Twice Baked Potatoes

Letters. Real letters. They make my day. It makes my day when I get them. It makes my day when I send them.


I love the stamps. I love the excitement of seeing my name on an envelope as I thumb through all the junk. I love inspecting the unique handwriting within.
I love thank you notes, birthday cards, and postcards.
But one thing that really makes my day is a tax refund. I open up my letter, I see the check and I think, "Is this real??". I always think I'm going to have to give it back or rip it up or something. I don't know why, but free money just seems to good to be true. I always think it's a trick or something.
But whenever I'm in doubt, I can always eat a twice baked potato. Then I remember that there are unmerited gifts in this world, and that you just have to stop gaping at them in disbelief and simply reap the benefits. 

Twice Baked Potatoes

10 medium sized red potatoes.
1 small package of bacon
1 red pepper, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of finely chopped parsley
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
chopped chives

Rub the potatoes with butter and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400ºF until you can easily poke a fork in one and it feels squishy on the inside.
Fry the bacon with the pepper, onion, garlic, and parsley until crispy.
When the potatoes are done, cut them in half and scoop out the inside into a big bowl. Leave a little potato on the skin so they can hold their shape better when you refill them.
Mash the potatoes with the half and half, sour cream, butter, salt, and pepper.
Stir in the 3/4 of the cheese.
Squeeze out the peppers and onions a just little bit so they aren't too greasy and throw them in the big bowl. Then chop up the bacon and add it in too.
Stir it all together and then stuff it back into the skins. Top with the rest of the cheese.
Bake at 400ºF until the cheese is slightly brown.
Top with chives.

Twice Baked Potatoes