How To Make Easter Ham and Our Easter Dinner 2011

I thought you might be looking for some options for your Easter Dinner.  Here is our menu and how I prepare Easter Ham! Also check out the other Food Friday recipe today for this delicious Refreshing Punch!


Menu:
Ham glazed with Brown Sugar, Mustard, Pineapple and cloves (recipe below!)
Cheesy Potato Bake (Look for the recipe here next week on Food Friday!)
Green Beans
Basil Carrots 
Fruit Plate or Fruit Salad
Jellied Cranberries (I almost forgot to put these down!
They are my husband's favorite!)
Homemade Bread
Dessert:  Strawberry Whipped Sensation  (Recipe next week on Food Friday!)

It's really very simple to bake a ham!  I don't make it often, but it is a special traditional dish on Easter Sunday for many people.  By the way, I have come to refer to Easter as "Resurrection Sunday"!
Last year I posted about Resurrection Eggs and an Egg hunt with our nieces and nephews--very cute photos!

at Amazon

The book, "Benjamin's Box," tells about Resurrection Eggs, which help you teach your children about Jesus' death and resurrection.  You can buy them at Family Life Today, among other places!
We are having my mom and our good friend, Clarice, over for dinner--not a big gathering, but a special one.
How To Make Ham
Ingredients:

• Ham (4-5 lb or so)

These instructions are for a non-spiral sliced, bone-in ham.  They could be adapted to use with non-bone-in and spiral cut hams, though.

• 1 can pineapple slices in juice
• whole cloves (in the spice section of the grocery store--unfortunately expensive)
• brown sugar (approximately 1/4-1/2 cup--to your taste, and the size of ham)
• mustard (approximately 2-4 Tbsp, again to taste and size of ham)

This photo also shows maraschino cherries in the centers of the pineapple slices, which is pretty, but I don't use them, as I usually carve the ham before bringing it to the table, anyway, and the ham is sweet enough with the pineapple and brown sugar.

Directions:

• Thaw ahead of time, if frozen
• Place the ham in a baking or shallow roasting pan (9x13) on top of a metal rack.
• Cut away some of the fat/skin on the top/side, and score it about a 1/2 inch deep, with a sharp knife.
• In a small bowl, mix together about a 1/4 cup (to start) of brown sugar, and about 2 Tbsp of regular mustard. You may wish to use more brown sugar if you like it sweeter, or more mustard, if you like that.  This is to your taste.
• Spread the brown sugar mixture over the top and sides of the ham with a knife, spoon--not too thick, or it will just fall off.  You can make more of this, and heat it in the microwave briefly, but I usually don't heat it.
• Place pineapple slices on sides and top of ham, anchoring with the cloves, (you can use toothpicks, but I usually don't need to).  Just as best you can.  I can usually only get a few of the pineapple slices to stay--but they do add sweetness!
• Poke whole cloves into the ham (these resemble little thorns, which is symbolic to me of Jesus' crown of thorns).   Remove the fat where needed, so you can get them into the actual ham.  Between or in the scored parts. Place them in a tic-tac-toe pattern, rows crossing each other, or just randomly, however you want.  These, too, add flavor.  Spread them all over the ham.  I usually add a lot of these; maybe 20-30.
• Cover with a tent of foil, and place in a 325 degree oven (preheated).  Check periodically, and add a little bit of water in the pan, if the drippings are burning on the bottom.  Baste or brush with additional glaze, if you like, every 15-30 minutes. You can also baste with the pineapple juice, but it will burn on the bottom of your pan, if it runs down too much.
• Remove foil for the last half of baking, and continue to brush with glaze.
• Bake for 20 minutes per pound, or about 2 to 2-1/2 hours (until it reaches 140 degrees).
• Remove all cloves!  You don't want to eat these!!
• Carve and serve with browned pineapple slices.

Here is also a video of Rob Barrett cooking an Easter Ham, which I posted awhile ago, which shows him preparing and baking ham in a very similar way to what I have just described, so you can see how it can be done!  Fun to watch, too!
Enjoy!
And remember our Lord's sacrifice and Victory over sin and death as you Celebrate Jesus Christ's Resurrection!
Happy Resurrection Day!

Hospitality Week Food Friday: Special, Yet Easy Recipes!

Because this is such a SPECIAL WEEK, I thought I'd do something totally different for Food Friday!  There are times when you want to serve something SPECIAL, food-wise, and yet you don't want it to be so difficult and time-consuming that it takes you away from what's important:  spending time with your guests!  So, I went on a search, and want to share with you these AMAZING RECIPES from across the Blogosphere and internet, via links and photos. When you try these, please comment here and let us all know how great they were, and any little tips for making them, ok?
I love the color in this first one, an appetizer, and at this time of year, you can't go wrong with turkey and cranberries.

From Blogger's Recipes

HappyMama has this awesome appetizer,
Cranberry Turkey Crostini

From A Pocket Full of Buttons:

Stuffing Frittata

This recipe just makes my mouth water, every time I think about it! Wow!

This guy has come up with a really warm, inviting soup!
This would be a great soup to serve to friends
at a casual Sunday night informal supper
and absolutely perfect this time of year for using all that pumpkin you have.
From Closet Cooking:

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

No photo, but being Swedish,

I couldn't help including this recipe:)

From Scandinavian Cooking

Swedish Meatballs 

I love Rob Barrett's cooking videos, and it's not just because he lives in my city!  I have posted a bunch of Rob's recipes before, but this one is just perfect if you want to plan a really special Christmas meal, but true to form, Rob shows us how to make this soooo simple!

From Cooking for Dads (not just for dads, but for everyone who likes Easy, Delicious Food!)

Rob Barrett shows us how to make a special meal for Christmas: Prime Rib!

I can think of so many ways you could do this, for example, a quiet get-together with another couple or two (feed the kids early and put them to bed:) or a family Christmas tradition--you could even go to your church's candlelight service and when you get home your Prime Rib will be done!

And I saved the Best for last:  Dessert!

Did you know you can invite people over just for Dessert?
Of Course you can.
Or Dessert and a Night of Table Games
~Super Simple~
From
Ready Set Create:

Chocolate Candy Cane

From Joy of Desserts and More: 

Decadent Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

I hope you'll enjoy checking out these sites and recipes!  It was really fun to find them, and I hope you like them as well.  Now, go call up someone and invite them over!

Timely Tips on Tuesdays: Rob Barrett Cooking Monkey Bread

I love Rob Barrett's "Cooking for Dads" shows!  I get such a kick out of him! (Ok, please just start the video, and the big baboon face will go away, if it is still there:)  Yes, this really is a cooking show video--trust me! Oh, Rob.  And didn't his mother ever teach him not to slam doors? even microwave doors?  Well, anyways, these recipes look wonderful, and so easy.  I'm sure that you could substitute your own homemade bread dough--if you try that, make sure and tell me (and him) how it turns out!  Which kind of monkey bread do you like the best? I think I like two of them: the Savory, especially with the sauce he dips them in at the end:) or the White Chocolate and Raspberry! (Anything with chocolate in the name has to be good, right?!) Nummy! Enjoy!

Timely Tips on Tuesday: Rob Barrett Cooking Coconut Fish

Ok, on a lighter note: we're cooking fish today!

My husband loves fish, and he loves coconut! So, this is the perfect recipe for him.  Rob Barrett of "Cooking for Dads" is cooking Coconut Fish! (Do your kids like fish? Mine don't, but we keep trying:)  We live on a lake, where my husband catches bass standing on the edge of our lawn just casting out, right from shore! It's amazingly delicious when you're eating fish from your own lake 30 minutes from catch to eat!  When I was growing up, I hated fish (too many bones, I suppose... But that's a "fileting" problem, isn't it?) but I have learned to love fish.  I'm really looking forward to testing this recipe out on my husband, and I'll let you know if he likes it! (Such an unusual combination!)  I hope you'll try it, too (and love it)--and let me know what your "tricks" are for getting your kids/family to eat fish! Thanks! And,

Enjoy!

*Rob suggests you can cut down on the brown sugar about a 1/3, I believe, for a better result:)

Timely Tips on Tuesday: Rob Barrett's "Cooking for Dads" Video Cooking Asiany Peanut Butter Steak

It's Tuesday, and that means "Timely Tips on Tuesday".  The past few weeks I've been sharing with you some of the wonderful cooking videos by Rob Barrett that I recently found on Youtube.  Rob, of "Cooking for Dads" fame, is a local hero, from my neck of the woods, and is developing quite a faithful following.  Today, he's making "Asiany Peanut Butter Steak." A little later, I'll be posting the related video in which he shows how to make your own peanut butter. I really enjoy watching these videos, because he shows quick and easy ways to make recipes that look like you spent a whole lot more time cooking--in other words they look delicious!  I can't wait to try this one!

In this video, he does a little "Costco ad".

(My note: Shopping at Costco or Sam's Club can, actually, save you some money, (I love Sam's Club) *if* you shop wisely. For me that means:

1) Don't assume everything in the store is cheaper.
2) Don't buy 20 years' worth of something because the price was right, and,
3) Don't fall prey to buying the item you've "sampled" out of guilt, when you don't really want or need it!)

I hope these videos and recipes will help you feed those you love, deliciously and quickly, giving you more time to spend with them--Enjoy!

Timely Tips on Tuesday: Rob Barrett of "Cooking for Dads" Cooking Low-Fat Chicken Cordon Bleu

Do you want to eat well, but lose weight (or watch your weight), too? Here's a low-fat recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu that you might enjoy! Again, Rob Barrett (from "Cooking for Dads")shows us how to make it easy. Enjoy!

Timely Tips on Tuesday: Rob Barrett of "Cooking for Dads" Cooking 3 Distinctive Chili Recipes From One Base

Hi! This was actually aired just 6 days ago on KSTP Twin Cities Live, (right in my "Backyard"--How cool is that?) and Rob Barrett from "Cooking for Dads" shows how to make chili in 3 very distinctive ways, using the same basic base!  These look incredible!  We make chili a lot, and I can't wait to try the variation with the cream cheese added, 'cuz I Looove cream cheese! Sometimes I have added melted cream cheese to salsa for a fun dip for Nachos, and it's really good--kind of similar idea. But, wow, Chocolate chips? Watch this--and try these ideas--you'll be the hit at the next Potluck or Party!
(Try adding beef bouillon instead of the red wine, it will have the same effect of adding flavor, without the alcohol.)

Valentine's Dinner: Video Cooking Show

I just found this *great* cooking show on YouTube! "Cooking for Dads" but it's not just for dads, by a long shot!  Rob Barrett has put together some very professional cooking shows from his kitchen, which I'm going to post here on my Timely Tips on Tuesdays series, but I happened on this Valentine's Dinner, so I just had to post it right away--I know you're going to love it. I mentioned on Food Friday that children, especially daughters, need to learn how to cook.  Well, one thing I love about these videos is that he makes his recipes easy to understand and cook!  If you haven't already got something planned for Valentine's Dinner, try this! It looks really simple, and delicious. Coconut Shrimp, Salad, and special carrots...well, watch and see!