i made mashed potatoes a very easy way last year:

1. scrub russet potatoes
2. boil potatoes
3. when potatoes are almost done, turn crock pot to low and put in butter and cream
4. remove potatoes and wearing clean rubber gloves (hot potatoes!), slice in half and push through a potato ricer directly into the crock pot. (when you put them cut side down into the ricer, the skin gets left behind and you just remove it)
5. stir and season

they will keep this way for a few hours and are really, really yummy.

err on the side of making them too moist if you are not going to eat them right away.

ENJOY!

I never peel potatoes - I boil them, dump the pot into a colander in the sink and pull the skin off under a little cold running water. It all comes right off and is so much easier than peeling, I can't believe that's not the most widespread way to do it. They then go right into the bowl for mashing, and I usually boil an extra to saute with some onion and kielbasa the next day (bratkartoffeln if you're German).

I'll have to try the ricer technique one time if the mixer beaters are still covered in cake batter or something, sounds like an easy way to mash them without using a mixer!