I've been meaning to update my blog since the Friday after Thanksgiving to share with you how impressed I was with my contributions to the family meal. Why I've delayed this entry is a whole other story. I procrastinate with the best of them. Anyway, I was back in West Palm Beach, FL sharing the special holiday with my family, and I asked if I could cook some of the side dishes, in hopes they would find my healthy options as delicious as I did, and more importantly, worthy of Thanksgiving table status. Luckily, my family was open minded enough to forgo the tradition of the 'green jello' (Although, I must say, I do miss that stuff a little bit. I think it's just nostalgia, really.) and allowed me to make the greens for the feast (which I gladly obliged with my now famous roasted brussel sprouts) and the sweet potato dish. I am a huge fan of sweet potatoes, but I never enjoyed the Thanksgiving version with marshmallows (ick) and orange juice. Yuck. I can't tell you how excited I was to change history. My family now wants this recipe (which I modified from a popular online recipe) to become the new tradition. I must admit, I did pat myself on the back with this one. It was SO yummy. I'll give you the recipe, but be warned. Your family may want you to start a new sweet potato tradition! And it's great ANY time of the year. 
Sweet Potato Casserole
Note: Use a metal baking pan or broiler safe ceramic dish as opposed to a glass baking dish, which may not be able to withstand the heat of the broiler
POTATOES:
2 pounds (appx. 6) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (I cut in 1/8 cubes)
1/4 - 1/2 cup organic agave nectar (depends on how sweet you like your casserole)
1/4 cup lite coconut milk
2 tbsps. melted butter (or Earth Balance for vegan dish)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large organic eggs (or egg replacer such as Ener-g: read for equivalents)
Cooking spray

TOPPING:
1/3 or < spelt flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. melted butter (or Earth Balance)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. To prepare potatoes, place potatoes in pot or Dutch oven. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until tender and drain. Cool for 5 minutes
3. Place potatoes in large bowl, add agave, and coconut milk, 2 tbsps. melted butter (Earth Balance), 1/2 tsp. salt, and vanilla. Beat with mixer at medium speed (or just use large spoon and mix by hand) until smooth. Add eggs (or egg replacer) and beat well. Pour potato mixture into 13x9 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.
4. To prepare topping, combine flour, brown sugar, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Stir with a whisk. Stir in 2 tbsp melted butter (Earth Balance). Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over potato mixture and arrange pecans evenly over top. 
5. Bake at 350* for 25 minutes or until just golden.
6. Preheat broiler (remove casserole from oven)
7. Broil casserole for 45 seconds or until topping is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

I'm telling you this dish is SO yummy, you'll want to eat it all winter long. You can even make it without the topping for a simpler dish. Next time, I am going to try omitting the topping and cut the recipe in half to make it more manageable for one! (With still a lot of leftovers.)
This recipe, in conjunction with my killer roasted brussel sprouts, made for a very successful Thanksgiving dinner. I can't speak for the turkey (although everyone else seemed to enjoy it) but I thoroughly enjoyed my special meal. Especially after my adorable nephew said grace. 
I was also pleased that I kept up a reasonable exercise routine while away. Trust me, I felt blech all week, but at least I did things to help me through. I'll credit theBikram yoga studio I discovered in West Palm for keeping me consistent and limber. And I got to visit the beautiful new EXHALE studio and spa in Palm Beach at the Omphoy Hotel. My diet may have been crap, but I vowed to get back on track once in L.A. And now that I am here, it has been much easier to eat healthy this week. Subsequently, I'm feeling better. But I'm tired of living out of my suitcase. It's wreaking havoc on my diet and the control I am used to. Which lends itself to a whole other entry on the transformation I went through here, so stay tuned . . . .