Giving Thanks And Sweet Potato Souffle

"Mimi, if you miss me, you can look at this. That's me in the red nightgown."

Like Batman who always responded quickly to the bat signal, this grandmother headed out as soon as she saw the "signal." It's part of the grandmother gig. As soon as I got home from a wonderful, relaxing knitting retreat with friends (old and new) in the mountains last weekend, I got a call that Little Sister was sick. Not critical like Baby Girl was last fall, thankfully. But sick enough to need extra hands. You always have to remember that when one child is sick, the others still have a regular schedule to keep.

Knitting retreat friends.

Someone got clever with the popcorn at the retreat.

I had not unpacked from my knitting trip yet, so I threw the suitcase and knitting bag back into the car and headed out. And almost a week later, I am back at home. Little Sister is improving. Recovery will take a little longer but it's coming.

Next week, we will be hearing lots about thankfulness. We should be giving thanks each and every day, but we really do talk about it more in November. If you asked me today, these things are top of my list...

• I am thankful for the interstate highway that let me make the trip down quickly and safely.

• I am thankful for doctors and nurses who work odd hours at urgent care offices and answer night phone calls.

• I am thankful for paramedics. (And I'm thankful no one scowled because she was better by the time they arrived.)

• I am thankful for airline personnel who got J-Daddy on a return flight 90 minutes after his plane landed on the other coast.

• I am thankful for the ER staff that finally sorted it all out days later.

• I am thankful for all-night pharmacies where prescriptions can be filled in the wee hours.

• I am thankful for children playing loudly because that means things are better.

• I am thankful that as bad as it sounds, it wasn't quite as scary as it reads here. Although in the moment, it was scary enough.

• I am thankful that Daddy-O can manage without me here when I am needed there.

•  And today I am thankful to be at home. But I am ready to go again if needed. Just put up the "grandmother signal." I'll answer as quick as Batman responds to his signal!

In the midst all of the craziness of the week, Mommy was trying to make lists and get Thanksgiving things planned. She said, "Mom, your sweet potato recipe isn't on the blog. I was at the grocery store and looked for the recipe. Why haven't you posted that one?"

So in the interest of collecting all of my favorite recipes here in one place, I'm sharing our sweet potato recipe. I grew up with sweet potato souffle with marshmallows on top. With raisins in it if we got fancy. Then my mother switched to this recipe and made it for years. When I started making it, I cut down the amount of butter. (She used a half cup of butter in the topping.) And no one has ever complained.

(I will try to pop a recipe photo in here soon.)

Just so you understand, this is not really a souffle. But that's what this recipe was called back then. That's what my mother's recipe said, so I'm leaving the name as is.

SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE

5 medium sweet potatoes, cooked (3 cups mashed)
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon flour

Mash sweet potatoes in mixer. (Hand mixer is fine.) Melt butter and add to potatoes. Add sugar and salt. Beat in eggs and add vanilla and flour.
Pour into a greased 8x12-inch casserole. (2-quart) 

Topping:
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar

Mix and spread crumbly topping over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. 
Can be made a day ahead, refrigerated and baked the following day.

You can substitute 2 medium cans of sweet potatoes, drained, in place fresh sweet potatoes. I think it's worth peeling the potatoes, though.

We worked on many art projects while home from school.