How to Bake a Potato (Idaho Version)

So many of you might remember that I am a farmer girl.  Born and raised.  Pure Farming.  I swore I would never marry a farmer cause lets face it....that life is hard.  (lets just say the construction industry isn't any easier :)

So Lets just say that I think I might have a little bit of an advantage having grown up on a real live potato farm as to how to REALLY bake a potato.  None of this nuking in the microwave (which is nice and quick in a pinch).  No STEAMING the potato while it is wrapped in tin foil.  If you want a steamed potato then go ahead and wrap it in tin foil.  But if you want a real IDAHO BAKED POTATO here's how its done:

Wash the potato (now since I still run "home" when I need a potato and get me a bunch from the potato cellar they are REALLY sandy so this is a necessity!)

Poke the potato with a fork.  Several times.  Take out those aggressions you might have from a long day. 

Now turn your oven onto 350 and put them taters into the over.

Bake for at least 1 1/2 hours but let me just say that the crispier the outside the better. So if you have a little extra time you can bake them suckers for 2 hours if you would like.  Now if you are in need of a baked potato quicker I would recommend finding the longest and skinniest from the bunch.  Turning the oven up to 400 and baking for an hour.  Same effect but less time :) 

Ways to eat a baked potato:
So in our house there are several ways to eat a baked potato...We have 4 people in our lovely family and 4 ways a potato are eaten at dinner:
1.  Hubby: chili, cheese, sour cream, butter
2. Me: cottage cheese, cheese, a little sour cream.  Then devour the skin after the innards are all gone.  Trust me its the best part. 
3. 5 yr old: sour cream and cheese
4. Picky 2 yr old: butter and a little cheese (but mind you if the cheese melts onto the potato it won't be eaten)