Sorry I didn't notice this thread earlier in the week!

Living in Idaho, you'd think I'd be the queen of knowledge about spuds. I have noticed several very fancy restaurants serving mashed potatoes with the peel mixed in. Now Russets for mashed I always peel, and I'm quick with a paring knife!

Reds, are always eaten with the skin on. I have my children for dinner every Sunday, and usually have roast, potatoes and gravy. I wonder how the spuds with the skins on will go over with them? They're used to great mashed potatoes that are totally white. I'll have to think about this one.

Never served up any kind of frozen/microwaved/reconstituted potatoes. It has always been the real thing, except for frozen hash browns. We take our spuds seriously here.

My son was living in CA for a time, and went out to a restaurant. The waitress assured him they were actual baked potatoes from Idaho. When she brought out his plate, it did have a baked potato, but of a smaller size. He informed the waitress that it was a tater tot - not an Idaho baked potato.

I can make twice-baked potatoes, and he'll eat a dozen of them, and look for more! And my DH makes the best homemade french fries in the dutch oven! Of course, I'm the one that peels all of those fries, up to 25 lbs to feed the entire extended family, and there won't be one left!

My mom calls mashed potatoes with the peels in "lazy potatoes", but I like them that way! I tell her it really isn't any less work because you have to scrub them really good and make sure all the eyes are out before you cook them, but they are tastier and more nutritious. One caveat: When I had morning sickness with my first child, I ate potatoes with the skins because it seemed like a nice bland food. Let me just say it was more pleasant going down than coming back up!

My dad and I just buy the pre-made potatoes that are under the brand name of Simply Potatoes.

They have the pre-made mashed potatoes, and have several different flavors. The one we see the most is the plain mashed potatoes, but I recently discovered that they have mashed potatoes with sour cream already mixed in. I never used to like sour cream before eating that one. Now I cant find the Simply Potatoes mashed with sour cream anymore.

They also have au gratin potatoes, new potatoes (red potatoes with skins still on) shredded potatoes, potatoes with onions.

Since my dad has a heart condition, my mom cannot cook to save her life, and I dont want to kill anyone with my cooking, we usually buy pre-made side items so my dad can concentrate on the main dish. (dad's the cook here...he's a really good cook!!)