StitchyFish Designs

Who doesn’t love the holidays? The glowing lights, the wonderful aroma of Christmas dinner prepared by loving hands in the kitchen, the excited and glowing faces of the children as they anticipate the arrival of Santa Claus, and the occasional arrival of extra guests—like firemen! Well, now I am getting ahead of myself. You see I am the owner of those loving hands preparing the holiday meal in the kitchen. The Christmas carols were playing, family members were gathered in the kitchen stealing bits of this and that. I’d just removed the sweet potato casserole out of the oven and was busy stirring the gravy and chatting away. Suddenly, I noticed the expressions on everyone’s faces as one after another they began to take on a very seriously concerned look. I kept stirring as I tried to make out the words they seemed to be forming in slow motion. “Fir?” “No!” “Flour?” “No, no! Fire!” I looked down and saw the tiny blue flames dancing in a line across my sweatered arm. “Oh

goodness, my arm’s on fire!” In a very high-pitched classically “Nana” scream I began waving my arm about, which did not seem to help much. (I do seem to recall a bit of laughter in the background.) But soon, my very level-headed daughter put me out with a nearby hand towel. Nevertheless, my gravy was to die for—but we didn’t want to take it that far.

Sweet Potato & Pecan Casserole

4 cups mashed sweet potatoes 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup half-and-half 2 eggs, beaten Salt 1 cup coconut 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 cup chopped pecans 1/3 cup flour 1/3 cup melted butter

Mix sweet potatoes, sugar, vanilla, halfand-half, eggs and salt in a mixer and blend until smooth. Spread in a buttered dish. Mix coconut, brown sugar, pecans and flour, and then sprinkle this topping on the sweet-potato mixture. Drizzle melted butter on top.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.