Woooooooo, PIG SOOOOOIE!!

Ham and bacon.  Oooh, and Boston Butt.  Ummmmm........and pork steak and tenderloin.  And bacon.  And...ham.  Just call me Miss Piggy.  Oh well, I am from Arkansas, where we have a long tradition of Hog Fever, and we bleed Razorback Red.

As of this writing, my Kroger has their Smithfield Ham Portions on sale for .99 cents a pound!!  Wowzers!  So I picked up a couple of smaller portions.  I came home and cooked one, and put the others in the freezer.  Since it's just Derrick and me, I looked for portions in the 5 - 7 lb range.  Now, my family usually only eats large bone-in hams at Christmas, and I prefer mine cold.  Well, that was before tonight.  I don't think I'll ever  eat cold ham again.

Now, where I come from, Southern Mamas everywhere are well-known for making a sweet ham glaze using a good old can of Coca Cola.  I didn't have a can of Coca Cola, and although I did have a Pepsi, I felt that would almost be a sacarilege.  So keep reading for my substitute that will become my "go-to" soda for a ham glaze.

I was trying to think of a Quitschie little name for this ham, but seriously, it's just the best darn ham I've ever eaten.  So I guess that's what I'll call it, "The Best Darn Ham."  Here's how you do it:

1 "ready to cook" bone-In ham, (mine was about 6 lbs)
3/4 cup brown sugar (OK, you know me, I don't really measure, so give-or-take)
3 TBSP whole grain mustard
3 TBSP yellow mustard
2 good healthy tsp ground horseradish
1 can Dr. Pepper (yes, Dr. Pepper)

Preheat your oven to 350.  Line your baking pan well with foil (just to make clean-up easier).  Place your ham cut side down in the pan.  If you have a nice layer of fat exposed, score your fat layer with a diamond pattern.  Mix the brown sugar, both mustards and horseradish.  Again, I don't measure anything, so the amounts above are approximates.  What you want is a nice, thick consistency, that cascades smoothly from your spoon.  (See picture below.)  Pour the Dr. Pepper over the ham, followed by the brown sugar/mustard mixture.  Tent the ham with foil and secure the foil over the sides of the pan.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes per pound, so for my 6 lb ham, about 1 hour 20 minutes.  Get  your taste buds ready, cause this little piggy is gonna go wee, wee, wee all the way home!!

 The "all important" glaze ingredients:  Stone Ground Mustard, Yellow Mustard, Fresh Ground Horseradish,and a can of Dr. Pepper.

                       
                                                         I started with a 6 lb ham portion.

                                                Pour that Dr. Pepper right over the top.

                                         This is how your glaze should cascade off your spoon.

                                                          Pour the glaze over the ham.

                                      The finished product.  See the "scored" fatty layer.  Yummy!

With the drippings left in the pan, you can pour it in a sauce pan, add a pat of butter, and simmer it down a little.  After I cut my ham, I dipped it back in the sauce for about 20 seconds before I put it on my platter.  It's just the best darn ham I've ever eaten.  Hope you enjoy it as well!!

BEST Sunday Dinner

I love Sunday dinners. Getting home from church and having dinner almost ready in a crock-pot. Just add a few things, and voila, dinner on the table in no time!!

 So last Sunday morning, I got up a little early, because I wanted to try a new chicken dish I had seen posted on Pinterest. Now, I'm no expert at Pinterest, but, I have been playing around with it long enough to know that if you see something you like, you'd better A) Like it, B) Comment on it, C) Re-post it, D) Print it, or E) All of the previous. Naturally, I had done none of those things. Needless to say, I could not find my recipe. So, never fear, I took it upon myself to make up my own. I call it "Chicken A La Quitsch". Catchy little title, yes? Thank you very much.  And it really was the BEST Sunday Dinner I've made in a long time.

 It has a very Italianish/Mediterraneanish flair to it. But which ever way you want to lean, it was delish!! So here we go!

 Chicken A La Quitsch 

 2 Bone-in/Skin-on Chicken Breasts
1 envelope Italian Dressing seasoning
1 can artichoke hearts
1 can large black olives
Drizzle of olive oil

 Place the two chicken breasts in the crock pot and drizzle with the olive oil. Drain about half the liquid off the artichoke hearts, and dump them in. Sprinkle the Italian Seasoning packet over the top. Turn the pot on high, and cook for 3 hours. (See, perfect recipe to start before Sunday School - about 9:00 - done by Noon!!)

 OK, at about the 3 hour mark, drain the olives, and dump them in. Put the lid back on and continue to cook for about the next 16 minutes.

 Now at this point, I put on some linguine noodles (water to boil - about 8 minutes, noodles to cook - about 8 minutes)

 I also opened a can of peas and carrots. Yes, fresh or frozen is WAAAAAY better, but that chicken smelled so good, it was messing with my brain.

 I also opened a jar (GASP!!!) of Alfredo Sauce. Now I can make my own, but that would be for a Saturday Supper, not a Sunday Dinner.

 By the time the peas and carrots were heated and the sauce was bubbling, the noodles were done, and it was time to eat!! Boo-yah!

 I did pull the meat off the bones of the chicken and sort of cut it up in big chunks, but you wouldn't have to. Oh, and a friend at work snarled her nose up at the black olives (what ev, Maria!!) - so you could leave those out. Although, you would totally be missing out.

 OK, what are you waiting on? Go!! Go thaw you some chicken breasts! Bon Appetit!

So.....who LOVES Peanut Butter Cookies?

Mmmmmmm.....the best taste of peanut butter has to be the first fresh, smooth swipe off the top of a newly opened jar. I have fought past roommates for that first taste. Did you know that Peanut Butter is actually native to the Americas, dating back to the Aztecs? They used to grind roasted peanuts down into a paste, thick and probably not real spreadable, and not as sweet as we like it.

George Washington Carver is credited with the modern day invention of peanut butter. In fact, you may call him a peanut expert (and you thought Jimmy Carter held that moniker). He wrote 44 practical bulletins for farmers, in which he included more than 100 peanut recipes. He also kept busy inventing products made from peanuts; everything from cosmetics and paint to plastics and gasoline. Man, where is that formula now,and will my car run on it?


Now whether your preference is smooth or crunchy, you'll garner all the health benefits that peanut butter packs: protein, folate, B3, and antioxidant-p coumaric acid. Watch your labels though, some brands do contain partially hydrogenated oils, and we don't want those pesky trans fatty acids clogging our pipes.

OK, are you ready for the easiest peanut butter cookie EVER??? Are you? Are you ready? Here is the complete recipe. Wait for it......wait for it......

1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg

The End.


Wait --- what? Yep, that's it. Three little ingredients. 1 cup, 1 cup, 1 egg. Mix it all together, drop on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. You can do the little criss cross thingie if you want. The explanation for those would take a whole entry by itself; but it is interesting if you want to do some reading up on the theories behind it.