Back in the early half of the twentieth century, my father had a little shack he called his potato house where he cured his sweet potatoes. Ah, sweet potatoes! They are a staple of Southern po folks' winter diet. Nothing tastes better than a good sweet potato.

My daughter and I have enjoyed baking this bread and giving it to friends:

Sweet Potato Bread

2 medium sweet potatoes (approximately 14 ounces)
2 teaspoons butter
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 seedless oranges (and a small amount of water)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350°. Boil the sweet potatoes whole. Mash to measure 1 cup. (If there is any extra potato, mash it and eat it with a pat of butter and a spoon of brown sugar while it's still warm.)

Melt the butter, stir in the pecans and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and spice. Peel the oranges, puree them in the blender, and add enough water to bring the volume to 2/3 cup.

Add the oranges, sweet potato, oil, and egg to the mix. Stir to mix the batter thoroughly.

Spray a 4 X 8" loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour the thick batter into the pan.

Drop the pecan mix over the top by spoonfuls and gently press the pecans into the batter slightly. Bake approximately 45 minutes or until a wooden pick can be inserted and removed almost dry. Cool on a wire rack. 16 servings.

Note
Sweet potato bread is good warm with whipped topping.

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From a Family Kitchen:

My mother-in-law, who is also named Mary Cheatham, is a fabulous cook. Her vegetable cookery reflects her French heritage. In the summer she often cooked this nutritious dish when we would visit her because she enjoyed watching me savor it.

Mom's Okra And Tomatoes

2 medium onions
Some olive oil
16 ounces frozen sliced okra
2 small cans or 1 large can tomatoes
2-3 teaspoons Lea & Perrins® Worchestershire sauce
¾ cup Heinz® ketchup
1 teaspoon sugar or equivalent amount of sugar substitute
2 teaspoons vinegar
Seasoned salt
Black pepper
Crushed red pepper

Chop the onions into big chunks. Sauté them in a little olive oil. If the tomatoes are whole, slice them. Add the tomatoes, okra, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, sugar, and vinegar to the onions and olive oil.

Bring the mix to a boil and season to taste with seasoned salt, black pepper, and crushed re pepper. Don't add extra sugar, which would ruin the taste; do add extra ketchup if you need it.

Simmer the mixture until the okra is cooked enough. It should be firm, not mushy. Check the seasoning and add more as needed, but don't get started eating it. You won't have enough to serve. ;-)

Notes
This dish tastes rich enough to be eaten as a main course, although it doesn't contain meat. Served over cornbread, it can satisfy a big man's appetite.

If you have fresh vegetables available, use them instead of the frozen and canned ones.

A Family Favorite from Flavored with Love:

Myrtle, my mother, made this from fresh figs on the farm. My cousins loved it.

Fig Ice Cream

Beat the egg yolks until they are creamy. Combine the sugar and flour and slowly add them to the eggs. Mix well. Add the milk and vanilla. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the milk mixture. Cook on low heat until thickened. Allow to cool. Add the figs. Pour into a gallon freezer, secure the top, pack with ice and salt. Freeze the ice cream.

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