Friday Friend Recipe #259, 260, 261--Mexican Potato Cakes and company cabbage and cold rice salad

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook? I once had about 50 of my closest friends and family (from all over the county) on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends . At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 20 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday. (plus so much more....)

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

I was looking at the cookbook the other night and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."
The Handyman--who thinks he knows me better than I know myself (this happened to be a question on the Friday Friend forum once---does your spouse/partner know you better than you know yourself?)--said,  "you'll never, EVER do that."
WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

Which brings me to this... recipes #259, #260,  and #261

Mexican potato cakes, Company Cabbage and Cold Rice Salad

I've been very quiet during this Covid-19 Pandemic.

I probably could have had this cookbook done by now.

I'll blame the Pandemic--why not?

I'm doing 3 in 1 again.  3 recipes in one post.  Mostly because I feel I'm running out of stories to tell and also photos!  I am truly running out of photos--especially of Barb, because this is her 57th time in the cookbook countdown.

I really don't have anymore stories or photos of her.

Who the heck can tell 57 different stories about their friends?!

The Handyman will sometimes take leftover mashed potatoes and make a patty out of them and fry them up for breakfast.

Barb uses a bit of a different take here and adds some chili powder and Wah-LA they become Mexican potato cakes. 

It's a potato tho, so you can't go wrong.

And company cabbage?  While not everyone's cup of tea, I do like a good cabbage fry. It's warm and comforting--and it tastes good.

I can't help it if you have funny taste buds and don't think so.

And finally, Barb's 3rd recipe of the post--Cold Rice Salad.

I think I just need to invite you over for a little luncheon and serve this salad with some rolls and iced tea or lemonade.

It would be perfect!

Here are two photos  (I'm searching deep down in the photo box now) of Barb.

Barb and the Handyman.

One in 1995 and one in 2007. 

She never changes.

He does. 

On the back of the first picture (which Barb must have sent to me), she writes this:

I could  say she was my least competitive friend, but that would be a fib.

Here lies the proof. 

And this my friends is 

recipes #259, 260 and 261

Only 106 left to go!

Woo Hoo!

Friday Friend Recipe #114 --Mystery Surprise Cabbage

The perfect comfort food---for me.

My Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown #114!

(#willreallyfinishthissomeday)

Robbie's Mystery Surprise Cabbage

and you know all the whys and wherefores of this countdown, right? Homemade cookbook, friends contributed, Handyman said I couldn't/wouldn't do it, I'll show him, yadda yadda yadda....

...and the rest is cookbook history!

Just three simple ingredients and some seasoning.  Robbie uses Greek Seasoning, and I sauté this in a little bit of butter and olive oil, because the bacon grease is a rarity around here.  Not that we don't fry  up some bacon, but keeping the grease in an old coffee can on the back of the stove like my grandma did?  No.

I know, I know...some of you are saying cabbage? Really?

But it's just so warm and good and comforting.

I want some now!

So... Robbie.  My Friday Night Friend.

This is her 2nd recipe in the Friday Friend cookbook countdown  (see  here) but I have her 'tagged' 4 times, because of our Friday Night dinners.

But if you look here, you will see our two trips with took together this year--2016-- where I have her under the tag "Friday NIGHT Friends" 

My Robbie story?

Robbie (Roberta) taught 1st grade for a long time at the elementary school where I was the librarian.  She loves kids and is very encouraging of them -- she was never a flashy teacher, but in the library when I was reading to classes, if the subject somehow came up of a favorite teacher...Mrs. Milton always, ALWAYS was mentioned.

She believed in their potential and their honesty...

....which is good since one time (on a Friday night) when we ate at their home,  our grandson Camron was with us, he was probably 5 at the time, (he is  now 14) and she had grilled some chicken--which she had marinated in a tequila lime sauce before hand.

Camron, knowing that he should be polite said--at the dinner table--Grandma, this tastes just a little bit gross.

He tempered it! He did.  He prefaced it with "little".  Just a little bit gross.  Not a lot gross, just a little.

Do you know what Robbie did?  She about fell off her chair laughing!

And that's why I love her. 

Kids can be kids can be kids around her and it's all okay-- no matter what.

Robbie is a traveler.  2 pictures of her in Paris a couple of years ago.

She is going again in July.  She loves the city!

Love that photo bomber!!

She must have gone in April 3 years ago -- when she turned 70!  (that's another reason I love her---she is ageless).

They celebrated her birthday in Paris.

And that's my Robbie Story!

114 down!

284 to go!