Sweet Potato Crisp and Turkey Bones???

With Thanksgiving wrapped up and a whole heck of a lot of Sweet Potatoes left behind, I decided to share a story and a recipe about the very special "Lady With All The Earrings".

That is what alot of people called her.  We just called her Grama.  This would be my Dad's Mom and she passed away a few years back but she's still making us laugh!

Grama raised TEN kids.  Can you imagine trying to feed ten kids breakfast, lunch and dinner?  It's no wonder Grama was a little goofy!  She must of had a hole in her head to allow that kind of crazy into her life!  As a matter of fact, she did have lots of holes...in her ears!

As a tribute to each of her kids and grand kids, she would add an earring.  She started this much later in life, so luckily only my younger cousins were traumatized by this.  Us older kids, she just spanked us for holding on to the sides of the swimming pool  ;0)  I'm kidding of course, maybe.  Also, us older grand kids would never have dreamed of calling her "Granny".  Only the younger grand kids did that!  Never sounded right to me. 

There were somewhere around 39 holes in her ears, you can count them if you like.

So how DID Grama pull off a Thanksgiving Day Feast?  Well, she would get up super early, force all the kids out the door and then get to work.  She would do the turkey first and then let it rest while she made all the sides.

Under very strict orders, the kids were told "DO NOT touch that bird!"  Did I mention everyone was afraid of Grama? 

As the day wore on, ten kids got hungry!  They would run through the kitchen and snitch a little piece of that bird when Grama wasn't looking.  Can you imagine the devastation nine hungry boys and one little girl can do to a bird?

Suffice it to say, when the dinner bell rang hours later and the family of 12 gathered around the table with all the lovely side dishes piping hot and the kids knowing what they had done...

Well, Grama knew too.

And she served Turkey Bones for dinner.

She lifted the lid off that roasting pan and simply said, "Eat!"

I have been fortunate enough to inherit what is believed to be "The Pan". 

When Grama passed away, the night before her funeral...I roasted a Turkey.  My brother and I picked it clean.  "The Pan" went with us to the funeral.  It followed us to my Aunt's home afterwards. 

With full bellies from all the food that family and friends had brought, I asked my Brother to go and get "The Pan".

We gathered everyone together.  They were grumbling at me that they simply couldn't eat another bite.  I told them all that, "I knew Grama would have wanted them to save room for this."

I lifted the lid and simply said, "EAT!"

Tears, extremely LOUD laughter, hugs, kisses, and memories flooded her wonderful kids.  It was the coolest tribute to a super cool and hip Grama.  My family loved it. 

So here is a great side dish to go along with those Turkey Bones!

Grama's Sweet Potato Crisp

40 oz. Sweet Potatoes (canned or cooked from fresh) -Drain and Mash
1 Egg
2 T. Sugar
1/2 stick Butter
1/2 t. Cinnamon

Mix and Mash together and place in small casserole dish.

Topping

1 stick Butter, Melted
1 C crushed Ritz Crackers
1/2 C chopped Walnuts
1/2 C packed brown sugar

Mix and sprinkle over potato mixture.
Bake in 350 oven approximately 30 minutes


Now, if someone would please hand my Dad a Kleenex, he's got snot all over himself!