Potluck Entry #1: Kasia's Candied Sweet Potatoes

Kasia gets a gold star for going first!

Our family's candied sweet potatoes (I suppose yams would work too, but I'm pretty sure we use s.p.'s...), courtesy of The Big Seester:

You will need: a mess of sweet potatoes (depending on size, maybe one per person and a few extra; but these make yummy leftovers even if they aren't QUITE as good as they are fresh),

a lot of butter, and a lot of brown sugar (we use light brown).

Scrub the potatoes and boil them 'til the skins are loose (don't overcook or they'll be mushy).

Pull off the skins and slice the potatoes thickly (about 1/2" thick).

In an electric skillet, melt a stick of butter and add enough brown sugar for it to get syrupy.

Fry the potato slices in the sugary buttery goop.(In case you couldn't tell, this year will be the first year I will actually be making these. So it is entirely possible that I am leaving out important information. Use the recipe at your own risk... ;-))

I'm thinking medium heat for the skillet, and you fry them 'til they're goopy outside, soft through, and a touch brown on the outside but not burnt. I hope I'm right... (worried look)

No worries allowed! Sounds like a good one....sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar syrupy substance? Oh yeaaaaaahhh!

Part of the fun in your early married years, dear soon-to-be-hitched Clam, is making stuff for the first time and sharing your kitchen triumphs AND tragedies. Makes great stories for the youngsters. Sometime I'll tell you about Christmas, 1993, and my Picasso Christmas Cookies. (NOT my fault, btw...)

Sweet Potato Casserole

We celebrated the baby's first birthday this past week by having Thanksgiving dinner - here's one of our favorites:

Ingredients:

6 med. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
1 stick butter - melted
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. orange juice
1/4 c. brandy (optional, but I strongly recommend it - substitute more oj if you prefer)
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. each dried lemon and dried orange peel
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. each ground cloves and ground nutmeg

Directions:

* Steam sweet potatoes until soft & falling apart when tested with with fork.
(You may also bake or microwave them in the skin and then peel them,
just make sure they're thoroughly cooked)

* While sweet potatoes are cooking, toss all dry ingredients into a
small bowl and mix together with fork

* Mash sweet potatoes (or process) and allow to cool slightly

* Add melted butter, beat together at slow speed

* Blend in eggs gradually

* Blend in orange juice and brandy

* Blend in brown sugar, then spices, then vanilla

Pour mixture into buttered 13x9 pan, bake 45 min. at 350* or until edges are slightly browned and pulling away from edges.

Options:

You can toss 1 c. mini marshmallows on top during the last 10 minutes (the kids like it this way) but it is sweet enough without them, and reheats better without them, too.

Adjust spices to taste - I always round up.

Be generous with the brandy!!! ;-)