Category Archives: beets

A boy, a summer and two sweet potatoes

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Take one mom, a 12 year old son and two sweet po- tatoes and whad- dya get? These strange and awkward pictures…


It was Sunday and we made our usual trek to the farmer’s market. I’m going to the local farmer’s market so often, I recently was shocked to notice how chilly it is in regular grocery stores! But at the farmer’s market, virtually all the food I purchase is room temperature (at least until things really heat up around here.)
And in addition to buying this amazing goat cheese, green lettuce and other treasures, (I have a good supply of beets, thank goodness!) we bought a trusty stash of Beauregard sweet potatoes. As usual, our family likes to pick out the funny shaped tubers because well, we like to laugh while preparing and eating our food. There are some very hilarious shapes, let me tell you ~ especially if you are the mom of three OS!


We purchased these big fellas complete with our standard sweet potato chuckles. When we got home and it was time to get dinner ready, I asked my trusty sidekick, my little orange-haired OS, Isaac to help me. We stoked up the grill but before we put those suckers on the hot coals, I used my creative genius, (yes I said genius) and took these pictures.

I am the proud mama of a Soldier, a fella heading out to Guatemala to serve Jesus for two weeks and now, at long last, I am the mama of a…

spud muffin



So next time you have your pre- teen child nearby and some healthy food around, don’t forget the camera! Duh!

A creepy love letter to…beets

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Dear Beets,


I love you! I’m not even sure where to begin. When we first met, I was just a kid. You were in a jar and Mom put you on my plate. You often sat next to the roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy which I swirled all together because
 tasted so good. Your bright purple color intrigued me and well, one thing led to another and soon, you were headed down my digestive tract.


Throughout my childhood, you were always there, beets. But then I entered adolescence and I’m sorry to say, we went our different ways. I found boys and fast food and I didn’t have time for the healthy things in life. Please forgive me. 

The crazy college days had me experimenting with a lot of different stuff. It’s there that I tried brussels sprouts and acorn squash. When I went away my junior year in college to France, I must admit, beets, you were far from my mind. I brazenly tried avocados and clams (but never together) and many other things, I’m too ashamed to mention.

It’s been a long time but beets, I never forgot you. All these years, I was impetuously always looking for something to satisfy me…like chocolate, family and friends. Where was my head, oh you beloved biennial Eurasian plant with a swollen edible root?

And then I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and decided it was time to try and eat fresh, locally grown foods as often as possible.  I went to the Farmer’s Market and I walked by you. You were just sitting there next to the nice lady who was working the booth, with her pack of cigarettes mere inches from your beautiful leaves. And one look is all it took and again, I was smitten. My fondness for you begin to rekindle and I was like a schoolgirl as I purchased my first bunch of baby beets. 

Now I’m a wife and a mom! Can you believe it! How time has passed! And I am more mature and stable, you’ll be happy to know. Even so, I do get a little wild, sometimes and have tossed you raw into my salads and recently began roasting you. You’re just as tangy and packed with nutrients as ever! Your vivid colors still make me smile! 😉 😉 🙂 


And what is this that I’ve been reading about you? The New York Times is calling you the “new spinach???“ All I can say is “Congratulations, my friend! You
 deserve it!” I wish the whole world understood what you are and how much of a difference you can make in a person’s life! Perhaps one of my missions in life is to tell the world about you! (jazz hands!) 


From now on, beets, I’m not going anywhere. You are in my life to stay. No more straying and acting like you aren’t important. You are, beets! You are! 

So here I am, spilling the beans, letting the whole stinkin‘ world know this – I LOVE BEETS!

Forever  yours,
Me
PS. This letter was creepily wayyyyyyy too easy to write…