Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Grandma's Sweet Potatoes

Thanksgiving is next week. Just so you know. We all have our favorites and family traditions. This is one that I grew up with and always has a spot on our holiday table. It's basically a dessert parading around as a "vegetable side".

Grandma's Sweet Potatoes


  • 6-8 sweet potatoes peeled & cut into quarters

  • Whole Milk

  • Butter

  • Sugar

  • Mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil sweet potatoes until done - test by piercing with a fork. Mash to desired consistency with milk, butter, and sugar to taste. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan. Top with marshmallows. Bake for 20 minutes or until marshmallows are a golden brown.


Monday, November 14, 2011

Rugs to Riches

Referrals are the best. Ever. Especially when they surpass your already lofty expectations!

We are in the middle of a complete remodel (I'm talkin serious time commitment people) and while the upstairs is "this" close to completion, we won't start the main floor until post-holiday spending, I mean celebrating concludes. So.... long story short, I needed two rooms with carpets to be cleaned because I just couldn't take it any longer. And, the carpet replacement is way down the line since I picked the couture carpet (which doesn't make an ounce of sense since my own clothes come from Target).

Enter the fabulous neighbor, TC, and her fabulous carpet man!!! Ray Waits is the owner of Rugs to Riches. Back in Colorado, we lived and died by our carpet man, Mark (owner of White Stallion Carpet Cleaning) who while never on time, was the nicest, most affordable, and amazing carpet man. TC swore that Ray was the same so after seeing his work first hand at her place, I gave him a shout. Good thing for this a-type (and for him really), I knew he wouldn't be on time or call back right away. But I stuck with it! And boy did it pay off. He is nice as can be and such a hard worker. Our IVORY (clearly the previous owners didn't have children or kept them locked in the shed) carpet in our family room and master bedroom looks F-AMAZING. He removed one mystery stain and another not-so-mysterious stain wherein my two year old poured my coffee on the carpet. You get the point.

If you live in DFW, want your carpet to look fab for the holidays, and don't have millions in the bank (even if you do), CALL RAY.


Ray Waits

Rugs to Riches

972-241-0066

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Sweet Potato Pie



Brief but important. I grew up in Colorado. I live in Texas. There is an uncanny resemblance between Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pie. I don't know why. Recent weeks have drawn me away from writing but even this short note to you brings a smile to my face. I like this recipe because it came out perfect (bake time altered) and didn't require pre-baking the pie shell. Which I LOATHE doing because I don't own pie weights but hope Santa will bring them this year. Thank you http://www.allrecipes.com/ for a wonderfully simple and delicious recipe which my six year old had two helpings of. Happy Fall!


Sweet Potato Pie


  • 1 (1 pound) sweet potato

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 2 eggs

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust - See Cherry Pie recipe

Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin.
Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean (*It took WAY longer for my oven, like 80-85 minutes and I had to throw the trusty ol' pie collar on to protect my crust). Pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools.