Sweet and Crunchy Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes for breakfast you may ask?  There isn't any reason not to eat them, right?  We eat them baked, sliced and roasted and boiled.  Whole, sliced or mashed we love them. They are healthy and taste great just as they are.  When topped with homemade granola and homemade maple syrup, they are wonderful! .  Eat them for breakfast, a side or even dessert.  These are perfect sliced, mashed or whole.  Cut down the middle lengthwise of whole sweet potatoes,  push the two sides together, top with granola and drizzle with syrup and/or melted butter/margarine.  Boil, drain , mash and top.  Any way you make them, top with granola and maple syrup and you have a new fav!

Read more »

DIY Homemade Maple Syrup

I don't know about y'all but we go through a lot of syrup in our house.  I got tired of buying it all the time and decided to make my own.  You control the strength of flavor, the add ins and type/amount of sweetener you use.  It's so easy and inexpensive p to do.   Keep it in an old syrup bottle or dispenser for convenience and nobody is the wiser.  ~wink~

DIY Homemade Maple Syrup

1/2 cup water, boiling

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon maple extract or imitation maple 

kosher salt, just a pinch, optional

1/8 to 1/4  teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste, optional

In a microwave proof large bowl or large cup, you need room for water to boil, stir sugar into heat water and heat to a boil, 2 to 3 minutes, more or less.  Checking after one minute then every 30 seconds to be certain it doesn't boil over. Carefully take out of microwave and stir.  If the sugar isn't dissolved, put back in microwave 30 seconds at the time.  Stir in maple extract and cinnamon, if you want it.  

Alternately, stir sugar into water and heat to a boil.  Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved.  Take off heat and add maple extract and cinnamon, if using.
NOTE
I made this again before starting my pancake using 1/2 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon maple extract, a bit of cinnamon, ginger and pinch of salt.   I kept it at a simmer while the pancakes were cooking.  It reduced a bit and was great.  Served it over Pumpkin Pancakes and my oldest said it was an explosion of yumminess in his mouth.