Sweet Potato Pie: Fall Favorite

Sweet Potato Pie is another of my fall favorites. Over the years I have heard different theories of why we crave seasonal foods. I believe that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)and as such, we crave those foods which can be found seasonally.  Our bodies will crave those things it needs to stay healthy. Cravings are a great way for the body to tell the mind what it is lacking.  Ongoing cravings for certain foods may indicate a deficiency in vitamins and minerals.  Listen to your body. 

Ever wonder why you start to crave root vegetables in the fall?   Root vegetables tend to be sweeter and can help with digestion problems and also provide your body with a steady supply of needed energy. They help you stay focused since they are digested more slowly than sugar and help you avoid the blood sugar highs and lows that you get with sugar. Adding in sweet root vegetables, like sweet potatoes, is a great way to crowd out less healthy foods. Nutritionists say eating roots like carrots, sweet potatoes, and turnips can impact the foods you later crave. Long roots like carrots and parsnips are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body. Round roots like turnips, radishes, beets, and rutabagas can assist in nourishing the stomach, spleen, pancreas, and reproductive organs. Rutabagas are another one of my favorite fall treats, however, I eat them all year long.

I typically bake my sweet potatoes in the oven with a little cinnamon and  (little) butter; a much healthier choice. Occasionally, I want a slice of sweet potato pie.  Here is my favorite sweet potato pie recipe.  I started making this version (with Eagle Brand milk) a couple of years ago. I found it to be the smoothest mix and not too sweet. I made a couple of these a few weeks ago and gave one to a friend of mine. I think she ate half of the pie in one sitting. She posted a picture of the half-eaten pie on Facebook raving about how wonderful the pie tasted. I have to agree with her, the pie was really good.  Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 Unbaked 9-inch pie shell
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND(R) Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat hot sweet potatoes with butter until smooth.
3. Add remaining ingredients, mix well.
4. Pour into pie shell.
5. Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cool. Garnish as desired.

Try it. I hope you come to love it as much as I do.