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Five Things To Do With a Sweet Potato

08/12/2016 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

The sweet potato as well as all potato varieties are incredibly underrated vegetables. Both offer distinctive nutritional benefits, but are completely different vegetables from each other. Sweet potatoes actually come from a completely different family in the plant kingdom. While many sources hold sweet potatoes on a pedestal claiming they are far superior to the regular “baking” potatoes, they both have a welcome place in our diet.

Just like the regular spud, sweet potatoes come in many varieties and range in color from a pasty white to a deep red; each imparting unique tastes and textures. Although sweet potatoes taste sweeter than their distant “white” cousins, they do not spike our blood sugar as much as the regular spuds.

One reason is the fact that sweet potatoes have almost double the amount of fiber than their counterparts; fiber plays a major role in slowing digestion and releasing sugar. Both varieties offer similar amounts of vitamins and minerals, but sweet potatoes come out on top for antioxidant content. So, don’t skip out on baked potatoes as they have a lot to offer in flavor and nutrition, but I want to focus on the sweet tuber today.

First, let’s look at how to select your sweet potato. WHFoods.com has great tips on how to select and store a sweet potato:

Choose sweet potatoes that are firm and do not have any cracks, bruises or soft spots. Avoid those that are displayed in the refrigerated section of the produce department since cold temperature negatively alters their taste.

Sweet potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark and well-ventilated place, where they will keep fresh for up to ten days. Ideally, they should be kept out of the refrigerator in a cool, dry, dark place not above 60 degrees F / 15 degrees C, which would fit the characteristics of a root cellar. Yet since most people don’t have root cellars, we’d suggest just keeping your sweet potatoes loose (not in a plastic bag, but if desired, a brown paper bag with multiple air holes punched in it will work) and storing them in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated cupboard away from sources of excess heat (like the stove).

After selecting a sweet potato or five following the tips above, here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy:

Sweet Potato Soup

1. Sweet Potato Peanut Stew or Bisque – Eatingwell.com provides a great recipe I use and change as needed. Instead of the tomato juice their recipe calls for, I use canned chopped tomatoes; sometimes I toss some cubed and cooked chicken breast in after pureeing for a protein boost. The peanut butter provides healthy fat that enables the body to better absorb the beta-carotene in sweet potatoes.

2. Sweet Potato Chocolate Pudding – So good. Cube and steam the sweet potato in the microwave, throw all ingredients in a blender with a little milk, and blend away! Add avocado for extra creamy nutrition; trust me. This is great hot or cold and with or without roasted peanuts added for a little crunch.

3. Roasted Sweet Potato – either cut into fries or simply cubed, I love baking these in a 375 degree over for 30 – 45 minutes. The roasting brings out the sweetness of the spud and is even better with cinnamon sprinkled on top. For something savory, toss with whole garlic cloves, ground cumin, and parsley to roast in the oven; this is great served cold too!

4. Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili – If you haven’t combined sweet potato with black beans yet, make this now! When it’s hot outside, make it a cold salad instead by cutting out a few steps. Try adding sliced avocado for a cool and creamy addition with extra nutrition.

Eat Me.......seriously — Eat Me…….seriously

5. Sweet Potato Pancakes – a great change from regular flour pancakes for a special weekend breakfast; try this recipe I found on Pinterest you will love it! I use half unsweetened applesauce and half plain full fat yogurt instead of just yogurt. Whisk plain yogurt with peanut butter (Like NuttZo!) and honey for a tasty topping; sliced bananas with extra cinnamon is a great way to really up the flavor!

The potato is a versatile food and can be prepared in less than 10 minutes for when you have no time to spare. Kelley and I have found the Jersey Sweet Potato to be our favorite so far; we simply rinse and microwave for 4 -5 minutes and enjoy topped with plain full fat Greek yogurt. Similar to my squash puree mixtures, I sometimes use cooked sweet potato instead; this makes for a very creamy and delicious treat when mixed with frozen berries or bananas.

Don’t be scared to eat more potatoes, both sweet and regular are great nutritional powerhouses. Buy organic so you can just rinse the skin and eat it to obtain the vital vitamins and minerals it has within. If you do not buy organic, you might be better off peeling the potato to limit the amount of pesticides you ingest.

How do you enjoy sweet potatoes?

Puns

24 Completely Random Puns to Make You Laugh or Groan

07/15/2016 R.C. Liley 1 Comment

Nothing like starting the day with puns, right? Even if they make you groan, they still put a smile on your face…….usually. At least it’s Friday, and that makes most people smile. Unless you’re reading this after it’s been publish, then I’d guess that it’s another part of the week that ends in y.

Whatever the time of day/week, I hope you enjoy this list of double entendres as much as I do.

Enjoy!

I caught my kid sticking a key in a light socket and was so shocked that I grounded him. He’s not the brightest.
The man got tired of making sandwiches, so he found a sub.
They just opened a chophouse on top of skyscraper I heard the food is good, but the steaks are high.
Eggs for breakfast are one of the top five cereal killers.
Growing a garden is no big dill, all it takes is a little thyme and plants will cumin. Don’t let impatiens wilt this sage advice.
Batman hates wearing jeans and a t-shirt, it’s just not his strong suit.
Elsa knew she was in a hot mess when all of her assets were frozen.
When he told his wife not to draw her eyebrows on so high, she looked surprised.
I’m writing a book about the worst beers in the world. So far it’s just a bunch of rough drafts, I can’t take much lager.
After his donut bakery burned down, the baker quit working. He was tired of the hole thing and now his business was toast.
The computer wanted to chip in on a game of poker, but it ran out of cache.
To get the most bang for your buck when celebrating a special occasion, fire works.
I wanted to fly for my next trip, but could get a terminal illness at the airport and forget a flying carpet, that’s too rugged.
The high ranking officer tripped over his own feet in front of the large crowd. It was a Major faux pas.
She started dating the man after he backed into her car. They met by accident.
Never trust a nail, they’re always getting hammered.
Making butter leaves no margarine for error.
Animals never die, they just carrion.
The best sport to play with your ex is tennis since Love means nothing.
Some birds don’t think it’s a aviary big concern, but others worry that Global Worming is a result of fowl play.
She wanted to learn how to drive a stick shift, but couldn’t find the manual.
I had to drink food coloring after losing a bet. Luckily, I’m not sick, but I feel like I’ve dyed a little inside.
It’s hard to find leather workers, all they do is hide.
The juggler is the toughest guy at the circus, he has the most balls.

I’m always thinking of puns using my surroundings or being inspired by other puns, which mean another random puns post is always a guarantee!

Life, Parenting

Pictures from Our Outer Banks Family Vacation

07/06/2016 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

How much do you remember from your last family vacation? Seems like the moment vacation ends and we’re waking up in our own bed the next day, some of my memories have gone by the wayside.

Really, we just returned, how could that happen?! Often is the case, memories will come back little by little as days go by. Talking to friends and family about the trip helps recall events, as does looking at all of the vacation photos you took. You did take pics, right?

Upon finishing my day-by-day posts of our recent family vacation to Corolla, North Carolina in the Outer Banks, I realized I had left a few things out. I also just want to share more pics. In no particular order, here are a few more photos from our trip I somehow left out.