christmas potpourri

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams

Friends, I have solved the mystery. What is the difference between a sweet potato and a yam? See, I was in the grocery store a bit ago and purchased something labeled a "sweet potato," although it was white and didn't look much different than a regular russet potato. But I took the sign's word for it. Then, just today, I purchased a "Beauregard yam," and I have made "red garnet yam" baby food for my Wesley. With all the various names and starchy vegetables, how can we know the truth?

OK here's the skinny. This site tells it best, and this site is a little more wordy. Yams do not exist in the United States; I repeat, yams do not exist in the United States. What we eat here are many varieties of sweet potatoes. When the folks down in Louisiana first discovered the "sweet potato," they wished to distinguish it from its relative, the regular potato, and labeled it a yam. To this day, we call them yams -- and the canned variety are even erroneously labeled "yams" -- while they are not. They are all sweet potatoes.

I am in for an interesting Christmas dinner; see I have both white (I'll assume "Jersey") sweet potatoes and Beauregard sweet potatoes, and I chopped them both up and nuked them both and mashed them both and put them both in a pan with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and butter on top. And marshmallows tomorrow. So we'll see how it tastes.

I repeat, you are all eating sweet potatoes tomorrow. NOT yams. I feel better.

Weather Update

Yup, there's still snow. A lot of it. We took Wes-man outside, which was fun. Unfortunately, the whole time before we ventured outside when I was layering him with clothes he cried and cried. Anyway, I let him touch the snow, and then I made a snowball and threw it at Shane. I'm not sure he understood the point. Then we took some cutesy "Wesley's first snow" pictures. Then I made a snow angel. Then we came inside and the power went out. Haha... hmm. But it's back on. Thank goodness.


In fact, to beleaguer the point, one of my favorite Christmas Eve traditions is driving around looking at everyone's Christmas lights, and we couldn't do it this year because the snowy, icy roads. I am so bummed.

My Annual Misnomer

Every year, I remind Shane that he and Santa need to "stock my stuffing," and every year he laughs at me, and every year I can't for the life of me figure out why I just said that. I always get it wrong. On the first try, second try, third try. If I'm talking without thinking, I say "stock my stuffing." Am I weird or what?

Blinky Lights

Can anyone explain why when I put a flashy bulb in my string of multi-colored lights, only half of the string started flashing? Then I decided to be smart and put a second flashy bulb on the other side of the string (maybe they are controlled by two separate circuits? or something?), and then that side started flashing, yay, but they don't flash together. Which is kind of annoying. The only reason I gave up and am living with it is because Wesley is so enamored by the blinking lights. He's so adorable.

Baby's First

I was ultra tempted to buy a cute "Baby's First Christmas" stocking. Unfortunately, I only found blue or pink stockings. One would think I would buy the stocking, use it for one year, then put it away for the next kid. But I can't say emphatically the next kid will be "blue" or "pink." Where's a nice red Baby's First stocking? So Wesley is using this hilarious HUGE knitted green stocking, from where it came we have no idea, and I'll hit the after-Christmas sales and get us all nice matching stockings for the rest of our lives. I may even buy more, you know, so the cat and any future kids or dogs or whoever also have matching Gottula family stockings.

Grandma Twining is all over the "Baby's First" ornament. I am super thrilled. Thanks, momma. I put my two ornaments, circa 1980, on the tree this year and reveled in nostalgia.

We'll see what tomorrow holds for Wesley. I imagine he'll want to eat the wrapping paper and won't really care about his gifts. I bought some baby food for his stocking, but Shane got to it before I did and actually wrapped it. So we slapped a label on it and put it under the tree. Prunes, in case you're wondering.

Merry Christmas, all!!