Play It Again, Ham: 10 Hearty Ham Dishes

     I found a big ham for 99 cents a pound at the store.  The kids had friends over on Friday night and it fed the crowd with plenty to spare.  For our company night I served the ham with mac and cheese and mixed veggies.  I've often used leftovers to make a new dinner creation.  The great thing about ham I found is that it can be used for any meal.  Good luck with your sequels!


10 Hamtastic Meals:

1. Ham steaks for breakfast with eggs.

2. Chef Salad  with ham and chicken, turkey, or roast beef

3. Scalloped Potatoes

4. Pea Soup

5. Ham Sandwiches

6. Ham Salad Sandwiches

7. Ham and Broccoli Pie

8. Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets/Calzones

9. Bean Soup

10. Scrambled eggs with diced ham/ Denver Omelet

Pump-kin you up: Oatmeal With A Seasonal Spice

Pumpkin Maple Oatmeal

    I strayed from my shopping list by picking up a huge can of pumpkin. It was a little early to make pie and I was out of flour so muffins were out.  Could I put a teaspoon in my morning coffee to make a pumpkin spice latte?  I wasn't so sure how that would end up.  Then I spotted a recipe from Dr. Oz's newsletter for pumpkin maple oatmeal.
   
   I used old-fashioned oats, maple syrup, and a dash of cinnamon. I skipped the berries to get the full pumpkin flavor.  It wasn't as sweet as I expected so I would recommend keeping the berries or stirring in 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce.

http://www.sharecare.com/question/what-healthy-oatmeal-breakfast-recipe
Pumpkin maple oatmeal with berries is a nutritious treat. Cook 1/2 cup of quick or old-fashioned oats according to the directions. Add 2 tablespoons of 100% pure pumpkin, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and 1⁄2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries or blueberries. This makes 1 serving and has 198 calories and 3 grams of fat.

Egg Mick Muff-FUN

Eggs Make a Comeback With the Egg Mick Muff-Fun!

  

My kids went on an egg strike as in anything that resembled an egg would not pass their lips without an enormous amount of struggle.  This surprised me since we get our wonderful free-range eggs from our neighbor.  They are the best eggs with rich, golden yolks.

   So when I asked them this morning, would you like egg mcmuffins for breakfast like at McDonalds, I was astounded when they answered a resounding yes.  I was just going to toast English muffins with peanut butter if they said no thank you to the eggs. 

Browning the Turkey Sausage

   I started making the homemade turkey sausage. Once that was in the pan I popped the first English muffin in the toaster.  Once the sausage was done, I started the eggs.  They like when I break their egg yolks so they aren't messy, but I left mine whole. I flipped the eggs when they were done on one side and added a half of a slice of American cheese (not the processed kind) turning off the pan to  let the cheese melt while I prepped the remaining muffins.

   I asked my kids if they would rather have homemade breakfast or go to McDonalds.  My son's response was, "This is cheaper since you don't have to pay for gas."  With the English Muffins selling for 50 cents a six pack at Aldi it is a great deal.  They devoured their "special breakfast" and I can't wait to make them again.
  

Just Desserts

Blueberry Baked Apples

    As the rain is pouring down outside it is time for a cozy meal.  A nice roast chicken or pork in the oven makes the house fragrant and warm.  Since the oven is already on, I make baked apples to go with the meal. 

    There are about eight Macintosh growing old in the fruit bowl so it is time to get out the Pampered Chef Wedger and Corer.  This makes quick work of slicing a bunch of apples.  Next I line the apples in the bottom of my little roaster and add pats of butter.  Now it is time to sprinkle on the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger.  I pour a couple of cups of frozen blueberries on for a change.  As they cook down, they create a syrup over the apples.   After an hour the apples will be cooked through.  I leave them in the oven while we eat to keep them warm.

   Green apples are my favorite to bake.  You can add a bit of honey.  Cooked apples are sweet enough to my taste. I like to use up a bunch of apples since leftover baked apples make a great oatmeal topper. 

Muffins, Muffins, Galore

Blueberry Muffins

  I wanted to make a big batch of muffins for a busy weekend.  It would serve as both a fun activity to do together and an easy breakfast the next morning. Not wanting to jack everyone up on sugar, I searched for a recipe using stevia.  It took me some browsing time to decide since I had canned pumpkin and bananas,  but lacked some ingredients such as pineapple juice. 

   My bakers decided for me with an emphatic "We want blueberry!"  I added more oat flour since I had no graham flour. Having only frozen blueberries in stock, I was concerned the colors would streak when baked.  As you can see it was not a problem.  Now to solve the mystery of the missing muffin!

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=674642 

Submitted by: DREAMERCHICK83

Minutes to Cook: 25

Number of Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries 1 cup minus 1TBS ww graham flour 3/4 cup oat flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1TBS stevia 2 egg whites 3/4 c plain fat free yogurt 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Grease muffin tin .Combine dry ingredients. Combine in separate bowl, eggs yogurt, applesauce and mix. Combine the two mixtures. drain blueberries and add to mixture with 1tbs of flour.

Smoothie Operator

Peach Smoothie

   Our featured smoothie in the picture is courtesy of our August peach picking.  I threw in some frozen peaches, vanilla, and yogurt.  It is a little summer memory in a glass.

   Smoothies are fun to make with kids and include a variety of fruit in their diet.  I let them pour everything in and making sure the lid is on tight, they get to push the button.

    My favorite smoothie uses frozen strawberries and blueberries, plain yogurt, a splash of orange juice, fresh or frozen bananas and sometimes milk.  If there are any leftovers, pour them in some Dixie cups and add sticks to make Popsicles in the freezer.

   Smoothies use up the fruit bowl like soup cleans out the refrigerator.  If  bananas are getting spotty, I freeze them for later or throw them in the blender.  Dan makes an awesome banana smoothie with yogurt, honey and vanilla.  It is so good!

   Smoothies are a versatile treat.  I serve them for breakfast, snacks and dessert.  You can sneak secret ingredients like flax oil in and nobody knows they are there.  Carrot juice alone is one thing.  Blend it with frozen strawberries, and the reception is completely different.   

Oat What a Beautiful Morning


    On a winter day it is great to start out with a hot breakfast.  Oatmeal sticks to your ribs and can be prepared in a variety of ways to keep it from getting boring.  My Mom used to make it with butter, raisins, brown sugar, and a dash of milk to cool it down.

     I use whatever is on hand as an "oatmeal topper."  I know magicians don't reveal their tricks, but since I don't wear a big hat, I can tell you. Our most popular preparation is to add frozen blueberries.    The blueberries defrost in the hot oatmeal and bring the cereal to an edible temperature. 

     It is a great way to slip some fruit into the most important meal of the day.  If I have bananas going past their prime, in they go that day with a dash of cinnamon.  I also like ginger, nutmeg and vanilla.  Feel free to throw in some nuts for added protein. Sometimes I use a splash of maple syrup. 

     Little ones can call it "pirate buried treasure" since the bananas are gold coins and the shredded coconut, jewels.  They dig to the bottom of the bowl to see what might be hidden in their oatmeal.    What is your favorite way to serve oatmeal?


Frambled

   I was distracted this morning while making breakfast.  I cracked five eggs in the pan and then was called away.  I had planned on scrambling them in the pan, but by the time I got back they were set into one enormous fried egg. 

   I did my best to scramble the yolks and called them "frambled" which is half fried and half scrambled.  It reflected how I was feeling. Fried because I was tired and scrambled for turning in different directions until I was dizzy.

   In an amusing twist of events, instead of a ruined meal to start the day, the breakfast turned out to be a big hit.  Apparently it's all in how you sell it.  What has you feeling frambled?

Gobble it Up!

   This one is going out by request.  On my friend's facebook post, her friend asked if anyone had a recipe for breakfast sausage that did not use pork.  This turkey sausage recipe is useful for people looking for food free of chemicals.  Plus it just tastes great.  I've even had my 'teen nephew tell me, "It tastes like real sausage."  It makes a wonderful addition to a big weekend breakfast and I have also made it ahead for a special brunch and kept it warmed in the crockpot.  The longer you let the sage sit the more flavorful the sausage becomes.  The recipe can be made with fresh sage.  I've only used dried and have been satisfied with the results. 

Breakfast Turkey Sausage
Adapted from the Beat the Yeast Cookbook by Charlene Grimmett

1 pound ground turkey
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2-1 teaspoon dried sage OR 10-12 fresh sage leaves, minced

Mix turkey with salt, pepper and sage.  Use a fork or a food processor for less than one minute. Shape into 6 thin patties or several links. Fry or bake until browned. You can freeze the sausages, either raw or cooked, for future breakfasts.

Sicknic

A sunny breakfast for the sniffly crew.

   When I woke up this morning to the cacophony of coughing and the sniffling symphony I knew it was going to be a sick day.  My first reaction was to park everyone in front of the television in their pajamas.  I had made salsa the previous night and was going to add it to scrambled eggs, but taking my cue from the B.R.A.T diet of Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast I decided to scale back.  I thought a light meal was the way to go instead of forcing their appetite with possible messy consequences.

   I sliced up oranges for their cold fighting vitamin C.  Next I made honey toast. My husband introduced me to this sick day staple.  The first time he suggested I thought it sounded strange, but the honey soothes the throat and it is a comforting food when you don't feel like eating.  I brewed up some Gingerbread Spice tea with no caffeine.  I didn't need cranky people plus caffeine. This helped keep up the fluids and the warm liquid is another throat soother. For dessert (to make sure I wasn't making anyone finish their plate) I served frozen blueberries in applesauce for antioxidants and a soft easy to swallow food. I put it on paper plates and there you have it, a sick day picnic or my new word, sicknic.

   After breakfast I set up a tent in the living room by attaching a play parachute to the curtain rods and over the arms of a chair.  They snuggled in there amongst the pile of blankets and a box of tissues reading books.  The sun streamed in through the window making this a tempting spot to curl up and take a nap.  While I was out of the room, the oldest one decided to cut out paper dolls clothes to help his sister.  Instead of being miserable and sick, their sicknic and tent kept them happy campers.

Go Bananas!

   The weekends were made for a leisurely breakfast.  If you need a gluten-free recipe for pancakes, look no further.  It's also nice to use this simple back up recipe when you find you are out of pancake mix.  With very few ingredients you can whip up these delicious, from-scratch pancakes in a jiffy. It's a great way to use up those aging bananas in the fruit bowl.  The bananas add their own sweetness making syrup unnecessary.  The recipe makes one serving so make sure to repeat for everyone in your house.

Banana Pancakes
2 eggs
1 spotty banana

Mash the banana with a fork.  Scramble the eggs over the banana.  Melt a pat of butter in a skillet over low heat.  Pour the batter into the skillet and cook until the edges solidify. Flip the pancake.  Put a pat of butter on top so it starts to melt.  Sprinkle the pancake with cinnamon.  Cook until firm. Serve with a pat of butter.  Makes 1 serving.

Yes We Have More Bananas

   Unlike the song that I'm sure you will thank me for placing in your head we always have bananas.  When they don't disappear into snackers or cereal I look forward to them turning spotty so I can make up a batch of my favorite muffins.  I usually double the recipe to make one dozen regular sized muffins and 2 dozen mini muffins.  Then I promptly freeze about half in Ziploc containers to have a handy snack or breakfast on a busy day.  That way I can enjoy baked goods on another day without having to clean up the kitchen again.  If you pop the frozen muffins on a plate in the microwave it gives them that "just out of the oven" warmth.
    To be honest with you the muffins in the picture are from a new recipe that was okay.  I'm sharing with you my favorite recipe instead.  These muffins always turn out moist and can be served as a dessert.  If you want to go all out, I'll include the icing recipe, though I usually serve them plain.

Banana Cupcakes
From Covered in Honey by Mani Niall

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp each: baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt
7 1/2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 cup ripe banana
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil muffin tin. Sift dry ingredients. Cream butter and honey. Add banana, egg, and vanilla. Add half the flour and mix on low. Add yogurt and the rest of the flour. On high blend for 1 minute. Bake 18-20 minutes.

Icing:
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp orange zest
Whip in mixer.

Garbage Day Creations

Greek Vegetable Pie

   In these interesting economic times I am trying to use up food as a way to stretch our budget.  No matter what the price of an item, if it ends up in the garbage that is wasted money.  In an effort to reduce waste I have taken to meal planning.  I started reading up on "Once a Month Cooking" and love the idea of not having to scramble at the last minute for dinner.  However, I find cooking for the whole month to be a bit intimidating.  I try to map out dinner for the week.  That way we use what we have before heading to the store to buy more and toss the fresh veggies that lay in the bottom of the crisper or get pushed to the back of the shelf.
   This recipe, like soup,  is a great way to use up what's in the fridge before garbage day.  We usually have leftover brown rice.  Since it takes a while to make we tend to cook large batches.  My husband freezes them in steamer bags for later use.  The recipe originated from the Moosewood Vegetarian cookbook, but I spilled egg on it and had to work from memory.  Needless to say I have taken artistic license. I recommend checking out their version.  It called for leeks and for some reason I was fresh out.  The recipe calls for asparagus and we had it leftover from dinner so in it went.
   I have served this dish for holiday brunch, dinner and lunch and breakfast leftovers.  I like it hot or cold and it would be nice for a picnic.  It's become one of my favorite dishes both for it's versatility and taste. This week I made it with broccoli, green pepper and fresh spinach before they headed to the trash.  I didn't have any cheese on hand and it turned out fine. I sauteed up the vegetables and popped it in the oven at 8am and had dinner ready to go on a busy weekday.  I just love not having to make dinner at dinnertime.

Greek Vegetable Pie
from: The Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health: More Than 200 New Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes for Delicious and Nutrient-Rich Dishes

2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup Greek olives
1/2 cup nuts (I use pumpkin seeds)

Pulse in food processor and press into 9 inch oiled pie plate.

Saute 7 cups vegetables.  Asparagus, spinach, leeks, broccoli, red peppers, etc.
Add 3/4 cup cheese
1/3 cup dill
3 eggs beaten
Pour all ingredients into crust.
Top with 1/4 cup cheese

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes until set and golden.  Serve with salad.