I am having a little trouble getting back into the swing of SippitySup this New Year. I don't know if it was my trip to Panama (details coming soon, I promise) or the Holidays... or possibly even something less defined, but lazy is the order of the day in my kitchen these past few days.

Still we gotta eat and I gotta feed you, my virtual eaters, too. So who says simple can't be spectacular?

But the thing about simple foods is in order for them to succeed you need to be sure the simple method you choose is not just simply a short cut, but rather the fast lane to perfection.

Root veggies are a great example of a food that can achieve perfection in the simplest of manners.

Sometime in our past we humans were digging around in the dirt and we hit about the idea of eating roots. The world has been a better place ever since!

I promised a recipe to accompany the Jenkins Jellies applesauce I picked up at Studio Root66 and here it is: Yam and Parsnip Fritters with Spiced Applesauce.

These could be called latkes too. Applesauce and sour cream are traditional accompaniments to latkes so it makes sense. But these felt more fritter-like to me, probably because the yams and parsnips are such a sweet combination. They are also really great foods for this time of year, and I guess I associate fritters with the warmth of hearth and home this time of year. In any case, call them what you like. I think you'll find they are delicious!

I choose these ingredients because I am always looking for new ways to enjoy yams and sweet potatoes. Especially as we are entering the holiday season, so it was not a hard reach to replace the russett potatoes I usually use for a recipe like this with this red skinned fall favorite. The parsnips were a last minute addition. Partly because they were handy and needed to be used today, but also I liked the contrast they provide in both flavor and color.