Yummy instant potato find

[Dingfelder]

They look fun to try, but a bit pricey there. If I ever see it offered in a S&B, I may try it.

 

[georgic]

They look fun to try, but a bit pricey there.  If I ever see it offered in a S&B, I may try it.

what is an S & B?

 

[highdesertranger]

yes what is a S&B. we ask that all abbreviations that are not well known be defined. highdesertranger

 

[abnorm]

Sticks and Bricks...…(House)……..pretty common abbreviation on here for years

 

[highdesertranger]

the way it was used I didn't take it as a sticks and bricks.

"They look fun to try, but a bit pricey there. If I ever see it offered in a S&B, I may try it."

the way it was used sounds like some kind of store. "offered in a S&B" doesn't sound like a house.

I could be wrong. happens all the time.

highdesertranger

 

[AJ452]

A vandweller or fulltime RV'er will commonly refer to houses and apartments and such as S&B, sticks and bricks construction.

Shoppers will commonly refer to physical stores they can walk into as S&B (still meaning sticks and bricks), as to be contrasted with buying online from an e-tailer. There is no physical store involved with those, just the internet site being ordered from.

 

[B and C]

What I am accustomed to seeing is S&B (sticks and bricks) as a house. B&M (bricks and mortar) as a store. Just my observation over the years.

 

[Dingfelder]

It's been used to talk about everything from general physical construction common to houses, to casinos vs. online gambling, to Amazon versus physical retail locations, to Netflix vs. video stores to ... well, anything you can think of along those lines. The term is at least as 20 years old by now and I've probably seen it a thousand times, almost anyplace you could think of. B and C, above, is mostly right too, but S&B has slopped over into B&M territory for a good while now. Anyway, everyone has different exposure to different things. I had thought that one common by now, sorry for any confusion.

 

[highdesertranger]

so basically you were talking about a walk in store. right. highdesertranger

 

[B and C]

^^^Correct. A physical presence versus online.

 

[highdesertranger]

got it. I was having a brain fart on that one. highdesertranger

 

[B and C]

You mean I am not the only one that has those? Who knew? LOL

 

[Kaylee]

I carry dehydrated hash browns: https://www.amazon.com/Idaho-Spuds-...r=8-1&keywords=dehydrated+hash+brown+potatoes

The little milk cartons are easy to reseal and are square for space savings.  I pour a 1/4 cup into a covered pan or bowl and add just enough boiling water to cover them, then put a cover on.  Fifteen minutes later they are ready to cook.  I put a pat of butter in a small skillet and cook according to directions.  Turns out yummy everytime.

Thanks Brian, that's exactly what I was wondering!
For my one experiment, I made the whole carton all at once, then ate it in two batches, so was wondering about regular field use (yup, I've picked up another carton).
I'm looking forward to making some in my van.

They look fun to try, but a bit pricey there.  If I ever see it offered in a S&B, I may try it.

I took this to mean Dingfelder intended to try one by buying a single container in a regular store, instead of buying an eight carton bulk pack online. Very sensible.
Dingfelder:
For my 1st experiment, as part of a larger order, I bought a single carton online from Target for about $1.25 (which is what I later paid at Walmart in person). Target has many food items that are available in smaller batches or are cheaper than Walmart. Amazon is a mixed bag, price-wise, but typically has much better reviews & info, hence Brian's link for info purposes.

got it.  I was having a brain fart on that one.

Among the Firefly fan community, we have a better way of phrasing that...

Sir, you have a problem with your Brain being Missing.
(Quoted mostly as a morale boost for Brian, one of my fellow Firefly fans! )

For those who like either science fiction or westerns, Firefly is a well loved orphaned TV series that combines both SF & pioneer themes, and has much discussion of "the need to be free". It's smart, has an awesome ensemble cast, and gorgeous visuals. There were only 14 episodes, plus one big screen movie, so it's not a huge time commitment.
It's available on most streaming services.
It's even better than shelf stable potatoes.

Let's end with some potato porn from my entire-carton experiment (in a motel kitchenette):

 

[Dingfelder]

Loved Firefly. The lead guy has gone on to huge success. Whatever happened to Jewel? Saw the lovely courtesan somewhere just recently ... The Expanse, maybe?

Nice looking taters!

 

[Kaylee]

Loved Firefly.  The lead guy has gone on to huge success.  Whatever happened to Jewel?  Saw the lovely courtesan somewhere just recently ... The Expanse, maybe?

Nice looking taters!

You have excellent taste!

Potatoes:
Someone remind me to post pics of dehydrated potato cubes. I had a #2 can that had been open for about 4 years (left in my storage unit), and I figured I'd rehydrate & try some instead of just assuming they were bad.
Turned out fine.
I made several things using them, including Pastys (a traditional UP/Cornish/etc miner's meat pie). Turned out great.


Firefly:
I particularly liked Nathan in "Castle". There was a strong thread of decency in that series, plus lighter Geekery & sheer fun.
One could safely & happily watch it with teens.

Morena has been in lots of stuff, currently in "Gotham", which had a promising beginning (loved the two young leads) but was too over-the-top with gratuitous violence/etc for my own tastes.
She was so good in "Homeland" that I didn't recognize her until I noticed her name in the credits!
She's also the female lead in the "Deadpool" movies (the only reasons I saw the first were due to her & a male friend's enthusiastic recommendation).

Jewel hasn't had as much prominent work, however I enjoyed her in the last two seasons of "Stargate Atlantis" (as a people mechanic!).
I'm kicking myself.
Apparently she's in SyFy's "The Magicians", which I could have seen during my recent motel death marches. Fortunately, I'm patient, and will eventually catch her best work.
For the Firefly virgins, Jewel Staite is the actress who plays "Kaylee" who is one of my two favorite Firefly characters (my actual name is Kate, which is pretty close).

 

[Kaylee]

Popped into Dollar Tree to get some road trip items, swung thru the food section, and spotted one of the square cartons of dehydrated hashbrowns, for a buck!
The catch was it's somewhat smaller (3-ish ounces) than the regular size (4.2 ounces).

Still, as a trial size, that's worth a look.
I'm kicking myself for not buying one - at the very least I could have measured the boxes side-by-side. Next time I'm at a DT, I'll do so.

 

[Kaylee]

Took me almost a month to find a Dollar Tree with one of those boxes!
Here's what they look like, side-by-side:

ingredients & nutrition info:

The size is almost identical, and DT works out to about one cent more per ounce.
IMO, if stocking up, the space efficiency of the "regular" box is the more compelling factor, vs the tiny price difference.
Dollar Tree would make sense if you just want to try one.

Let's make some, in my van!

Rehydrating in a thermos cap/cup:

My only prior experience was in the box, which didn't seem as hot as doing it in a separate container.
I was going to use a bowl, but my thermos just happened to be sitting loose on top of my kitchen tub, and this felt like the perfect size both to measure & rehydrate. It was!

Ready to fry, in the pan (the steam is from the still hot water used to rehydrate it):

Ready to eat, with a fried egg:

Ready to eat, with a fried egg and a vegetable (thanks for the suggestion Brian!):

I've tried to find the boxes in far north WI & MI, but have failed.
They're generally more expensive online, though I just missed a great Amazon sale of a different brand.

Finally, I stumbled across (tucked in amongst mashed potato packets) another brand of hashbrowns ("Idahoan"), in much more space efficient packaging:

It cost a dollar for 3.0 oz, so it's a tiny bit more (2 & 3 cents/ounce) than the two sources above, but my only alternative is ordering online, so it works out fine. I bought a couple to try, liked them, and next town run stocked up.

There are more chemicals than Hungry Jack, so I'll still keep an eye out for that brand.

The carton style is nifty if you're making the whole container, and it's far more robust than the flat pack. If you look closely at the first picture above (two cartons), the scuff mark was caused by a mouse's failed attempt to gain entry. I doubt the flatpack would have withstood that. I've put all of my flatpacks inside a robust container, so they should be safe.

For a solo dweller (particularly one without a fridge), the flatpacks are the space winner IMO.

Thanks to all who brought these to my attention! It has solved my craving for french fries, and been a nice frugal moral boost.

 

[abnorm]

Nice review and tasty looking food...……………………….GET A CAT !!!!!!!

 

[Kaylee]

LOL! Thanks Doug!
Um, weren't you the one who dissed your cats' mousing abilities?!? I recall you posting a pic, here or elsewhere.

I enjoy trying out these simple-yet-kewl food finds, so keep bringing them, folks!

 

[Kaylee]

As mentioned in another thread, here's "loaded" hashbrowns with a fried egg:

By "loaded", I mean add a modest amount of bacon bits and some cheese, near the end of cooking (right after the egg is probably easiest)... because pretty much everything is better with bacon and/or cheese.

Note/Tip:
The Hungry Jack box says to stir "thoroughly every 2 minutes".
If you like it crisper, do not stir at all for roughly 4 minutes.
Instead of stirring, just carefully flip them.
I found this out accidently. That's the upside of being a lazy & klutzy cook.