No kale in my purse

OK, I admit it--in my family, we don't eat as many vegetables as we should.  This article today in the NYT has my number.

One woman said she "would eat more vegetables if they weren’t, in her words, 'a pain.'
'An apple you can just grab,' she said. 'But what am I going to do, put a piece of kale in my purse?'" Exactly! I'm good with the fruit, but you can't just grab a kale on the way out the door.

Another guy noted, "The moment you have something fresh you have to schedule your life around using it.”

So what are we to do?  Besides eating only baby carrots, that is (one of the few "on the go" veggies, especially if celery sticks don't thrill you).  An old colleague of mine ate so many carrots her hands turned yellow. I'd like to avoid that.

My Mom made something delicious called Texas Caviar last week, which involves beans and veggies.  But she is withholding the recipe from me because she wants it to be "her special dish." Hmphf.
We eat a lot of sweet potatoes, especially the lighter colored ones.  These are good with the bottled Indian curry sauces that we eat every couple weeks.

They are also delicious as mashed potatoes (and easy to make).  Skin, cut in chunks, and boil like normal potatoes.  At the same time, slow saute sliced onions and garlic cloves cut in half (about 1/2 onion and 1 big garlic clove per potato).  Then, when everything is soft and the onions/garlic are golden and mushable, put it all in a big bowl and take a hand blender to it.  Bit by bit, add milk/butter to get the taste/texture you like.  Careful not to overbeat--can turn starchy.
Make extra and freeze in baggies--a big time saver!

My Mom has shared a Yam-Zucchini Salad recipe that is simple and addictive.  We eat it as a side salad.  But at a potluck or party it also works great as a salsa, paired with tortilla chips (espec. those lime-flavored ones).  Plus, it will keep in your fridge for 4-5 days, so you'll have a veggie dish for several meals.
1 1/2 lb. yams/sweet potatoes cubed (the brighter orange yams look best)
2 cups small zucchini chunks
1 1/2 cup corn
2/3 cup green onion
1 bell pepper (red or orange are best)
dressing:
1/3 cup oil (olive or canola)
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1 T ground cumin
1 1/2 t minced garlic (I add more than this)
salt & pepper (to taste)
Cook the sweet potatoes 20 minutes -- soft, but before they start to loose their shape (they need to hold up in the salad); pour on 1/2 of the dressing while hot.  Compile the rest of the veggies and put it all together with the rest of the dressing.