Ham and Sides

When I was growing up, turkey was for Thanksgiving, ham for Easter, and Christmas would be a toss-up between the two. Well, except for the one year Mom decided to try fixing duck for Christmas. That was, um, memorable. Let's just say it wasn't exactly the big hit Mom had hoped for.

As for ham: My dad's dad loved ham, so if Dad's parents were coming to our place for Christmas, Mom would fix ham for the big meal.

According to Mom, I wasn't wild about ham as a little kid, and was frequently trying to get out of eating any. One year, I hit on a fool-proof plan. I waited until there were witnesses so Mom couldn't back out of any promises; I was thinking ahead as only a kid can. I then announced in my best drama-queen voice, "Oh, Mom, that ham smells wonderful! That is the most wonderful ham I have ever smelled. I'll bet it's going to taste really yummy!"

By now, Mom was smiling; she'd won me over! Her smile got even bigger when I asked, "Can I have as much ham as I want?"

"Of course, you can!" was her answer.

"Good. I don't want any!" I informed her, to everyone's amusement - except Mom's. She did laugh, after a minute, when she realized I'd gotten exactly what I'd wanted without a fight. Go figure!

I later grew up to actually love ham. It's actually one of the things I occasionally miss as a vegetarian.

That said, here are three ham recipes and three sides/desserts. Enjoy!

Note: Please check out Another Day in Paradise at GoFundMe. This is to help fund a documentary on homelessness, following 2 - 3 people as they struggle to get off the street. Backing starts at $10, with goodies for donations.

GLAZED BAKED HAM

Ingredients:

1 12 lb. ham

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard

1/4 cup pineapple juice

6 slices fresh or canned pineapple

6 maraschino cherries

Directions

Place ham, fat side up on rack in open roasting pan. Bake in 350 degrees F oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Combine sugar, mustard & pineapple juice. Remove ham from oven 45 minutes prior to completed baking time. Pour off excess fat. Spread 1/3 of the glaze on fat side. Arrange pineapple slices & cherries on the glaze, pressing firmly. Return to oven & baste with remaining glaze at 15 minute intervals.

COLA BAKED HAM

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

1/2 uncooked ham (5-6 lb.)

1 c. brown sugar

1 1/2 c. Coca Cola

1 c. crushed pineapple (optional)

Directions

Wash ham thoroughly. Rub fat side with brown sugar. Pour Coca Cola over ham. Pour crushed pineapple over ham. Bake at 450 degrees F. for 3 hours.

BAKED HAM WITH HONEY GLAZE

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Makes 18 to 20 servings.

Ingredients

10 to 12 lb. fully cooked bone in ham

Whole cloves

1/2 c. honey

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 Tbsp. orange juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place ham, fat side up, on rack in roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer in thickest part. Bake, uncovered, 2 hours.

With sharp knife, remove skin, if any; then score fat into 1 inch diamonds; stud each with a clove.

Combine honey, sugar, mustard and orange juice in 1 quart saucepan. Over medium heat bring to a boil while stirring. Brush half of honey glaze over ham; bake 30 minutes. Brush with rest of glaze; bake 30 minutes until golden and thermometer reads 130 degrees. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

PUMPKIN PIE

This came from the December 2004 issue of Runners’ World. Makes 8 servings. Calories: 110 per slice. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the link for the pie on the Runners’ World site...

1 ready-made piecrust

1 10-ounce can mashed pumpkin

1/4 C egg substitute

1 can evaporated fat-free milk

1/3 C brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp ginger and nutmeg

Mix ingredients in large bowl using wire whisk. Pour into unbaked piecrust in nine-inch pie pan. Bake at 421 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes. Let cool.

BAKED APPLES

This came from an old Weight Watcher’s email, and had a points value of 3 points each. I have no idea what the new points value each serving would have now, nor do I have the exact email to find the recipe. Very yummy, though.

4 apples, small

1 C applesauce, unsweetened

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 C water

2 C vanilla nonfat yogurt

1/4 ground cinnamon

4 tsp pecans or walnuts, toasted & chopped

Core apples, leaving bottom intact so they can be filled. Place upright in small glace microwaveable baking dish. Stir applesauce, cinnamon & brown sugar. Spoon mixture into apples. Pour water into bottom of baking dish. Cover dish & microwave at medium for 12-15 minutes until apples are soft. Remove from microwave & allow to cool. Spoon yogurt over each apple, garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon & toasted pecans or walnuts.

SLOWCOOKER MACARONI AND CHEESE – CROCK POT

From a long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Time to make 1 1/2 hours; 20 min prep; 4 servings

3/4 finely chopped onion

3/4 finely chopped green bell pepper

3 1/2 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 1 1/2 cups uncooked)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground red pepper

1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 ounces processed cheese (Velveeta)

1 (2 ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained

Coat large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion & bell pepper; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Place onion mixture & macaroni in 3-quart electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray.

Place flour & next 4 ingredients in small bowl; gradually add milk, stirring with whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture, cheeses, & pimiento to slow cooker; stir well. Cover lid; cook on high-heat setting 1-1/2 hours or until thick & creamy, stirring after 1 hour.