Soon, Daylight Saving Time will give us an extra hour of daylight to our day. I was thinking on an ordinary day what can I accomplish in an hour? It turns out I can do a lot if I have a time limit of an hour: make my bed, empty the dishwasher, do a load of laundry, and vacuum the floor. Of course, I am running around like a maniac for 60 minutes, usually in my pajamas, but I can accomplish something productive. In an hour I can do more than if I have an entire day. Isn’t that funny? If I have the entire 8 hours my day looks something like this … cuddle with my dogs, check Facebook, call my mom, drink some tea, and read a magazine. Sure I clean a bathroom here and there but for the most part, I do less in 8 hours of “free” time than I do in 60 minutes of “push” time.
I guess I have always liked the feeling of getting things done when they “have” to be done. I start cooking at 6 p.m. for dinner at 6:30 p.m. I write my column only hours before my deadline (sorry editors). And I only start packing for a trip the day before. But to balance that, I am a LIST MAKER. I learned this from my mother. Make lists for everything. I make a list before I drive to town so I don’t get halfway home realizing I forgot to stop at the hardware store for a lightbulb. With the Holidays coming up I’ve already started a Thanksgiving menu and a Christmas shopping list. These lists will be modified until I think I have it right.
Our family will once again be doing a homemade gift exchange. Everyone brings something they made themselves and didn’t spend more than $20 on materials. This has been amazing fun for our family. You can tell some relatives burn-up Pinterest for unique and fun ideas. Last year I made a beautiful lavender candle in a wooden bowl. I hated to give it up. I will suggest to Mike and the boys that they use their extra hour of daylight to get busy making a gift for the exchange.
This Thanksgiving we will host a variety of dietary requirements from Keto to Vegan. Quite the extreme if you know anything about either meal plan. I like a challenge and now I know what I will do with my extra hour of daylight… recipe hunting. Happy Holidays to you and your family. May there be joy at your table. Hugs and Peace.
Sandy
“Fall is my second favorite ‘f’ word. Food is my first.”
Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
5 large sweet potatoes
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
1 1/4 cup almond milk, more if necessary
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
Crumble Topping
1/3 cup whole rolled oats
1/4 cup pecans, more for garnish
1/4 cup walnuts, more for garnish
1/2 garlic clove
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and brush an 8×11-inch baking dish, or similar, with olive oil.
Use a fork to poke a few holes into the sweet potatoes. Place on the baking sheet and roast until very tender, about 60 minutes.
Make the crumble topping: In a food processor, place the oats, pecans, walnuts, garlic, maple syrup, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, and salt and pulse until just combined. Remove and set aside.
Scoop the cooked sweet potato flesh out of the skins and place in a food processor. Add the olive oil, almond milk, ginger, salt, and several grinds of pepper and process to combine. Spread the mixture into the baking dish.
Sprinkle with the crumble topping, additional nuts, and sage. Drizzle with olive oil and bake 20 minutes or until the topping is browned and crisp.
Keto Mac and Cheese
Butter, for baking dish
2 medium heads cauliflower, cut into florets
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
6 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
4 cups shredded cheddar
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 Tablespoon hot sauce (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
For the topping
4 ounces pork rinds, crushed
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Preheat oven to 375° and butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with 2 Tablespoons oil and season with salt. Spread cauliflower onto two large baking sheets and roast until tender and lightly golden, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, heat cream. Bring up to a simmer, then decrease heat to low and stir in cheeses until melted. Remove from heat, add hot sauce if using, and season with salt and pepper, then fold in roasted cauliflower. Taste and season more if needed.
Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. In a medium bowl stir to combine pork rinds, Parmesan, and oil. Sprinkle mixture in an even layer over cauliflower and cheese.
Bake until golden, 15 minutes. If desired, turn oven to broil to toast topping further, about 2 minutes.
Garnish with parsley before serving.