Happy New Year!  So exciting and grateful to face yet another glorious year of endless possibilities.  My resolution this year is to try something new each month, big or small from food to travel to books to sports or a class perhaps.

I recently tried ice climbing and was so surprised how invigorating it was to try something new and totally out of my comfort zone.  I was also surprised at how much I liked it.

So that will be my barometer if it is out of my zone, comfort or otherwise I will try it.  I’ll let you know what it is each month.

On to parsnips they may be new to you or not, but often they get overlooked at the grocery store.  Parsnips are a wonderful taproot vegetable that are very versatile.  For the full skinny on the parsnip read HERE.

Full of vitamins minerals and fiber they are a nice alternative to potatoes.  You can fry, roast, mash, puree or eat them raw.  I have been using them mashed lately as they go well with all types of protein from salmon to roast pork.  Martha Stewart has 21 different recipes for parsnips HERE.  Shake it up a little this winter and eat some parsnips.

Mashed Parsnips

3 Parsnips (good sized) peeled and chopped into 2 inch sections

1/4 cup Butter

Splash of cream

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil the parsnips until they are soft.  Add the Butter and cream salt and pepper and mash using a hand mixer, a fork or an immersion blender until they are smooth and creamy!  The amounts above are an estimate add more butter or cream if needed.