Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes with Apples

I grew up eating more sweet potatoes than most people. My family regularly ate them grilled or sauteed in a little butter for everyday dinners. Therefore, I'm a bit skeptical of the sweet potato mash loaded with sugar and marshmallows that I have come across a few times. This is the recipe my mom has made every Thanksigiving since I can remember. It is simple, delicious and uses real sweet potatoes (as opposed to canned).

• Microwave 6-7 peeled sweet potatoes for ~5 minutes or until pretty soft, chop into large chunks

• Peel 6-7 Granny Smith apples and chop into large chunks

• Mix the sweet potatoes and apples into a square baking dish

• Dot with 3-4 tbls of butter

• Sprinkle 1/4 cup of brown sugar over the top

• Optional Additions: Drizzle with real maple syrup, sprinkle with finely chopped pecans

• Throw it in with the turkey and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes and apples are soft

Enjoy!

Well summer is back in full swing this weekend after some lovely cold weather thunderstorms last week. Therefore, rather than heat up the house, I thought it'd be a good evening for the grill. I'm rather proud of the spread this evening, so I'm going to post the whole menu.

Salmon a la Haley

1. 1 lb of salmon (serves two)
2. 1/4 cup brown sugar
3. 3/4 tsp garlic salt
4. 1 tsp lemon pepper
5. 1/2 tsp dried thyme
6. 1/4 tsp paprika
7. dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)

Mix 2-7 in a small bowl. Rub onto salmon and let sit at least 30 min. I am VERY generous with the rub . . . really cake it on. The rub will become more of a glaze as the brown sugar "melts." Grill skin side down until almost ready, and then flip for a couple minutes to get grill marks on top. If your salmon doesn't have skin, be sure to put rub on both sides!

Grilled Asparagus

1. Asparagus, cleaned with tough ends removed
2. Sea salt
3. Freshly ground black pepper
4. Olive oil

Spread the asparagus out on a plate and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Grill for about 10 min over indirect heat.

Grilled Corn

1. Corn

Throw corn on the grill husks and all for about 20-30 minutes.

Grilled Apple Slices

1. 1 large apple, cored and sliced to 1/2 inch
2. brown sugar
3. cinnamon
   

Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on both sides of apple slices and allow to sit for 30 min. Grill for several minutes over indirect heat until soft.

I also served this with Uncle Ben's long grain/wild rice mix, which I always enjoy.