Sunday, April 28, 2013

Brown Sugar Pineapple Baked Ham

Do you like baked ham?  I do that's for sure!  Sometimes I like it just baked as is, then other times I absolutely love it with a brown sugar-pineapple glaze. A good smoked ham can't be beat.  The butt portion is meatier but I also love a good shank which is what this cut of ham is today.


You could of course use pineapple slices with cherry in the middle or some cloves inserted into the cuts but today I used what I had, which were chunks.  It is called making do, results are the same delicious ham!  This is how I bake mine sometimes...



This ham weighed 10 1/2 Lbs.  It is to be cooked 18 minutes per pound.  I cooked mine a little longer because I love for it to be fork tender.


You probably notice that the ham toward the front is very dark.  In fact, it is darker than I like but with this Electrolux Oven I can't use foil! One of the many cons and I will review my views on these appliances later on that subject.  I have to say that it does have the best flavor to it.  Your ham won't be this dark if you can cover yours...Check out the pan it was my great grandmother Dolly's Pan.


BROWN SUGAR PINEAPPLE BAKED HAM


What you will need:
Smoked Ham of your choice Butt or Shank

Basting Sauce 

Mix this up 30 minutes before predicted time for your ham to be fully cooked:
  • 1/2 box of brown sugar light or dark brown
  • 1 can pineapple slices, you will use the juice for baste and slices for decorating
  • 1 Tablespoon or more your choice of Yellow Mustard
  • cloves (optional)
  • Broth from ham baking.  Carefully suction from pan in the oven.
  • Mix together until smooth 
 You will want this to be the consistency of a medium sauce.


 Preheat oven to 325 degrees

  • Wash your ham thoroughly
  • Place in deep pan
  • Put 1 cup of water in the bottom of pan
  • Cover with lid or foil if possible
**I used to take skin off of ham at beginning as Mama had shown me but in later years she has shown me to leave the skin on until you go to baste and the ham will be more moist.** 

  • Check your weight and set your time (half butt or shank bone in cook 18-25 minutes)
  • When time is 30 minutes short of estimated remove ham from oven
  • Carefully remove that skin leaving the fat underneath in tact
  • Score the fat into little squares ~ being careful not to cut into the ham itself.
  • Place whole cloves into the cut corners if desired.
  • Place pineapple slices on with toothpicks if desired with a cherry in the middle.  Looks very pretty
Adding the Glaze to ham:
Use a baster or simply pour half of the mixture over the ham
Place back into oven and bake for 15 minutes
Take out pour rest of mixture on ham
bake again for 15 minutes
**If needed add a little more water to the bottom of pan to prevent from drying out** 
Also
**If you want to bake your ham for a longer period of time do so and simply baste with liquid in bottom of pan, which by now will be basting mixture and a little more broth.**

When Ham is done to your liking remove from oven and let rest for about 15 minutes before slicing.  (If you can stand to for that long without touching)



My daughter Carly did this for our Thanksgiving Meal and it was so delicious!  Isn't her spiral ham beautiful?

 
  I don't know what we would have done without her cooking with Mama "Dot" being so sick.  The child can cook, I'm so proud of her!  I'm blessed with two fine young ladies!

(It is impossible to do so with the spiral ham but with the smoked unsliced ham you will be able to push your toothpicks into the pineapple and cherries)


Serve with sides of your choice.  I tend to have homemade potato salad, deviled eggs and vegetable of choice





Sunday, April 21, 2013

Toscana Soup


You're going to know I'm from the South just by reading the ingredients in the soup.  
I laughed at myself for using turnips instead of Kale or Spinach..but it was really good.

Ingredients

5 cups of chicken broth (homemade or canned)
2 large Idaho/Russet potatoes cut into small pieces (peeled or unpeeled)
1 to 2 cups of your Choice of:  kale, spinach, collards or turnips chopped finely
1 lb of hot Italian Sausage bulk or links
  1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 
and salt to taste
1 tsp parsley (optional)
1/2 tsp dill (optional)
1/2 cup of one of the following your choice: 
(heavy cream, half & half, whole milk, 2 percent milk, or skim milk)





Instructions:
Put chicken broth and potatoes into stock pot
Brown sausage 
(if in link take out of casing and use spatula or fork to pull apart to brown in small pieces)
 Add to the pot
Add Red Pepper Flakes 1/2 tsp or to your liking 
Add your washed finely chopped fresh greens (kale, turnips whatever you choose)
Bring to soft boil then turn down heat to low to simmer
Simmer for about an hour
Potatoes should be fork tender
Add your cream
Cook for an addition 30 minutes to an hour on a simmer only do not boil
 Add salt to taste



Delicious served with garlic toast and a fresh tossed salad..


Have a great week!


Dolly  



Saturday, April 13, 2013

Review #2 of Homemade Laundry Detergents

photo credit Lehman's.com

 
 We've come a long way baby or have we?
Some of the old ways are better than the new.

GOOD REVIEWS

DETERGENTS THAT I DO RECOMMEND


Heidi's Recipe #2 Works Great!  I have not made Heidi's liquid or Maple Hill 101's Recipes as of yet but will review these at a later date.

I will be back later with reviews on the rest of the laundry detergents


BAD REVIEWS

1.  First Laundry Detergent click HERE to see recipe ~ DID NOT MEET MY EXPECTATIONS Since then I have made many variations and some better on tough stains. This recipe in the above post didn't clean as well as some later recipes but for a regular detergent it will do. I doubt, however that I will make this on a regular basis, maybe on a all I have are these ingredients in a push will I make it..  My whites became very dingy and grey. I surely didn't like that.


2.  Making Liquid Laundry Detergent
I did a review on this detergent DID NOT MEET MY EXPECTATIONSread results HERE




Dolly   


Wednesday, April 10, 2013

The Country Homemaker Hop #60

Welcome
We've had a short break around The Country Homemaker, but are now up and ready to go.
Hope you have had a wonderful beginning of Spring.
Hostesses
and myself

This week I am sharing 


 
we are sharing Part Two of Roodoodles: Michael Haun
Singer, songwriter, storyteller, speaker,producer,  artist, play write, poet, author, blacksmith, master prop and widget builder, writer, wrangler, doodler, film, TV host.  He is the husband of a very creative, patience, loving wife a dad of three awesome children and "Roo" to 6 grand kids.
 

over at dolly's designs
We have a Share Your Shop Blog Hop Going on for the month of April
If you have a shop by all means please share your link with us.

Share Your Shop Blog Hop



If you are working on a project at home of a creative nature
quilting, sewing, needlework, crochet, knitting, sculpting, painting, diy a piece of furniture etc
you get the picture
please share on The Creative Blog Hop #7
Runs Sunday to Sunday

 
What have you been doing?
Join us!
Dolly  

Cream Puffs ~ Dolly's

Cream Puffs with Strawberries & Cream drizzled with chocolate
Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Pretzels


Cream Puffs without chocolate drizzle

You can put your cream puffs on a cookie sheet but I chose to put in small muffin tin which gave me 24 miniature puffs

 Strawberries, my favorite fruit!

Cream Puffs are very easy to make and can be done in advance.


Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Cream Filling (recipe below)**
Heat over to 400 degrees.  Heat water and butter to rolling boil.  Stir in flour.  Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball.  Remove from heat.  Beat in eggs, all at one time;  continue beating until smooth.  Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until puffed and golden.  Cool away from draft.  Cut off tops.  Pull out any filaments of soft dough.  Carefully fill puffs with Filling of choice.  Replace tops;  dust with confectioners' sugar.  Refrigerate until serving time.
note:  make sure cream puffs are completely cooled before filling...
12 cream puffs or 24 miniature puffs

Cream Filling Recipe**
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 to 1/3 cups sifted powdered sugar
3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced (optional)
{note: I made miniature puffs so I did not put strawberries into my cream. I made cream and topped with sliced strawberry ten put top on and dusted with powdered sugar}

Beat whipping cream until foamy;  gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form.  Fold three-fourths of sliced strawberries into whipped cream;  fill cream puffs with mixture.  Arrange remaining sliced strawberries on top.  Replace tops of cream puffs.  Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Another option for filling:
Vanilla or Chocolate Pudding Filling
1 small package of instant vanilla or chocolate pudding mix
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
Mix together 1 or 2 minutes then store in the refrigerator until set and chilled
 Pipe pudding into cream puffs 
Dust with powdered sugar
drizzle with melted chocolate
 Pretty lightly browned.  This recipe follows my same guidelines in simple, basic ordinary ingredients that we should all have in our home. 



Printable Recipe link at top of recipe**

Dolly