**Meatless Monday AND Crazy Cooking Challenge!

I'm not usually a joiner, other than the workforce and the Save a Cow, Eat a Vegetarian Foundation (that's right I just endorse cannibalism on my blog in a post about food, you may judge me). However, I came across the Crazy Cooking Challenge while stalking scouring blogs for food fodder. I'd been feeling like spreading my wings a bit and the way that Tina over at Moms Crazy Cooking laid it out, well she made it sound like not joining was the harder thing to do. Besides, the upcoming challenge was "The Ultimate Mashed Potatoes," and I mean, please, this is The UDG we're talking about here. Starchy skinned substances are my thing.

So, I set off into Blogland. Besides making delicious food, the Crazy Cooking Challenge is a way to feature recipes from bloggers who don't have their own show on Food Network or make the big bucks telling you six ways to cut an onion. The recipe I chose, Slow Cooked Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes, is by Rachel at Coconut and Lime.

As you all know, I love my crock pot and I love it now more than ever, working two jobs. It's wonderful to be able to throw something in it and be able to walk away and Pinterest get my housework done. Other recipes I found called for cooking the potatoes, mashing them AND then putting them in the crock pot. Tres stupido. The thing I like most about this recipe is that, in true crock pot fashion, it's all done in one place.

I must tell you that when I made this recipe, Husband was still out of town, so I got to have these all to myself. Which is good, because the scent alone of the potatoes cooking was enough to make me find any excuse to go into the kitchen and sniff the air around the crock pot.

Here's the story of how 3 lbs of unsuspecting red potatoes became a glorious rendition of mashed potatoes.

You began your journey as nothing more than spuds, needing to be cleansed of your impurities and imperfections.

With (not so) loving care, you were whittled down and married to chicken broth, garlic and rosemary.

After you had reached your peak tenderness, you were introduced to the Dairy Fairies: Milk, Butter and Sour Cream.

Put together in the most tastiest of situations, it was a mash made in heaven.

The end.

Wash them down with some ice tea and you've got a meal. Or I suppose normal people would eat them as a side dish. So overrated.

Be sure to check out another recipe or two or all of them if you don't have a life have the time. If by chance you're feeling so inclined, go ahead and vote for me #76. If you're not, well do it any way, no one wants a guilty conscience.