Ham and Gravy

Thanks all for sticking with me!  I enjoyed the time that Kris and I got to hang together.  She starts her new job on Monday and me, I go back to the grind I have been at for 5 years.  That is good over all, She is starting on a new adventure (OK maybe calling work an adventure is a  bit much).  At least I have the familiar for now, I can live with that.

This weekend we are going to Kris' best friend's house for Easter, this is where I get to the good part(for me anyway).  What we are bringing, the three requests from her friend, they were...

Baked Ham and Ham Gravy

Green Bean Casserole

Kris' Scalloped Potatoes

This post is about the Ham and Gravy, Green Bean Casserole to follow in a bit, for the Scalloped Potatoes you will have to ask Kris.

Ham and Gravy have been in my basket for quite a few years, I made it for Christmas dinner this year just so I could post it a little before Easter.  It is one of those comforting dishes that even if you have never had it you will curl up like a baby when you do...

"Comforting, How much so?" you ask. Here is a true story, when my ex wife and I were getting to the end of our marriage both of us had found separate places to live, the court papers were about to be filed. She called her best friend and the following conversation took place:

Ex Wife R: "Mrs. A, it is over... Bryan and I are getting a divorce, it is for real this time, there is no way to fix it."
The infamous Mrs. A: "I don't believe it, you have ruined Easter!"
Ex Wife R: (not expecting that) "What?"
The infamous Mrs. A: "Who is going to make Ham and Gravy at Easter now? We might as well have bologna sandwiches."

I heard this story, more or less the same from both parties involved, I kind of always thought thought it funny that the conversation didn't go something like "Thank God... I don't know why you didn't leave that jerk years ago!" or "What, are you crazy? He is Mr. Wonderful." The conversation went right to my cooking... at least I do something well.

All that being said here is how it is made:

One ham, this time I used a bone in spiral sliced ham but whatever ham I have used the gravy has always rocked.

2 TBS Grey Poupon Mustard
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup Honey
Juice from 2 Oranges
3 cups Chicken Broth

Put the ham, open side down in a roasting pan, mix the next four ingredients together into a slimy mixture and pour/spread over the ham. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly with foil and cook, this was a nine pound ham so it was in a 300 degree oven for an hour then a 375 degree oven for another hour. I basted about every half hour. When it is all done take some of the drippings off the bottom of the roasting pan and put into a saucepan (I did about 2 cups) add a little bit of roux and bring to a simmer until thickened.

Taste... then just try to put the spoon back for your guests... it takes willpower but once they taste it you will be the cooking superhero that you always wanted to be.  I understand that you may not be familiar with this dish but once you try it... well just see what happens!


Have a great holiday my friends!

I know that it is kind of dorky... but here is a summer project for the kids that is a lot of fun with this weekend's leftovers, just give it a try!

Easter Fun

Ok this is a little different than most posts that I come up with, but it is a fun project with the kiddos...  and get this... no recipes involved, this one is just about having fun,  Last year after we finished coloring our Easter eggs I took what was left of the colored vinegar water and pored those into zip-lock snack bags.

"What are you doing dad?"

"It doesn't matter, just let me do this"

I have met my kids, if I had talked about what I was thinking I would have been nagged incessantly until we attempted a crummy job of this project.  I knew that this wouldn't work if the conditions weren't right.

I took the small zip-lock bags of colored water and put those into a 1 gallon freezer bag and put that into the freezer.  Then I left it alone for a few months...  I expect I have you lost here but keep with me for a minute.  On a warm sunny day in the middle of June Mr.Man, Miss Lu and I went to the Craft store and picked up a $4.00 sheet of water color paper.  We brought that home and put it on our picnic table in a sunny spot of our lawn.  Here is where it gets good, we pulled the frozen colored water out of the bags and put it on the watercolor paper and let it go.  OK, I have mentioned before that I tend to poke, prod and worry over things like this so I have to admit that all of us touched this some while it was melting. 

Here is step 1 just frozen chunks of colored water

 

A little bit later

 

.Here is the finished work... this one is hanging on 

our dining room wall.

Happy Easter everyone!