Sweet potato has been a holiday staple in my family for as long as I can remember but they are so good for you I have taken to eating them anytime.

They can be baked or nuked whole with a bit of an end cut off to allow steam to escape. You could peel, cut up and boil till tender, but I find baking whole easier. Then mashed with butter, yummy. Some people then put into a pan and cover the top with mini marshmallows and broil until bubbly.

You can cut them into small wedges, season and bake them.. Sweet potato fries are good too but I do prefer mashed with butter. The colour in and of itself is a beautiful addition to table and plate. Do you think you might try them for a holiday meal or any time?

It is interesting that us USA neighbors share many of the same foods for our Thanksgiving holiday that you Canadians do. Well, happy belated Thanksgiving!! BTW......gorgeous decorations!!

I've had whole baked sweet potatoes with skin---delicious---skin and all! But the usual method I will use is peeled, cut up, drizzled with oil, salt and oregano. I have never tried it mashed with butter! Never even thought of it like that! And it would look pretty! Oh yes, I will try it!

Thank you djacobs. We are much more alike than different that is for sure! I have a sister that has lived in Virginia for decades now and for years she celebrated both but now only does the US one.

newhostalady it is funny I debated for a minute doing it in the oven drizzled and seasoned but mashed has always been the tradition so I stuck with it, traditions die hard lol!

Try mashing the baked sweet potatoes with goat cheese. There is something about the tang of the goat cheese blending with the sweetness and richness of the potatoes that makes for a pretty magical combination. I also add butter and enough milk or cream to get the right consistency.

This is a recipe I got from a local organic food market with the most amazing deli department but they are so seasonal in their offerings I decided to make it myself

Oooh thanks gg! Such a versatile veg it is . I will try that, it really does sound yummy! This is starting to sound like an ode to sweet potato/yam lol!

Shame on me forgetting to mention of course fresh made cranberry sauce without which the turkey would be too heavy, need that bit of tart.

It's good to hear about the feasts because I'm in the planning process right now. We'll have the main staples, turkey, stuffing (of course!), mashed potatoes, gravy. And so far I've had two requests, the corn casserole I make in the slow cooker, and a pecan pie instead of pumpkin.

We have sweet potatoes all year long. Usually I peel, cut into uniform pieces, a little oil and salt, and roast in the oven. I'll try sprinkling with oregano sometime. I like them mashed with butter and brown sugar, too. That's more for the holidays. I never thought of goat cheese, but that sounds worth trying. I like getting new ideas!

Lol sandyslopes I will have to make a pecan pie soon now, you are a good enabler! Corn casserole sounds interesting, do tell!

I forgot to mention the fresh cranberry sauce too! Peren.all, I think you picked the right sweet potato dish for your celebration. Everything someone else makes tastes so good and a mashed dish makes it easy to take a bit and then a bit more later so that one can get a taste of everything!

I just had to look up one of the sweet potato recipes I've made which was simple and great. Wash potatoes, prick with a fork, no oil or anything to coat. Place directly on oven rack (place foil on bottom to catch drips). No need to preheat oven. 425 degrees for about 45 minutes depending on size. When done, turn off oven and let sweet potatoes sit in oven for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. Delish!

Here is the site, if interested:

https://empoweredsustenance.com/bake-a-sweet-potato/

Gardengal, sounds like a winner of a recipe! Thanks for sharing!

Sandyslopes, corn casserole. I'd love to hear more about that too. Pecan pie rather than pumpkin. Excellent choice!

My PA Dutch aunt used to make a creamed corn type casserole using corn, cream cheese, a little sugar, butter, etc. cooked in a big batch in the slow cooker. The year it was best was when I grew my own sweet corn and had enough to take off the cob and freeze until T-giving. Having the corn be tender and sweet is key. I've been buying different brands of frozen corn and testing, but so far nothing has come close to the homegrown. A lot of planning goes into a meal that gets wolfed down so quickly!

nhl, I don't think I've ever tasted fresh cranberry sauce. I think by the time everything else is made, a lot of us just want to open a can and be done with it, lol.

Lol yes. When it is just family I tell them to eat slowly to compensate for the hours of planning and cooking. It is hard to believe we actually still do it year after year! I must admit I do enjoy cooking for a crowd though.

Dangerous territory if you have never tasted fresh cranberry sauce because you would never go back. It is like picking your own berries or growing them. I could not enjoy store bought strawberries for years after having a big patch at a rented house decades ago.

Over the years I have started prepping anything ahead that I can from cutting and seasoning the bread for the stuffing, preparing the mashed sweet potato and then just reheating (it reheats beautifully) making the cranberry sauce in the morning....

My in-laws would use canned jellied cranberry sauce. I never liked it. My family would make the cranberry sauce recipe on the back of the bag of cranberries. It has a more intense flavour and is less sweet. Really easy to make, and can be made days in advance. This year I made the cranberry sauce and decided to try freezing some. Not all of us like cranberry sauce so the amount I froze might just do us for Christmas!

Now that is planning ahead! Whatever we can do to make life easier is a good, good thing.

I agree! I'm putting sweet potatoes on my grocery list so that I can boil them and mashed them. I need to try it! And love the fact that it reheats "beautifully." (Less stressful when preparing dinner for guests!)

Excellent! I put them in a pyrex baking dish with a lid and that way they are ready to reheat and serve in the same dish. I have reheated in the oven and the microwave both with equal result. Since you are generally a fan I have no doubt you will enjoy them mashed. I have never been known to be shy with the butter lol!

I would suggest not boiling the sweet potatoes but rather baking them. Boiling dilutes some of the flavor while baking intensifies it. Baking (or roasting) tends to generate a smoother texture as well. Sweet potatoes can be pretty stringy or fiberous :-)

Point taken, gardengal! I just may try them both ways and see what happens. The fibrous and stringiness may be due to the kind of sweet potato?

Another easy recipe is squash. I usually use butternut. I boil it, mash it with butter and bit of brown sugar. It heats up perfectly too!

But my son likes spaghetti squash. I like it too but found it to be a bit watering after baking. So I just found a recipe that said to bake it halved, brushed with oil, salt and pepper at a high temperature (460 degrees F) to help reduce moisture content. I did that and liked it so much I just bought another one to make it again!

Hope you don't mind my sharing my excitement over this new spaghetti squash recipe!

Yes, apart from the intensified flavor of baking them it is so much easier on the hands to scoop out the flesh and mash. I mash them right in the serving dish with the butter. My hands are aching from processing the apples from my trees so I am really aware of making easy what I can.

I love that you shared it and now I am excited about it too!

we had baked sweet potatoes with butter and some smoked pork chops (taste like ham) for dinner just LAST night!!

Sounds yummy nicholsworth!

peren..yes!..dinner was delicious!..I'm taking a break from thinking about "where in the world to overwinter my pots without completely trashing the house?"..could be impossible..

It seems like last year you were very organized. Is it because you have more to bring in this year?

yes you're right..I do have more to bring in..free pedestals..new pots on sale last fall too pretty and inexpensive to pass up..free plants this summer..I will NOT buy any more pots..I'll keep what I have but I've reached my limit..I could handle more in a warm climate but not here..if only I had a sunroom Lol..

Not many of us think of winter storage when the fever of new plants/pots hits. Thankfully you planted the Krossa Regal you got this summer. I am sure you will find a solution but if worse came to worse you could dry store some of your EE's etc. Hmm perhaps a friend or your new neighbour would like some plants to overwinter indoors lol!

just took these pics..my kitchen!

It seems you have it pretty much worked out. Rolling carts are such a saving grace in a case like this. Light when they need it and out of the way after dark.

it was the best I could do..too crowded for 365 days a year but for me doable for the winter..can't wait until spring Lol..

Bring the outdoors in will be a reminder of spring when the snow is flying lol!

peren..that's true!..I love having some "green" in the house in the winter :-)

You're lucky you have the room to bring in so many plants in the fall, nicholsworth. It is such a shame to see them just die when frost comes. (Love the rolling cart!) I have come to the conclusion that I just don't have the space and time to keep plants looking decent throughout winter. The only thing I brought in were elephant ears bulbs, amaryllis bulbs and one annual plant cutting of Persian Shield (love it!). Two large garden nurseries have now closed. They were bought out and condos will be built instead. I won't have the selection of plants I had to choose from in the past----unless I travel further.

Frost will be here in a week or so and I am still thinking about how I am going to overwinter all my hosta pots! I may have found a couple of new and crazy ideas of where I can put some pots. The hosta passion/addiction will do that kind of thing! LOL

newhostalady..I'm fortunate to have a bit more space, a bit more light and a tolerant husband..but I've reached my plant storage limit..until now I would add new plants but now I'll be very selective..that cart is great..and it folds into practically nothing..it's been a lifesaver..good luck with storing your potted hosta..

So the large shelving area, the window well plus your other areas will be filled to capacity newhostalady? You must have had a fun time purchasing more! Mine are done for the season. A few weeks ago it was a little chilly. We have had warm days but quite cold nights lately. Frost most mornings.

nw the fact that your cart folds is really handy!

peren..I shopped (online) for days to find the perfect mobile shelving for potted plants..I'm very happy with my decision..I liked using a cart so much that I bought carts for the garage and for the laundry room..all 3 are different..the plant cart is metal and folds..the laundry cart is wood..it elevates my laundry basket..the garage is a heavy duty plastic utility cart and was the most expensive..it has only my garden "stuff" on it..hubby's stuff is elsewhere..all of them are so convenient..I love them..

Those carts sound great! I didn't know they were folding----so that's even better! "Tolerant husbands" are most needed and appreciated!

Peren.all, well, I did buy a "few" hosta this year, nothing really special. But when a sale popped up in my neighborhood, couldn't help myself!

We were packing so much into our window well! This window well has a small tunnel beside it. So we have to bend down and crawl into it! We are getting too old for that! So I've been thiinking . . . . . and thinking . . . . there must be somewhere else to store a few pots! So . . . I have a large wooden container. It is insulated on the sides, but I will insulate the bottom and top too. So that's one "new" place to overwinter pots. Another thought----and I haven't mentioned it to my husband yet----put some in our unheated garage IN HIS CAR! He has a sports car that he never drives in winter. The garage is a place I store a few pots, but since there is no more room in the garage, his car seems pretty empty to me! Well, we'll see what my husband says! And my third spot is in another window well we have. It is a typical window well that has a plastic covering to stop rain from entering. It is south facing, but a fence is nearby and the sun is low in winter and early spring, so I may give that a try!

newhostalady.. "IN HIS CAR"..I love it!..that's hysterical!..it DOES sound like that it would work!..you could also buy a large vehicle or RV park it in the driveway and fill it with plants!..we should start a post..Clever solutions to overwinter plants..

I love that idea--- " buy a large vehicle or RV park it in the driveway and fill it with plants!" LOL

I really can sympathize with your predicament..I'm not completely finished putting all of my pots in place for the winter..and the "homeless" ones are big (and heavy) sigh..

"IN HIS CAR" that is hysterical!!! I nearly spewed coffee over that one! It would be a very tolerant DH that would agree to it!

nw you are sooo funny suggesting " buy a large vehicle or RV park it in the driveway and fill it with plants!" I must say though I am sure many will think - now there is a great idea.

I am sure you will find acceptable spots for the rest of your "homeless" pots considering how well it worked out with your carted plants.

peren..I hope you're right!..we have a sunny not too cold day today and I want to have a serious talk with hubby and figure out my storage solutions..we've been putting it off but time is running out..

As far as I am concerned, my husband's sports car is an untapped resource! Mind you it is limited---no back seat, small trunk---but trade it in for an RV---to park in the garage (even better than outside!!!!)---would be perfect hosta storage space! LOL

Nicholsworth, I am also scambling to figure out where the pots are going to go. I really hate waiting for frost in order to put away the pots. It is part of having hosta containers that I don't really like. It's so cold and windy outside most days. I often procrastinate about going outside and doing any gardening or cleanup!

So . . . how will I get my husband to agree to a "few" hosta pots in his car . . . hmmm . . . . . .

newhostalady..when I told my husband about your idea he laughed..then he said "I wouldn't let you do that if it was my car"..but if the pots were in a box that was sitting on a tarp or some plastic it seems harmless..I didn't mention it but I've considered not ever driving our large pick up truck during the winter and using that long bed for storage..it's in the garage and would be a great place for potted hosta..it really would..I'll ask him and let you know what he says Lol..

update..I told my husband about my unique storage idea..he gave me a funny look and said "no"..exactly what I expected..we do use both of our vehicles..

Your pickup truck would hold a lot of plants, nicholsworth. A lot more than a sports car! And with a pickup truck, all you would have to do on warm sunny spring days, is just back it out of the garage and uncover. Then on cold nights, back into the garage it goes! I would love to hear what your husband says about using the pickup truck. I'm a bit nervous about asking my husband about his sports car. He already thinks I am "pot crazy!" Just last week he said---"it seems like you have more and more pots . . . Do you know how many pots you have?" Hmmmm . . . "not really," I said. Well actually I don't know. But I don't want to tell him the number of pots I THINK I HAVE!

I didn't even think of the fact that the truck moves!..it's like a giant cart Lol!..my husband gave me a look that meant "you can't be serious" before he said "no"..he did say that I could park my Honda CRV outside and put pots in the garage..but I would hate that!..it's so nice to keep the car in the garage in the winter..I bought a few new pots in the last 2 months (summer clearance)..so I don't know my total either..but of course it's a lot..

I know what it's like to have a car outside because my car is out! But since my husband parks both his cars in the garage, he helps de-ice, remove snow on my car and shovel the driveway. So I can't really complain.

Now wouldn't be nice if we both had an extra garage just for pots and gardening supplies?

when I see over the top fabulous homes I'm envious of the storage spaces!..the garages, barns, sheds, closets and pantries are what I love..an extra garage would be fabulous..if I'm ever house hunting again I should say "I'm not worried about the house..show me a house with a 4 car garage and a few outbuildings" Lol..

I feel the same way. And I would add---having a nice sized garden.

yes!..a nice sized garden with both shade and sun..

Yes, a garden with shade and sun---some sun to grow vegetables (yummy!) and shade provided from trees that do not have aggressive surface roots!

sounds PERFECT..

well..this is the last night before we have our first frost and some snow..so today we brought in the rest of the pots..when I've organized everything maybe(?) I'll show you Lol..