Faith, Folklore, and Friends

We had such high hopes for our sweet potato crop this year.  Last year, we only had one bed full, and this year we planted two. We just ate all of last year's crop a few weeks ago. The sweet potatoes started out so well this year; the vines quickly spilling out of the bed. We pulled off the vines, and Hub started digging. (That is turnip greens in the upper right corner.) Our granddaughter, Adrienne, and her fiance, Nicholas, came to help us. Remember how well they started?  Here in Northwest Alabama, it stopped raining about mid-July.  We  had very little rainfall in August and September, and it is dry as a bone here.  Although we watered the sweet potatoes regularly, they suffered from lack of rain. There were many potatoes, but most of them were small.  The wheelbarrow below is our total crop this year.  Disappointing, but still enough to enjoy for a while.   We will try again next year.

One of our traditional holiday dishes is Sweet Potato casserole.  I try to make it every Thanksgiving and Christmas, and on special occasions throughout the year.  There are dozens of recipes for it; here is how I make mine. Wash three pounds of sweet potatoes and put them on to boil until they are soft.  It usually takes about 45 minutes. Drain them in a colander and let them cool. Remove the peelings.  It is really easy after the sweet potatoes are cooked.  Put in a large bowl and whip them until they are smooth. Add one cup of sugar.  I know that is a lot of sugar, but it makes a big casserole. Add three beaten eggs. Add 1/2 cup milk.  I usually use half-and-half, but I was out so I used evaporated milk. It works just as well. You can also use pure cream if you are trying to gain some weight.  Mix it all together. Add 1/2 stick soft butter and two teaspoons of vanilla. Mix it all together one more time...

The tradition of eating certain food on New Year's day in order to bring health, wealth, and all good things in the new year is old. So old, in fact, that no one can really pinpoint when it started. The food varies greatly depending on what part of the world you live in. One explanation for the South, that is just as good as any to me, is that during the Civil War, the northern soldiers had not been taught about the goodness of garden greens. It is told that when the soldiers passed through and took all the food, they left the greens and the black-eyed peas, finding them undesirable. The people who stayed ate what was left. Probably a more accurate scenario is that greens will grow all winter here except during the coldest winters, and cooks wanted something fresh to prepare for the New Year's holiday. Who knows? This New Year's day, we made the collards a little different than usual. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Grandma's or Paula Deen...