Happy Monday everyone!  August has been a great month for Two Adorable Labs.  Our candles were highlighted on Instagram several times, we gained several new followers, we’ve been having fun making new recipes to share with you, we are working on a new design project to be launched by end of year, and I turned 50 on August 18th.  This Smashed Fingerling Potatoes recipe turned out better than what I expected and was definitely Mr. TAL/husband approved!  This is a great recipe for any day of the week, a cookout, and can be made on the grill, in a cast iron skillet, or baked in the oven.  If baking, preheat your oven to 450 degrees, follow recipe to boil and season, and bake for 20 minutes or until golden crispy.  With Labor Day right around the corner, this is a great recipe for a gathering!  Have any leftovers…fry them up as hash browns with eggs for breakfast!

Fingerling’s are my favorite potato with my second being the Yukon Gold potato! A Fingerling potato is a small, stubby, finger-shaped type of potato which may be any heritage potato cultivars. Fingerlings are varieties that naturally grow small and narrow. They are fully mature when harvested and are not to be confused with new potatoes. There are several smashed potato recipes out there and I’ve been holding on to this recipe for a while now because of that but since I turned 50, it’s all about living life and not being afraid. My goal is to continue to put out content that is clear, concise, creative, and positive. I’ve been reading about how we should follow our dreams, how to stay positive in this crazy world, enhance our creative side, and find what makes us happy. Creating recipes with Jake and Maggie in the kitchen is one of those things that makes me happy. I’ve had a great response on my food posts and will continue to filter in recipes throughout the weeks.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge all those dealing with tropical storm Henri and the nightmare in Afghanistan. As I type this and talk about delicious recipes, finding happiness and positivity, I realize that millions are suffering. Our hearts go out to you and pray that safety finds you. The horrific conditions both humans and animals are facing right now breaks my heart.

Now on to this salty, buttery, crispy potato I keep bragging about.  If you are like me, you love anything potato and this dish does not disappoint.  I took a pound of potatoes, boiled them for 5 minutes and then microwaved them for 4 minutes to get them soft enough to smash but still in need of grilling.

I displayed each fingerling potato on a piece of aluminum foil, smashed each potato with the bottom of a glass and then seasoned with melted garlic butter, Himalayan salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, olive oil, and Montreal Steak Seasoning.

I grilled the pound of potatoes on both sides until they were almost crispy, removed them from the grill, and basted them with melted garlic powder and butter and they were ready to serve.