Monthly Archives: February 2006

Eating

Candied Sweet Potato Casserole

Rockford loves sweet potato casserole. He saw this recipe on America’s Test Kitchen and wanted to give it a shot. He cut the recipe in half and served it as part of a Festival of Sides. Mmmmmm … so good. He thought there was too much cumin, but I thought it was perfect.

Candied Sweet Potato Casserole
Serves six as a side dish.
Sweet Potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 1-inch chunks
2.5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoons table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
Pecan Topping
1 cup pecan halves
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg white , lightly beaten
Pinch table salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch ground cumin

For the Sweet Potatoes: Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and water; bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring often, until the sweet potatoes are tender (a paring knife can be slipped into and out of the center of the potatoes with very little resistance), 45 to 60 minutes.

When the sweet potatoes are tender, remove the lid and bring the sauce to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to simmer until the sauce has reduced to a glaze, 7 to 10 minutes.

For the Topping: Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the topping together in a medium bowl; set aside.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and beat the oven to 450 degrees. Pour the potato mixture into a 13 by 9-inch baking dish (or a shallow casserole dish of similar size). Spread the topping over the potatoes. Bake until the pecans are toasted and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately. 7 Points per serving.

Flotsam / Jetsam

Flab-Be-Gone 2006

Tracey at sweetney.com announced her Flab-Be-Gone 2006 cult initiative today, and I’ve signed on to participate. I’m not sure what “signing on” entails, really, other than knowing that I’m not the only person out there struggling to lose weight.

I returned to Weight Watchers in September (I think), and I’ve been going to Jazzercise classes about three times a week, too. (Zip it, smartypants. I only get so many sanctioned opportunities to use jazz hands)

But I’ve only lost about 9 pounds. And I have a lot more than that to lose.

I know WW works — it’s worked for me before — but it requires writing down every bite and actually sticking to the program. I discovered that the act of writing it down doesn’t actually negate the effects of, say, eating two donuts beyond my daily Point allotment.

Anyway, in the interest of actually keeping up with my intake, I’ve set up my “food journal” over on the right-hand side bar. If you noticed I haven’t updated it in a day or so, please send me a friendly “get back on the wagon” e-mail. But make sure it’s friendly, and make sure you’re not Rockford. He tends to get in trouble for intervening in that sort of thing.

Flotsam / Jetsam

I love Google

My favorite Google results for the phrase “I love Rockford because”

  • “… he lingers over his coffee and catches the ketsup bottle that Ethan inevitably drops off the restaurant table.”
  • “… he has a killer Voice, Dreamy Eyes, Is not like the others!”
  • “… of his bloody past and single-minded dedication to justice.”
  • “… he is very, very funny and snuggle-y.”
  • “… he is just a normal guy.”
  • “… he is the modern day sexy, brooding hero.”
  • “… he is ninja.”

    I knew about the dreamy eyes and the snuggliness, but Rockford as a brooding ninja with a bloody past and a single-minded dedication to justice? I was not aware of that.