National Potato Day | JOY for Today
Potatoes are simple, satisfying, and familiar. Although not typically what we crave, they bolster any meal you include them in. What a lesson for us. What JOY we would bring if we made this our purpose: to support every interaction with simplicity, goodness, and humility.
Celebrate with this Potato Dish recipe.
JOY for Today Offerings:
- Did You Know... Five facts about potatoes.
- Wolfe Stew Connects To potatoes, Jesus, and ourselves.
- Bible Verses and Quotes Inspired by potatoes.
- Activity Suggestions: Experiments, art, games, recipes, discussion questions, and family challenge.
- Statue of Liberty Dedication Day (October 28th Annually)
- Halloween (October 31st Annually)
- All Souls Day (November 2nd Annually)
Did You Know:
- Potatoes are a highly desired crop to grow? Potatoes produce more food using less land and less water than most other crops, making them profitable to produce. More than a billion people eat potatoes worldwide and most countries insist potatoes have always been a mainstay of their diet. In reality, potatoes originated in South America and didn't reach Europe until the Columbian Exchange circa 1500. Today, the countries leading potato production are China, India, and Ukraine. (Agrico, BBC, & World Population Review)
- Peasants preferred potatoes before elites? It wasn't until nutritional needs during wartime were unmet that elites looked for easily accessible, nutrient-packed foods. In crises, they discovered a secret peasants already knew: potatoes pack a strong nutrient load in an unappealing parcel. After the world started depending on potatoes, an economic study found that people grew half an inch on average because of the nutrients in potatoes. (BBC)
- Potato-based side dishes are popular in the US? Across three articles that list popular United States side dishes, nearly one third of all side dishes listed featured potatoes. And the market for french fries, already dominated by North America, is projected to grow from 17.12 billion to 26.56 billion by 2032. (Taste Atlas, Cooklist, Cracked & Fortune Business Insights)
- Potatoes grow underground? Because of this fact, potatoes were useful for tax evasion purposes; collectors were not able to discern the size of the expected crop and thereby could not accurately assess how much was due. Moreover, farmers could easily hide harvested potatoes in the cellar to exclude them from their asset calculation. (International Potato Center & BBC)
- Potatoes farmers don't use seeds? Instead, potato farmers cut a potato into pieces and plant each piece. From each potato piece, buds - or "eyes" - sprout which generate shoots that grow into new plants. Each potato can produce up to twenty new tubers. (International Potato Center)
We'd Love to Know:
Which potato fact you will share at the table tonight.
Wolfe Stew Connects
While potatoes are known for many things, their beauty is not one of them. In fact, a potato is not much to look at. Yet, it is profitable to grow, comforting, and nutritious.
A potato shares a lot in common with Jesus, who:
- Is considered unattractive. He grew up like a young plant before us, like a root from dry ground. He possessed no splendid form for us to see, no desirable appearance. Isaiah 53:2 CEB
- Is rejected. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Isaiah 53:3 NIV
- Is profitable. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26 KJV
- Comforts us. Come to me and I will give you rest - all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke - for it fits perfectly - and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens. Matthew 11:28-30 TLB
- Sustains us. He also will strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 1:8 NET
A potato shares a lot in common with the "fruit" we are to show in our Christian walk, to:
- Be dependable. When anyone among you has troubles, you must help each other. If you do that, you will be obeying Christ's rule. Galatians 6:2 EASY
- Expect to be overlooked. If the people of this world hate you, just remember that they hated me first. John 15:18 CEV
- Help others shine. Don't do anything from selfish ambition for from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 GNT
- Grow in darkness. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5 ESV
- Nourish others. "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers. Luke 22:31-32 NLT
Let potatoes remind you that though we start out as ugly little things, we become something much more beautiful than how we started. (Idea borrowed from Chuck Missler Isaiah Commentary Session 21 ~~35:34)
What JOY is coming!
In response:
- Cook with potatoes. What newfound appreciation do you have for the humble potato?
- Join us as we study Isaiah. Last week, we read about the suffering servant: how Jesus came to give His soul in exchange for our sin. When we accept His offering, we are grafted into the family of God and extend the length of His days. In this, God's pleasure is fulfilled.
Bible Verses and Quotes
Bible Verses
- That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19 ESV
- The Lord watches over the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Psalm 116:6 NASB
- A simple meal with love is better than a feast where there is hatred. Proverbs 15:17 CEV
- A true friend loves regardless of the situation, and a real brother exists to share the tough times. Proverbs 17:17 VOICE
- For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. I Timothy 6:7 KJV
Quotes
- "They who derive their worth from their ancestors resemble potatoes, the most valuable part of which is underground." - Francis Bacon
- "Not everyone can be a truffle. Most of us are potatoes. And a potato is a very good thing to be." - Massimo Bottura
- "I do not believe that you have to spend a lot of money to eat well: it is hard to beat a plain old baked potato." - Laurie Colwin
- "What I say is that, if a man really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow." - A. A. Milne
- "Potatoes are to food what sensible shoes are to fashion." - Linda Wells
We'd Love to Know:
Potatoes are versatile, not just for eating but for learning, too!
Conduct Potato Experiments
- PreK-1st: Grow your own potato from a potato! Visit Science Buddies for detailed instructions (with pictures!) that follow the scientific method.
- 2nd & 3rd: Make the crispiest French fry. Experiment with soaking techniques with Science Buddies.
- 4th-6th: Unleash potato power! Make a battery using a potato with Teach Engineering.
Create Potato Art
- PreK-2nd: Make potato stampers using cookie cutters at Fun Stuff to Do.
- 3rd-6th: Make potato prints using your imagination and inspiration from Fun Stuff to Do. Then, put a spin on it with potato wheel prints at The Crafty Crow.
- All Grades: Transform a potato into your favorite book character. Examples provided by Rebecca: The Irish Teacher.
Play Potato Games
- Hot Potato variations are suggested at Care.com, along with the classic version, of course! Also consider using it as a REVIEW OPPORTUNITY. Add to a list before tossing the potato or answer a question each time the potato is dropped.
- Mr. Potato Head Assembly
- Gather one Mr. Potato Head per player, real or printed.
- Just the accessories (an image).
- With the potato by The Activity Mom.
- Randomize it.
- Make a spinner by sectioning a circle with the number of accessories you're using.
- Use a die. Choose six accessories and assign a number to each one.
- Take turns.
- Spin the spinner (or roll the die).
- Add the indicated accessory.
- Make it a REVIEW GAME by only spinning or rolling if you answer the question correctly.
- Win by being first to position all the accessories on your Mr. Potato Head.
Cook Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes. Includes Wolfe Stew tested tips and tricks for making this comforting side dish.
- Chili Cheese Baked Potato. A simple yet satisfying dinner. First fill your head with potato facts, then your belly with this hearty meal.
- Potato Dish. A NEW recipe at Wolfe Stew! New to the site, but not to our table. This savory side dish, or main course casserole, is a family favorite.
Discuss "Would You Rather..." Questions
- Eat a mashed or baked potato?
- Make a potato battery or grow your own potato?
- Play "Hot Potato" or create potato art?
These questions are unique to this post. If you would like three "Would You Rather...?" questions for every October day, download this Wolfe Stew PowerPoint or get it (for free!) at our TPT store.
Take on the Family Challenge
Have a potato cooking competition. Each person makes a different potato recipe then votes for their favorite, but it can't be their own. Spread the competition over a month by having a different recipe featured on different days. Take pictures and label them so everyone remembers the dish when voting day comes. Combine the pictures, recipes, and voting results into a family cookbook.
We'd Love to Know:
What your favorite potato dish is.
We’re excited to share one more day with you and wish you JOY for Today and HOPE for Tomorrow.
Your Partners in JOY Finding,
Sample these related posts:
Learn potato trivia then feed your hunger with a chili cheese baked potato.
Our failures make for your success. Tips and tricks for this comforting side.
Connect with the model of humility: Jesus. Includes facts, quotes, and activity suggestions.
Research into why Jesus would be allotted a portion with men when He's God. Also includes outline, summary, and thoughts on God's grace.
Look with us to Proverbs 31 for insight on what it means to be uplifting. The topic continues in Week 6 and concludes in Week 7.
Find even more JOY for Today in our monthly calendars, holiday, and seasonal posts.
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