Not better than takeout: Sweet Potato Pie

I followed the instructions. I swear it. Unfortunately, my sweet potato pie (masquerading here as an apple pie) did not turn out as well as I hoped. My butter was too cold and my sweet potatoes were too hard (after 60+ minutes of boiling)and so the whole process went down hill from there*. I ended up almost whipping the filling by the time I had everything mixed in so while it tastes light and airy it certainly does not have a traditional SPP texture. Also, I had an extra pie crust that was very soft by the time I went to use it, so I decided not to waste it and made the lattice. That's the apple pie part.

No recipe or preparation required here folks as this one is not a winner.

*Only 2 sweet potatoes were injured in the making of this pie.

NOT better than takeout Seafood Tempura

With the husb out tonight I figured I'd try something new for dinner. I had a craving for Japanese food and since my favourite spot is an hour away from here, I tried to make my own tempura.

First things first....try to find a tempura batter recipe. Well, that's easier said than done! There are so many variations on the web. I tried one from a blog I found from a guy who lives in Japan. I mean, you'd think that would be the best option, right? Not so much. I wanted to make the crispy, light, airy stuff you get at a restaurant. Mine was much more dense and more like something you'd see on a piece of takeout Haddock with chips. Not sure where things went wrong. Could have been the batter, maybe it was the oil temperature or perhaps the seafood was too watery.

What is your tempura batter recipe? PLEASE send me a comment if you have one (plus your tempura secret)!

I'm going to post pictures anyway because I said in my profile that I would post even on bad days. This is one of them. Obviously, there is no need to follow my recipe but I am going to post it so you can tell me if the recipe looks similar to yours or not.

Recipe for tempura batter:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup ice cold water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Here are some pictures of the shrimp & squid tempura...it looks better than it tastes! Don't you love that I actually have a bonsai tree on my table:)