Spiced Sweet Potato

Friday marks the official start of fall and this dish is the perfect way to celebrate.

It's the baby food equivalent of Thanksgiving dessert.

In fact, so much so that we were thinking of putting this in a tart shell, 

with a dollop of fresh whipped cream 

and eating it as our own dessert.

Some of us couldn't wait to dig in.

I must make a mental note to keep both my eyes open when looking thru the viewfinder.

This recipe also has roasted bananas but these are done uncovered and 

roasted until the sugars start to caramelize.

The flavor that ends up coming thru is much more caramel then banana.

After making this I started searching other recipes with banana and sweet potato
in them and was surprised to find added sugar in them.
I honestly don't think you need it, even for adults.

We add a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg and fall just comes alive.

Is there anything better than the smell of freshly grated nutmeg?

It's like giving your baby his first taste of the holidays.

Can you see it Peanut?  Can you taste the autumn comfort?!

Spiced Sweet Potato

1 large (or 2 small) sweet potatoes (yams)
2 medium bananas, peeled and cut lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch freshly grated nutmed

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Place your sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and
poke a few holes in them with a knife or fork.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the skin just starts to pucker.
Pull out your baking sheet and add the bananas.
Roast for another 15 minutes or so.
The banana should be bubbly with little golden spots and
the potatoes should have skin that is puckered and soft flesh.

You can scoop this all into a food processor and puree or
mash by hand
or do both and mix them together (which is what I did).
Add the cinnamon & nutmeg and mix.

Taste and add more spices if you like.

Enjoy!

~This is really sweet so serve in a small portion as you would dessert

*Variations
-This would be great served as a dip with graham crackers
-Try other spices like cardamom, cloves, ginger or pumpkin pie spice
-Mix this in with oatmeal or other grains
-Add some unsweetened coconut flakes
-If your child is old enough, this would be great with toasted nuts like pecans

*Storage
Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

*Benefits
Bananas are packed with potassium and fiber, are great for the digestive system and helps your body absorb calcium.

Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, antioxidants, potassium, lots of fiber and a bit of calcium.

Cinnamon has been said to lower blood sugar, improve blood flow, fight bacteria,
relieve gas and reduce inflammation.

Nutmeg has strong antibacterial qualities like cloves do, has been said to improve memory, reduce gas, aid in digestion, decrease nausea and help increase in appetite.