Kalua Ham

Unless you're Hawaiian, you've never had ham this good! This is the easiest way to prepare it too!

Take your ham (I usually do a 4-6 pound ham, but you can do it with any size), remove it from it's packaging and rise well with water. Wrap the entire ham in a few layers of tin foil. It needs to be well wrapped so the juices don't escape.

Bake on 225 degrees for 6-8 hours. When it comes out of the oven. Remove the tin foil and flake it apart with 2 forks. Serve warm.

Seriously, that's it! No seasoning, just a piece of ham in oven. Awesome!

Party Food: Apple Mustard Glazed Kielbasa

This is an east-coast recipe from my cousin Tom!

This is an awesome party food that is a great crowd pleaser. Even better, it can stay in a crock-pot and be eaten all throughout the party or big game!

2 pkgs Kielbasa

1 jar Apple Jelly

3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

Cut up Kielbasa and brown in a saute pan. Put kielbasa on paper towels to drain fat after it's been browned. Put in a crock pot with jelly and mustard. Cook on low for 1-2 hours. Serve warm.

Easy French Bread

I made this while I was getting dinner ready tonight! It is that easy, but super delicious. The recipe is my sister-in-law Brenda's from our family cookbook.

2 1/2 c. Warm Water
2 tbsp. Sugar
2 tbsp. Yeast
2 tsp. Salt
2 tbsp. Oil
5-6 c. Flour

Combine water, sugar and sprinkle yeast on top. Allow to soften. Add oil, 3 cups of flour and salt. Mix well. Add remaining flour until it pulls away from the sides of the mixer. Knead 2-3 minutes. Divide into 2 balls and shape into loaves. Let rise about 30 minutes. With a sharp knife make 3 slashes 1/8 inch deep on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Butter the top when it comes out of the oven.

Christmas Treats

We had fun making treats! I'm not a very good baker so this year I decided to go with mostly candy for my plates of Christmas treats for friends and neighbors. I found some great recipes that will become a holiday tradition, and also used some family recipes that are a tradition already!

Carmels: Grandma Stahle

2 c. Sugar

1 can Evaporated Milk

1 c. Light Karo Syrup

1/8 tsp. Salt

1 c. Butter

1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix together and stir constantly while cooking slowly over medium-low heat. Cook until it forms a firm ball in water (232-245 degrees) about 20 minutes. Take off heat and add vanilla. Pour into buttered glass pan. Let set then cut into small squares.

Tish's Microwave Fudge: click HERE 5 minute super easy and yummy fudge!

Marshmallows from Our Best Bites HERE I made mine with peppermint flavoring (soo good with hot chocolate) and then dipped them in red candy melts and crushed candy canes.

Pretzel Turtles from Our Best Bites HERE So easy and delicious!

Nutter-Butter Santa's:

1 pkg. Nutter-Butter Cookies

1/2 pkg. white Candy Melts or Almond Bark

1/2 pkg. red Candy Melts

small white Marshmallows

shredded coconut

red & black jel icing

Melt white candy melts according to package directions. Take a nutter-butter and dip the top and bottom in to the white chocolate. Dip one side into coconut. Set on wax paper to set. Once all cookies are dipped in white chocolate then coconut and set, melt red candy melts. Dip the non-coconut end of cookie into red chocolate leaving a little bit of the white chocolate showing, to form the hat. Stick a marshmallow on the side and put on wax paper to set. Marshmallow will stick as it cools. Use black and red jel icing to add eyes and a nose. Not hard, just a little time consuming!

Pumpkin Spiced Egg Nog Pancakes

1 Egg

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 1/2 cups Pumpkin Spiced Egg Nog or Regular Egg Nog

3/4 cup White Flour

3/4 cup Wheat Flour

1 tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

2 tablespoons Pumpkin Puree

Beat egg; add soda and Egg Nog. Add remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Add milk if too thick. Pour onto low heat griddle and cook through turning once.

Old Spaghetti Factory's Brown Butter and Myzithra Pasta

Only 3 ingredients! You'll never pay $9.99 for a plate of theirs again after you see how easy it is while serving 4 people for about $5!

1 pkg. Spaghetti Noodles (12-16 oz)
1/4 lb block of Myzithra Cheese--Usually found in the deli/specialty cheese section.
1/2 c. Cold Butter (one stick)

Boil pasta until desired tenderness. Strain. Meanwhile, cut the COLD butter into a few pieces. Place in a cool pan over medium-low heat. Let butter slowly melt. (Cold butter, into a cool pan in the key to make it right!) Once melted, stir every minute until you see it start to brown. The top with get foamy so you really have to watch it. Once it browns, turn the heat off. Add cooked pasta in to the pan. Grate about a 1/2 cup cheese and toss all together. Separate evenly between 4 plates. Grate more cheese on top. Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas- Made w/ leftovers!

A great way to use up leftover chicken and rice!

1/2 Rotisserie Chicken-Shredded

1 cup Rice

1 cup Cheese (or more if you like it really cheesy)

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1 (10 oz) can Green Enchilada Sauce

1 (4 oz) can Diced Green Chilies

12 small Corn Tortillas

Combine shredded chicken, rice, sour cream and green chilies in a bowl with 1/4 can of enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup of cheese. Evenly distribute mixture into the 12 tortillas, roll up, and place in a casserole dish. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top, and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the whole thing. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melty, and the enchiladas are warmed through. About 15-20 minutes.

Serve with Sour Cream, Salsa, Avocado, Olives, and/or Lettuce on top.