The Olden Days

Still without Internet access at home! Tapping this oot on phone at bus stop.

How are you all? Is life treating you well or is it being a bit of a turkey? Speaking of which, what are you all having for thanksgiving dinner?

Can anyone explain how sweet potatoes and marshmallows ended up in a dish together?

If you're not in thanksgiving territory, have you had any tasty dinners of late?

Man, I miss internetland.

Update: Sorry about the screwy comments! Should be okay now. I tried to implement Typepad's fancy new Connect feature but my crusty circa-2003 templates aren't up to the job :)

Comments

[1 · Posted by Jen · November 25, 2008 at 08:05 PM]

I

[2 · Posted by Jen · November 25, 2008 at 08:05 PM]

I've never understood the marshmallows.

[3 · Posted by LBTEPA · November 25, 2008 at 08:34 PM]

I often speak to pople who do't have internet or even a computer and I have no idea how they live

[4 · Posted by margaret · November 25, 2008 at 10:51 PM]

Not doing the thanksgiving thing. Don't actually know what date it falls on here! Marshmallows and pumpkin in the same dish.. How.. What... Hmmmmm... :)

[5 · Posted by LaLa · November 26, 2008 at 01:16 AM]

Can't see what I am typing so forgive any typos! I had a scrummy dinner at Tak Kee Inn in Dickson the other day. Nom nom nom.

[6 · Posted by dg · November 26, 2008 at 09:01 AM]

Testing that comments are normal again...

HELLO groovers :)

@LaLa yum yum YUM! :)

[7 · Posted by Loth · November 26, 2008 at 09:03 AM]

Oh, all alive and kicking and fretting about the fact I have not even started anything to do with Christmas yet. I can't imagine how deprived you feel without proper internet! And no, I don't get the marshmallow thing either because of course what sweet potatoes need is more sweetness (!)

[8 · Posted by moonduster · November 26, 2008 at 03:15 PM]

Well, I'm living in the UK, but I'm American, so we had planned on celebrating Thanksgiving as usual. However, my over-due baby is scheduled, if all goes well, to be induced tomorrow, so we are celebrating Thanksgiving tonight.

Instead of cooking this time though, we are going out to eat somewhere where we can get a traditional Thanksgiving meal, and when we get home, we will eat my low-fat pumpkin pie (made this morning).

[9 · Posted by Alexia · November 26, 2008 at 06:08 PM]

Yuck to marshmallows. Yeah to my thanksgiving cookbook that has a great sweet potato recipe for people who don't like 'em as sweet!

[10 · Posted by midatlantic · November 26, 2008 at 08:50 PM]

I'm a Canadian in the UK. Canadian Thanksgiving is much earlier than this - the second Monday in October, to be precise. I do have a small expat Thanksgiving, with pumpkin pie and some other trimmings (but sweet potatoes are not really a Canuck thing), but we now treat Thanksgiving as the last barbecue of the year, and do a smoked chicken on the barbie rather than a roast turkey, which would be way too much for the two of us. I think it's a good compromise, or a pleasant confusion.

Our marshmallows remain innocent of association with root veg, and are instead toasted on the embers of the barbecue after we have gobbled down the chicken.

I am suffering not-nearly-close-enough-to-the-end-of-term stress, and celebrating the completion of my first 10k race - the Leeds Abbey Dash, which I finished in 64 and a half minutes.

[11 · Posted by South American Slimmer · November 27, 2008 at 12:05 AM]

God it´s hard to imagine Thanksgiving. I had completely forgotten about it until you mentioned it in your blog. The thought of roasting anything almost kills me. It is HOT as a furnace down here in the wilds of Latin America...

[12 · Posted by Theantijared · November 27, 2008 at 02:45 AM]

I can't wait till I can keep it off. I am down 193 pounds so far this year. GREAT JOB TO YOU!!!!!!

[13 · Posted by Rosemary Grace · November 27, 2008 at 06:10 AM]

I'm most excited about our appetizer: brie en brioche with apples and cranberries. Can't wait! We're having a small do at our flat with a classmate of mine, and a buddy of Matt's, a turkey breast roast, no need for a full bird, fennel & Parmesan scalloped potatoes, and mixed veg in butter & herb sauce. Also, homemade pumpkin pie of course. And pumpkin beer. And maybe some wine.

The scalloped potatoes are the part I'm looking forward to the most Besides the baked brie.

RE: marshmallows, I thought it sounded crazy too, but the point is to use the mini ones, and the caramelize as a layer on the top. It's pretty decadent.

[14 · Posted by Kat · November 28, 2008 at 10:08 AM]

Well, I'm having dietgirl blog withdrawals, so can't imagine how you're surviving without the internet.
I'm in Aus, so Thanksgiving is just something that happens on TV. I don't get marshmallows, but also don't understand pumpkin pie, to be honest.
Hope everyone's loving/loved their meals

[15 · Posted by nolafwug · November 28, 2008 at 06:14 PM]

Good lord, I thought sweet potatoes and marshmallows would be the highlight of my first Thanksgiving dinner as a vegetarian. They were excellent but what really made me want to die was the Pumpkin Crunch that was served as a side dish (it's more of a dessert though - more so than the sweet potato/marshmallow casserole). Lots of orange veg in one meal, I know. But this stuff is killer and everyone needs to try it: http://www.recipezaar.com/Thanksgiving-Pumpkin-Crunch-Cake-Dessert-261129

Good luck settling into your new place, lovey!

[16 · Posted by mbbored · November 28, 2008 at 10:16 PM]

I have no idea how sweet potatoes & marshmallows ended up together: I blame the cocktails and sleeping pills of the 50s housewife. I had an "experimental" dinner with a cousin and his husband, their baby, and a whole bunch of other gay men with their children. Untraditional, but fabulous.

[17 · Posted by Ros · November 29, 2008 at 09:33 AM]

I know people who don't have the internet at home, and I have NO idea how they cope. Somewhat shamingly I'm much more willing to go home since my parents got broadband.

(Mind you, people with desktops not laptops seem to be much better than me at not spending 38729837 hours a day online. Perhaps the internet in bed wasn't such a great thing after all...)

[18 · Posted by AmericanLass · November 30, 2008 at 09:01 AM]

I'm an American in Aus, and after 18 months down here I actually FORGOT about Thanksgiving until the Friday morning after! Luckily that meant it was still Thursday arvo in the US, just enough time to call the folks and wish them a happy T-day. So I didn't have a Thanksgiving dinner per se...just buttered toast and a celebratory hot chocolate with my breakfast on Friday :)

[19 · Posted by Nessajane · November 30, 2008 at 09:08 AM]

Ummm just wanting to know, why does Scotland celebrate Thanksgiving? Isn't that an American thang? Am I showing my ignorance? Perhaps but please...what the?

[20 · Posted by Nessajane · November 30, 2008 at 09:11 AM]

Oh yeah and I saw a Canadian celebrating Thanksgiving as well. Why Canadian's?

[21 · Posted by donalda bint · November 30, 2008 at 02:11 PM]

My oldest memory of anything to do with 'pumpkin pie' is actually Australian. In the series 'The Sullivans' they gave it to some Americans, but it was wrong somehow. I have no idea why or how, I was too young, but knowing nothing of America and having a mother who loved 'The Sullivans' it um, maybe got a bit confused. 'The Sullivans' was huge and then disappeared, or is this on constant repeat somewhere in the world. Hmm, strange Australian, American, Scottish pumpkin pie flashback - time to lie down, perhaps...

[22 · Posted by Marla · November 30, 2008 at 04:19 PM]

We had turkey, but only because someone else was cooking it. I don't mind making the turkey itself, really it's just a big chicken, but all those labor-intensive side dishes...! No thanks. When we have Thanksgiving at home, we often have lasagna - something we love but don't eat often. That's a treat for us.

I need you to get this internet mess fixed, because you ARE NOT POSTING ENOUGH. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

[23 · Posted by cinnamon girl · December 01, 2008 at 12:39 AM]

I don't know about sweet potato and marshmallows. But I do know that mashed sweet potato is fantastic when you use a big spoon of condensed milk instead of butter to mash it with.

[24 · Posted by The Lard Arms · December 01, 2008 at 08:52 AM]

Aha! All is revealed; I tried to post a comment before because I was SO IMPRESSED that you posted from a phone!!! Then I thought it must be my typepad deficiencies! Well done for dedication to your blog and your readers.

Hope you get sorted soon; I think you'll need to do a post at some point - 101 things to do when your internet is down.

Hope the new house is lovely though and that you are enjoying it together.

Big kiss.

Mrs Lard xxxxxxxx

[25 · Posted by Claire · December 01, 2008 at 08:53 AM]

Finally!! I can finally access your page again, can I get a Hell Yeah!!It's been months man.

Anyway, had the sweet potatoes (or yams as they called em) with marshmallows for a thanksgiving meal at uni as one of our flatmates was over form the states. I know it's a weird combination but it tastes AMAZING! If only I could be arsed to get the recipe and make it myself I would. sadly I would then never be able to go back to normal pumkin and separate marshmallows, so it all works out in the end!

is anyone else having a problem with mince pies? The buggers are everywhere! ...taunting me.

[26 · Posted by M.R. · December 01, 2008 at 04:07 PM]

I hate the marshmallow/sweet potato stuff! Here's my favorite sweet potato recipe, stolen from Robyn who stole it from somebody else:

Slice sweet potatoes into 1-inch tall rounds

Mix in a bowl with freshly minced garlic (the more the better frankly), olive oil, kosher salt (to taste) and thyme.

Put into baking pan (I think that ceramic white works best but this might be because my oven is, it seems, nuclear powered) and bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until tender.

[27 · Posted by dg · December 01, 2008 at 04:19 PM]

Yum yum yum yum yum :)

hi folks!

@Claire - Mince pies are one of the few foods in the world that don't tempt me - I never got over my childhood disappointment that there's boozy fruit inside 'em, not mince n gravy in a party pie style :)

@NJ - we don't have thanksgiving in scotland, i was just saying happy thanksgiving to the americans round here :)

@Donalda - the sullivans! those were the days!

[28 · Posted by Lyn · December 01, 2008 at 05:28 PM]

I HATE marshmallows on sweet potatoes!! That's just insane. Like putting bubble gum on a dish of roasted green beans.

I always mae my sweet potatoes in huge chunks, with the lovely, nutrient-filled skins left on, simmered on the stovetop with butter and brown sugar and vanilla until soft. You don't eat much of the sauce, so it really isn't bad nutrition wise.

Loving your book :)

[29 · Posted by BeckStein · December 01, 2008 at 06:10 PM]

Ok folks, here's the situation...don't knock candied yams until you've tried them...
Shauna, if you're game, I promise to make them for you when you and the Doc are back over in NYC. There all kinds of delish, they should be a desert instead of a vegetable the way we saturate them in butter, brown sugar, orange and then toast the marshmallows ontop of them...Once marsmallows are toasted, they become a completely different creature and don't resemble the the same fluffy nature they once were. Everyone loves the candied yams once eaten...Heck we can even make the whole Thanksgiving Dinner for ya if you're so inclined in the experience (even if it's in the middle of July) We're happy to eat Turkey and stuffing anytime of the year ;)

[30 · Posted by dg · December 01, 2008 at 10:48 PM]

@Beck - I will hold you to that, hehe! I'll make you a chip butty in return ;)

@Lyn - That sounds realllly good! And glad (and relieved) you're enjoying the book :)

[31 · Posted by Mrs. Thighs · December 02, 2008 at 03:18 PM]

I can't help but chuckle over your confusion regarding sweet potatoes and marshmallows.

I have no idea how they ended up together - perhaps the marshmallows enhance the sweetness of the potatoes or maybe it's a texture thing. I think it also might be a color thing because the white against the orange is quite striking. That dish can be really good, but only if the marshmallows are used sparingly. Unfortunately, the person who made them at our dinner put a thick marshmallow crust over the top of the potatoes and it was awful -- way too sweet for my tastes.

What I find amusing about Thanksgiving food is that almost everything, save for the turkey, is soft. It's as if this meal were designed to be slurped down effortlessly so you can hurry up with the eating and get to watching the game. But when you're eating what is basically baby food, that's about as comforting as comfort food can get!

P.S. I'm loving your book, too!

[32 · Posted by Bridget · December 02, 2008 at 05:24 PM]

The candied yams (sweet potatoes) with marshmallows is probably my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. For the past 2 Thanksgivings I've been to, they were not served- a complete disappointment to say the least. (The in-laws are a disappointment too but that's another story) It's so sweet and comforting and the toasty and chewy marshmallowy goodness is divine. I think I need to make them soon.

[33 · Posted by Claire · December 04, 2008 at 01:03 PM]

you're a marmite lover too aren't you! woe for the love of mince pies!

sadly my addiction is running in full force and I am now avoiding the bakery section of the supermarkets out here as they have a tendency to leap out and surprise me. Or they look so forlorn I just have to put them in the trolley and take them home.

There's little hope for me at this point. Roll on the new year!

[34 · Posted by Michelle in Canda · December 08, 2008 at 03:17 PM]

Hey Shauna,
I'm so glad your back posting again...you always make me laugh. I don't comment very much but I wanted you to know I made the sweet potato soup yesterday and it is yummy!! Was pleasantly surprised that my 16 yearold son had two bowls of it....I thought I had my lunches taken care of for a few weeks...it made a good size pot....but if he's dipping into it it won't last long. Thanks for the link...its delish!!