I always buy in-season vegetables because they’re a cheap way to incorporate more vegetables into my diet. However, it can be slim pickings for good seasonal produce during the winter. My favorite farmers market won’t be open until the spring and all of my favorite veggies are more expensive than I’m willing to pay for at the grocery store.
Thank goodness for the sweet potato! Sweet potatoes pretty affordable year-round, but they tend to be a little cheaper during cold months. At less than $1 per pound, they are a great way to add nutrients like beta-carotene, fiber and Vitamins A, D and C to your diet. These baked sweet potato fries are easy to make and have become one of my favorite side dishes.
Baked Sweet Potato Fries for One
Ingredients:
1 small sweet potato (I leave the peel on, but feel free to peel it)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt (or whatever salt you have on hand)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cut sweet potato into ¼ inch wide strips.
- In a bowl, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil.
- Spread sweet potatoes in a single layer on baking pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or lined with parchment.
- Sprinkle sweet potatoes with brown sugar, salt and pepper.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, then take out and turn the sweet potatoes over with a spatula.
- Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until crisp.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes before enjoying your fries.
Please accept my apologies for being slow to blog and in responding to comments and emails this lately. In a moment of clumsiness last week, I dropped my computer and broke the LCD screen. I quickly realized how dependent I am on my computer and arranged to have it repaired. To make a long story short, I dropped off my packaged computer with my building’s concierge service to have it shipped and they may have lost it.
While I’m angry, frustrated and upset over the situation, this is one of those moments when I’m really glad that I have an emergency fund. My computer may be lost or stolen, but I’m glad that I can pay for a new one immediately without going into debt. Building six months of expenses and not touching it has required some sacrifice and patience, but it will be worth it if even bigger emergencies come along. Accidents, job loss and repairs often blindside us, but these situations are much easier to deal with when we’re prepared. It’s a lot easier to turn lemons into lemonade when you have the right ingredients.
To prepare for emergencies that my pop up in your life:
- Automatically transfer money from each paycheck to your emergency fund.
- Find areas in your budget where you can spend less and devote additional money to your emergency fund.
- Put money from work bonuses, tax refunds and gifts into your fund instead of spending it.
- Don’t be tempted use emergency fund money for non-emergencies. Putting it in an online account that isn’t linked to your checking account may encourage you to not touch it.
Do you feel like you’re ready for emergencies?
Photo: sxc.hu
