The Riches to Rags by Dori Story and Thanksgiving Potatoes

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes

I decided to try something new this year. I have always boiled my potatoes but this year I ran across this recipe at Pin Cookies. I like the idea of just throwing them in the crock pot so I don't have to use the stove and I can start them in the morning. Very easy recipe.

Ingredients

5 lb bag of Gold Potatoes

1 Cup of Water 

1 teaspoon of salt

3/4 teaspoon of pepper

2 sticks of butter (1 cup) cut up

1 1/3 cup of milk   

Directions

Peel the potatoes and cut up into chunks. Pour in water and top with cut up butter, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Don't remove the excess water. Pour in the warm milk and mix with a masher or electric beater. Leave them in the crock pot on warm until ready to serve. 

I had a follower ask me about my story and how the name Riches to Rags by Dori came about. Since it is Thanksgiving and I have so much to be grateful for I thought of no better time to tell my story.....

The *Riches to Rags by Dori* Story

I am almost tearful as I write this because this blog has meant so much to me and those of you who follow it and my Facebook page. The relationships and ongoing comments are priceless to me. I thank you so much for that.

Many years ago my husband and I and our three kids had it all. Really, everything was perfect. I had tried for 8 years to get pregnant and then adopted a beautiful baby girl named Kallie, I was told I would never have children. I got pregnant 10 months later and then gave birth to another beautiful baby girl named Brianna six weeks early. Seven months after that I gave birth to a handsome boy named Jed. My hands were full. We had a beautiful house, cars, etc.....living the good life and then the ugly Recession hit and everything changed.

When the recession hit we had to close our successful concrete flatwork company that we had for 8 years. My husband had to go find a job making 1/3 of what we were making before and the bills were piling up quickly. Right before Christmas the company laid my husband off like so many others and then the hard times really started. To make a very long story short, we lost our house, cars, everything (material) and this is how the name Riches to Rags was born along with lots of gray hair.

For 5 years we have struggled to pull ourselves back up. It took a year and a half for my husband to find a job. There were hundreds of people applying for one job. Finally, he got a job in Wyoming so we had to move. During this process I became very depressed and when I got my kids off to school I would sleep for hours. My smile, my laughter was gone. It is a dark place to be and unless you have experienced it you can't explain it.

My sister Jillee told me that I need to find something that I am passionate about to help me feel better. We were driving back from a Christmas party, I won't forget that day, it was December 11, 2011 that I decided to use my experience of what I have gone through and start a blog. I started to get excited about things again.

 
I can't believe it is almost one year ago that I started this.  I tried several things but it ended being a food blog because I LOVE FOOD! I am also passionate about Thrift Store shopping. I was able to put lots of time into it because the kids were in school until life hit again and my husband was injured at work. I have gone back to work full time to help out and I am happy to do it. My husband is a wonderful man as has always worked so hard for us so it is my turn to return the favor. We are still dealing with lifes challenges but having this blog makes it all just a little bit easier.

This blog has saved me. It pulled me out of a depression that I had never experienced. I was laughing and smiling again and have a wonderful new cyber family and have met so many wonderful people. I have so much to be grateful for right now. I always try to remember that it could be so much worse. What is important is this little family of ours and all the other things are exactly that, just things. I love my kids and grand kids with all my heart and I can't express to you enough of my gratitude. 

Finding a passion is the key! Find something you love to do and do it. Don't wait, don't think about it just start something and go from there. I chose today to do this post because it is so important to be grateful for what we have through the good times and the bad. It is hard sometimes, believe me I know. I found this wonderful quote from a blog post titled 75 Reminders for Tough Times and this is #75 and it says it all.

"Everyone wants a perfect ending.  But over the years I’ve learned that some of the best poems don’t rhyme, and many great stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, or end.  Life is about not knowing, embracing change, and taking a moment and making the best of it without knowing what’s going to happen next."

THANK YOU so much for the support you have given me. I value the new friendships and look forward to what lies ahead for Riches to Rags by Dori. I enjoy reading every single comment so please keep them coming. I love the conversations we have on facebook so please come and join us if you haven't already. What is your passion?

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Dori