On Thanksgiving morning it was a crisp 18F degrees when my intrepid husband ventured out to run the Turkey Trot in a nearby park. What was surprising was not that he insisted on running the 5K in the frigid air, since he is impervious to weather when he runs, but that my 5-year old son was not deterred by the weather, either. After the 5K, the two of them ran the 1-mile “family fun run” together.
After the first 100 yards, my son turned to my husband and lifted his arms to be carried. My husband responded with: Little Dude, you can walk or you can run, but I’m not carrying you through this race!
And so he did: he ran the entire mile and believes he won since he got a little goodie bag at the end (which he did not share with his sister!). He’s a runner, like his father.
I didn’t go. For one thing, standing on the sideline in 18F weather is not my idea of fun, and I am not a runner. I would have pushed my daughter in the stroller for the fun run, but it was just way too cold for me. And I am definitely NOT a runner.
Instead, I prepared my contribution to the Thanksgiving feast: mashed chipotle 
sweet potatoes.
I peeled, chopped and boiled the potatoes until tender, then mashed them with a hand masher. Then I ran them through a ricer, to make them really smooth and creamy, with a stick of organic butter (I used 11 sweet potatoes!).
At this point, I was torn: should I add Cajun spices or chipotle powder? So I scooped spoonfuls into small bowls and did a taste test. The Cajun spices, which were my first inclination, were simply too noisy. The chipotle brought a sweet-hot smokiness which was irresistable. The chipotle it was.
I left half the sweet potatoes plain, for the less adventurous at the table and the kiddies. I had thought to garnish it at the last minute with some ginger-infused melted butter, but time got away from me. Just as well, as that might have been too much for some.
The chipotle version was a hit with those who appreciate the spicy side of life. My stepmother raved — of course, she has been known to win jalepeno-eating contests in her day, so she knows a good spicy flavor when it comes around! I brought the leftovers to a potluck a few days later and they were a huge hit there as well.
Sometimes it’s fun to put a little twist on something familiar. 🙂
