Sneaky Nutrition - Sweet Potato Pie

What wonderful weather we've been enjoying for the past few days! I even was thankful for the rainy day yesterday because of the drought watch in our area. Ahh, days of low humidity and temps in the mid to upper seventies. My favorite kind of days. And best of all, thoughts of the coming of fall. Summer stickiness leaving, limited days for mosquitoes, and the gentle and cool breezes flowing through the open doors and windows of our home. These are the days I love best.

Now comes the the time for baking the good stuff. Love, love, LOVE fall baking, especially with apples and pumpkin. And NOW sweet potatoes come into season, even though I eat them all year long. Do you eat them in your house? Does your family like them? Do you have ANY idea how nutritious they are? I was thinking this morning that it has been AGES since I've done a Sneaky Nutrition post, so it's high time that we have one.

Believe it or not, though, this sneaky post recipe is sweet and tasty. As always, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOUR FAMILY BE TOLD THAT ANY OF THESE INGREDIENTS ARE GOOD FOR THEM. Okay, so the sugar and butter (and milk fat) make this post suspect to say the least, but at least while you're attacking the arteries and vital organs, you're serving up Vitamin A, C, & D, carotenoids, potassium, fiber, and calcium. Doesn't that make you feel a little less guilty? And if you want to sacrifice taste to offset the bad stuff, try it with canola oil in place of the butter and non-fat canned milk. I've never done that, but it may be worth a try. Now, we won't talk about the crust, but you could always make it without it and call it a sweet potato casserole. I have a crust recipe with oil which may be worth trying and may sometimes try using whole wheat flour some day, we'll see.

So here goes a favorite from my culture. Even though I like pumpkin pie a lot, for us there is nothing that can top sweet potato pie. No holiday celebration would be complete without it. And in all seriousness, you would be better off serving this powerhouse vegetable just as it is, baked in the skin and like us, with a glob of applesauce for extra moisture instead of butter. Oh, and by the way, our family uses yams instead of actual sweet potatoes. They are usually richer in flavor and more moist and colorful.

SWEET POTATO PIE

2 pounds yams
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 tsp. mace (opt.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup water
4 large eggs

1. Place yams in boiling water. Lower heat and cook until done. Drain and peel. Mash yams thoroughly. Add butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and mace. Stir well.

2. Add vanilla and lemon extract, milk and water. Stir well.

3. Beat eggs until fluffy and pour into potato mixture. Stir well.

4. Pour into two unbaked pastry shells. Place in preheated 375 F. oven and bake for ten minutes. Reduce heat to 325F and cook until center of pies are firm, about 30 min.

On a cool day, this is a wonderful aroma to have in your house. It's one of those smells that take me back to childhood. And really, there is nutrition.