Fall has really shown its glory this year — beautiful leaves and blue skies…. Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is fast-approaching, now the winds shake the acorns loose and the leaves float through the air. Many of the leaves lie on a lackluster yard sprinkled with acorns and random broken branches. I still love Fall – Halloween, Thanksgiving and then Christmas around the corner. I enjoy the flutter of the big oak leaves and the squirrels scampering around to get their food stock gathered. My dog aka the Princess is not a fan of the random acorns. When they drop, they scare her. One actually hit her on the head….
…and she looked around like ‘who did that?!”
This year I am going with new friends to a new place for Thanksgiving Dinner and will have to share my review after. It is a pre fixe meal with all the trimmings and I am looking forward to it and the good conversation. And I admit it will be a respite in not having to cook … I am sure I will be helping to cook the Christmas feast.
When you think about Thanksgiving, and while we all have the “must haves” and for me that is Mashed Potatoes — sweet potatoes can be in the mix however, they are not a substitute. I don’t want to hear how healthy they are — for the Biggest Meal of the year one can eat and enjoy real mashed potatoes!! You want healthy — eat sweet potatoes the 363 days of the year. Yes, I know there are 365 but I count Christmas as a “Mashed Potatoes” meal day too.
Honestly, I don’t know when the humble, versatile and inexpensive potato became evil. Yes, it has carbs however, they have goodness like Potassium and other minerals and vitamins. They are a powerhouse food. Good for energy and your blood pressure. Have you noticed that the number of folks on blood pressure meds has significantly increased since the baked potatoes in restaurants have decreased?! I don’t think a baked potato with a generous amount of butter and chives or even sour cream is that bad …. I will admit that I think smothering it in low-quality cheese with high-fat bacon is a bad move.
Think about how our parents and grandparents ate… baked potatoes were almost a weekly staple at our house. Easy to wash and wrap with foil and throw them in a hot oven — if you are home for a few hours — why not?! I think folks have forgotten how to cook to fit their life. Yes, the crock pot can do many things but a baked potato especially if you make an oven full so you have extras… you could have twice baked potatoes or even a baked potato salad. I know for me, I can get wrapped up in work and can’t wrap my head around buying potatoes and having a night to bake them. That said, it’s the season where having some potatoes and a roast or a chicken in the oven on a lazy Sunday afternoon sounds like a fabulous idea.
I would love to hear what is a “non-negotiable” at your home and on your table for the holidays?
Fun Facts about potatoes:
While in the White House — at all those State and Fancy dinners, Jackie O would only eat a baked potato?!
It was a Halloween craze to give Kids a choice between candy and raw baked potato? Many kids chose the potato!
Potatos were featured in the movie the Martian — he was able to survive almost a year (ok — this was not real life)
A medium potato is a nutrient-dense food, offering about 110 calories and serving as an excellent source of Vitamin C, potassium, and Vitamin B6, while being naturally fat-free, sodium-free, and cholesterol-free. Potatoes are also a good source of dietary fiber, which aids digestion and contributes to feelings of fullness. Google for AI overview: “https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=potato+nutrition+facts&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8“
That was a nice read and I liked the pictures.