How to Celebrate National Potato Month in February

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Wed 01 Feb 2012 - Wed 29 Feb 2012

I have such a love of potatoes – baked potatoes and sweet potato fries are my favorites. I was quite happy to learn that February is National Potato Month. It's a great chance to learn new recipes, wear potato-themed accessories and visit new restaurants. NYC isn't exactly an ideal location for growing potatoes, but there are still a variety of ways you can participate in the National Potato Month.

Learn new recipes

One of the best ways to partake in National Potato Month is to learn some new recipes. There are so many recipes to try you could easily make one each day throughout February and still have a long list leftover. Some dishes to consider making include Potato Latkes , Garlic Mashed Potatoes , Scalloped Potato Gratin , Crispy Potato Roast , Sweet Potato Casserole , and Baked Potato Soup .

Learn healthy ways of making standard dishes
As delicious as potatoes are, the dishes aren't always the healthiest options especially if they're fried. Change up some of the recipes to make them a bit healthier. For example, instead of fried french fries, try Low Fat Baked Sweet Potato Fries . Instead of greasy potato chips, make Homemade Baked Potato Chips . When you make or order baked potatoes, skip the heavy sour cream, bacon or cheese. Instead, opt for toppings such as broccoli or light sour cream.

Wear themed accessories

Other than eating the food, one of the best ways to celebrate National Potato Month in February is by decking yourself out in potato themed accessories. Some options to consider using include a French Fries Leather Wallet , earrings -pearl&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade Potato Chip Earrings , earrings -pearl&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade Cheesy Baked Potato Earrings , or a necklace -pearl&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade Fries Charm Necklace . There are more than enough options whether you prefer baked or fried.

Make potato stamps

Whether you use them by yourself or use them during a project with kids, potato stamps are super easy to make and are quite versatile. Depending on your skill level with drawing and using a cutter, you can do almost any shape and design you wish. One of the best parts are that each potato provides two different canvases when you cut it in half. You can use any color ink you wish along with the potato stampers, just make sure not to eat the potatoes after.

Visit restaurants for potato dishes

If you're looking for potato dishes in NYC, there's no shortage of places to try. For french fries, head over to Pommes Frites on 2nd Avenue. To get delicious mashed potatoes, go to Christos Steak House on 23rd Avenue in Astoria or DeStefano's Steakhouse on Conselyea Street in Brooklyn. If you're craving potato latkes, go to Sarge's on 3rd Avenue or Vaselka on East 1st Street.

With so many ways to partake in National Potato Month in February, you may just keep continuing to dig into potato dishes and celebrate the food long after the month is over.

Photo copyright belongs to Lisa Stevens via Flickr

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!date 01/02/2012 -- 29/02/2012
%wnnewyork