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National Cook A Sweet Potato Day 2025
The last couple of posts have been about candy and other sweet treats, but today is still sweet in a savory way. It’s National Cook A Sweet Potato Day and I hope you’re as hungry as I yam. 🍠
Sweet Potato Factor
Eating right is a natural defense against the sun. Sweet potatoes, dark chocolate, pomegranates, leafy greens, almonds, and teas all help against the sun. Otherwise, 100 SPF will do. ~Stella Maxwell
See? I never knew eating stuff I like to eat was actually a natural SPF. Who knew?
I like sweet potatoes, dark chocolate, leafy greens, almonds and tea. I’m not opposed to pomegranates, but they’re a serious nuisance to eat.
All I can say is that as we approach 💐 Spring 🌷, as much as I detest the hotter seasons of the year, I do appreciate farm fresh food that comes of this part of the annual cycle.
Despite the snow and ice coating the yard right now, it won’t be much longer before the farm stands open again.
Just driving over to Orwigsburg or Schuylkill Haven, I pass several farm stands with freshly harvested goods. Glorious.
As it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”
While I typically associate sweet potatoes with Thanksgiving and 🍂Autumn🍂 generally, they’re delicious and nutritious all year ’round.
They make very flavorful fries and they look awesome as a colorful alternative to a typical baked potato.
Sweeten Those Potatoes
I Made 3 Sweet Potato Recipes (Twice-Baked, Roasted, Soufflé) | Allrecipes
So, here are three recipes for sweet 🍠 potatoes if you’re feeling adventurous. I always enjoy hearing of new options for some of my favorite foods.
With a simple query to my AI buddy, I learned that while sweet potatoes are better for me than regular potatoes (which I still love, but need to limit my intake of) with a glycemic index of 44 to 61, the better option is actually the purple potato with a glycemic index of 41 to 53. Standard potatoes have a much higher glycemic index in the range of 70 to 90.
More’s the pity. I would think nothing of eating a can of tiny potatoes baked until they have a crispy surface and smother them in gravy and sliced onions.
Since I shouldn’t do that, purple potato fries made by boiling, cooling and air frying seem to be a better alternative. I’ll have to give them a try.
Mash It
Sweet potatoes are ideal for lazy days: just bake, then mash and mix with yogurt, butter or olive oil. ~Yotam Ottolenghi
I’ve seen some tempting images of sweet potatoes that are baked, mashed within the skin and mixed with one of the fats listed in the quote above.
Sour cream would be another option for mixing with the baked/mashed sweet potato would be to add avocado. It seems that adding the monounsaturated fat and fiber of a rich, creamy avocado helps to mitigate the overall glycemic index of the plain sweet potato. It sounds phenomenal. I’ll have to try a Sweet Guacatato and let you know.
Actually, if you get to it before me, I asked my little AI friend to suggest a healthy recipe for that:
Sweet Guacatato
Sweet Guacatato (Sweet Potato + Guacamole Hybrid) Ingredients
➡️ 1 medium baked sweet potato (mashed within the skin)
➡️ 1 ripe avocado (mashed)
➡️ 1–2 tsp lime juice (adds acidity and brightness)
➡️ ½ tsp cinnamon (enhances natural sweetness)
➡️ ¼ tsp smoked paprika or cayenne (adds a subtle kick)
➡️ ½ tsp sea salt (balances flavors)
➡️ 1–2 tbsp chopped cilantro (for freshness)
➡️ ½ small red onion, finely diced (for crunch and mild sharpness)
➡️ 1 tbsp finely diced jalapeño (optional for spice)
➡️ 1–2 tbsp finely chopped pecans or walnuts (for crunch and nuttiness)
Optional Sweet Enhancements (for a more dessert-style dish)
🍯 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (if you want it sweeter)
🍦 ¼ tsp vanilla extract (for a creamy, warm undertone)
🥥 Sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes (adds tropical flair)
How to Make It:
1️⃣ Bake the sweet potato until soft (~45 min at 400°F). Let it cool slightly.
2️⃣ Mash the avocado and sweet potato together inside the sweet potato skin.
3️⃣ Mix in lime juice, salt, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and optional spices.
4️⃣ Stir in diced onion, jalapeño, and cilantro for texture and freshness.
5️⃣ Top with nuts and/or coconut flakes if desired.
How to Serve a Sweet Guacatato
✅ As a dip – Serve with tortilla chips, plantain chips, or toasted pita.
✅ As a spread – Use on toast, sandwiches, or as a filling for wraps.
✅ As a side dish – Great with grilled chicken, shrimp, or roasted veggies.
✅ Stuffed sweet potato – Keep it in the skin for a fun presentation.
Final Flavor Profile
✔ Creamy, slightly sweet & nutty from avocado & sweet potato
✔ Zesty & fresh from lime juice and cilantro
✔ Savory & warm from onion, cinnamon, and smoked paprika
✔ Optional crunch & heat from nuts and jalapeño
Verdict:
This Sweet Guacatato is a nutrient-packed, diabetes-friendly, and flavorful fusion dish that works well as both savory and slightly sweet depending on your add-ins. 🎉
Give it a try and let me know. It sounds good as described.
While this is the part of the post where I’d usually say something about writing, I don’t have much to say on that topic today.
Perhaps my writer’s brain is clouded by hunger, but nothing’s coming to me. Rest assured, I’m still pushing on with The Sentinels: New Blood at the moment and still need to fix some things on KDP before I format and upload The Lights of Pine Hollow.
That’s all for today. See you on Wednesday for some 🧚📖 throwback enchantment.