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What is a Balaboosta?
Balaboosta (n.)(bah-lah-b00-sta) A Yiddish term meaning the perfect housewife, homemaker, wonderful mother, cook, and gracious hostess. She does it all and does it well.
I make simple food with easy recipes and I like to try new things. My family and friends love my cooking and always ask me to share, with them, what I know about food, flavor, and technique.

I'm not a professional chef and I've had no formal culinary training. What I know and do in the kitchen comes from three women...Nana, Grandma Della, and Rose, my mom. Each one of them knew more about putting a meal on the table than any fancy chef in a white hat. They were the ultimate Balaboostas.

What I offer you is a lifetime of experience in the kitchen with my compliments and theirs. I hope they'd be proud. I will bring you my recipes as I make them with photos of the actual food I'm preparing. I'm no professional photographer either but I promise, my food will speak for itself in every picture.

The food on my table isn't stacked in a trendy tower.
Instead, my food is stacked with flavor and full of my passion for cooking. So please come in, make yourself comfortable, and enjoy.

To see amazing detail in any photo just click on it!
Don't forget to SIGN MY GUEST BOOK at the bottom of this page and/or LEAVE A COMMENT (be sure to leave your email address if you'd like a response)

Disclaimer: While most of my recipes are "Jewish Style", I do sometimes cook with pork. This might have been a great disappointment to some but my grandmothers knew that I live in modern world. I light Shabbos candles religiously but I have to admit...I do not keep a Kosher home.

Click here to RETURN TO MY MOST RECENT RECIPES
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Sweet Potato - "My Sweetie Pie" Casserole - A Thanksgiving Favorite! Can be Sugar Free

If you're looking to make a successful and impressive Thanksgiving meal then you must add my "My Sweetie Pie" Potato Casserole to your table. My family did not want the standard marshmallow topped boring dish we all grew up on, and so, years ago I modified it and came up with this fabulous version. Every time I've made it my guests ask for seconds and copy of the recipe to take home, which leads me to believe I have a winner!

I have also reduced the calories in this recipe by using SPLENDA® Granuated Sweetener and SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend. However, if you don't mind the refined sugar and the calories that come along with it, just use the real thing.

Ingredients...
For the Casserole...

  • 3 Cups cooked mashed Sweet Potatoes (fresh is always more delicious but canned will work if you're looking to cut corners)
  • 1 Cup SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener (or Sugar)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1/3 Cup Milk (I use fat free)
  • 1/2 Cup Butter (or your favorite healthy alternative)
For the Topping...
  • 1 Cup chopped Pecans
  • 1 Cup firmly packed SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend (or the real thing)
  • 1/3 cup Whole Wheat Flour (or white if you prefer)
  • 1/3 Cup melted Butter
Here's how you do it...
  1. Combine the mashed Sweet Potato, SPLENDA® (or sugar), eggs, vanilla, milk, and melted margarine in a large bowl. Beat until smooth.
  2. Pour into a greased 2 quart shallow casserole. (I like shallow because it creates more surface area for the delicious topping)
  3. Prepare the topping in a smaller bowl. Combine the chopped pecans, SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend, whole wheat flour, and melted margarine.
  4. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the potato mixture.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes at 350F.
Serve along side my Broccoli Mushroom Casserole and then please write and tell me how your company loved this.

2 comments:

Mila said...

I loove your blog! It was one of the first blogs that inspired me to start my own! I even talk about the Homemade Jewish Chicken Soup!
Please keep posting and come visit me when you can!
http://kisscook.blogspot.com/

Mila
(A Fellow Balaboosta)

Mila said...

What a wonderful comment! Thank you so much! It put a smile on my face tonight!
Happy Hanakkuh to you and your family!