Simple Ham Salad

Ok, we need to talk.  Remember when I said, I often make things I don't personally care for, because I just like to make all kinds of things?  This is one.  This was my husbands reason for 2 hams at Easter, I should have known he had a plan.  Ham this, ham that, ham fried, ham ground, ham anything, ham everything!  It's ok, he loves it.  And maybe you will too!  I mean after all, it does take ground ham lovers to make the world go 'round, right?

That being said, I actually enjoy the flavor here.  I just don't care for the consistency.  I used my meat grinder attachment on my mixer, but you could certainly use a food processor and just get it to the consistency that you like.  Maybe you like it a bit more chunky or maybe even (omg I am gonna say this) more mushy. 

How many people write a blog on a recipe they don't care for?  You just remember that, if you ever think for a second I am not honest!  My husband just ate the last of this last night, (thank you Lord) and yet, there were more recipes he wanted to try with this ham.  You will be getting that one later, and I actually liked it!

Anyway, this is just simple, and easy and a good use up for leftover ham if you are into that "make everything leftover into a salad" sort of thing.  God bless her, my mom fits into this category as well.  Any leftover meat became a sandwich spread.  I feel so ill right now.  She did it with goose once. 

If you haven't lost your lunch at this point, from this positive, happy, exciting blog post, we will get on with the VERY SIMPLE recipe that is my husbands favorite ham salad!  Eat it on crackers, as a sandwich, the world is your sandwich friends, make it how you like it!

3 cups ham, ground, chopped fine, etc
1/2 cup mayo (no miracle whip)
2 T. sweet pickle relish

Combine all ingredients.  If you prefer more relish add more, if you prefer less add less.  Maybe start with 1 T. and go from there.  Serve on toasted bread as a sandwich or with crackers as a dip.  You choose!!!

ENJOY!

Rainbow Rose Meringue Cookies

Hello friends!  Just me again, making some more wildly delicious and fun stuff!  Ok, well in my opinion it is ALL that!!  Just more like finding excuses to make meringues.  Any excuse will do, I love them!

These are so easy.  Have you heard all those old wives tales about when to make meringues and when not too?  Never on a humid or rainy day?  It might be true, I am just saying, I made mine on a humid rainy day and they turned out perfectly.  I am not saying the old wives are wrong, I am just saying, they were wrong about my superhuman abilities, that's all. 

These will brighten up anyone's day, so make them, and share them with someone who needs some cheer!  Or let's be real, keep them for yourself because you know since they are mostly air, they have no calories.  I mean that is what I heard, so I am just sayin......R

PS.  Don't throw those yolks away kids, use them, for some pastry cream or homemade egg noodles!

3 egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
red, blue and yellow food colors
pastry bag
Wilton 1M tip

In a very CLEAN metal or glass bowl, being to whip your egg whites.  Wipe them until they become foamy.  No peaks yet, just good and foamy.  Add in your granulated sugar and cream of tartar and whip until you have soft peaks.  Add in vanilla and continue to whip your egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. 

In 3 bowls, divide your meringue evenly.  Color on red, one blue and one yellow.  Or, use any colors you like!  Carefully fold in the coloring so you don't lose all the fluffy air in the whites.

Now using a 1m tip and a large pastry bag or Ziploc bag, cut off the corner and insert tip.  Roll the bag clear down and add one spoonful of each color at a time, then move up the cuff and add more.  This will give you more rainbow, and less of one color blob at a time.  Get it?  Yes, I said color "blob". 

Now with your baking sheets lined with either parchment or silicone mates, pipe out a rose shape.  Working in circles from the center out.  I yielded about 16 cookies, but it depends on the size of roses you make and you can do other shapes as well. 

Bake at 195 degrees F for 1 hr. 30 minutes.  Rotate the pans half way through.  When the time is up, turn the oven off and crack the door open.  Let cool to room temperature. 

ENJOY!



 



Adapted from CherryLanesCupcakes

Cheesesteak Roll Ups

Hey friends!  Hope this finds you all happy, and hungry!  I am so happy spring is here, it just sheds a whole new light on life, doesn't it?

I have been craving cheesesteaks from home.  Yes Midwesterners they are cheesesteaks,  not Phillies.  The Phillies are my favorite baseball team but, cheese steaks are what you eat my friends!  LOL  I had to get that in there.

I decided to work my cheesesteak a different way.  These are so easy, they can be made ahead and they so "fancy Nancy".  Your friends and family will think you about killed yourself making them.  I wanted to find a use for minute/cube steaks other than chicken fried steak, which is literally all I use them for.  I served these with crusty seasoned bread and some Parmesan pasta and it was a hit! 

If you want to half the recipe please just half everything, I was cooking for company so I used 8 steaks.

You will need:
8 minute steaks
olive oil
2 small onions sliced thin
4 bell peppers sliced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
8 sliced of provolone cheese
8 slices of white American (which is actually an American and Swiss blend)
You can use double of one if you don't want both.

In a separate dish mix together:
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
black pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray, set aside.  In a large skillet add in your drizzle of olive oil.  Now toss in your onions and peppers. 

Let sauté for 3-5 minutes, then add in the Italian seasoning. garlic and salt.  Cook another 2 minutes and remove from heat.  Let cool 10 minutes. 

In the meantime, take your cubed steaks and using a meat mallet, pound them a bit thinner.  Yes, I am serious, just a wee bit.  Now take each steak, add the cheese to the middle, and some of your onion and pepper mixture and roll it up.  You don't need to toothpick it or anything, just repeat with all steaks.  Now sprinkle with your little seasoning blend of Italian seasoning, salt and pepper!

If you end up with leftover filling, put it in a bowl and save it for the top.  Use the same skillet to brown your roll ups for about 2 minutes on each side until browned.  Remove and place into your baking dish.

Place any leftover filling on top and bake for 25-30 minutes!!
-

I hope you give them a try!

Enjoy!

Mom's Hashbrown Casserole

Hello friends.  You might not believe it, but it is Easter.  The kids have gone home, dishes are done, dessert is calling me, again, and I am blogging.  Not because I have to, but because, I wanted to share a dish with you I made and tell you about my Easter.

Two of our three grandchildren were here, and the Easter bunny hooked them up.  What fun to do Easter with the littles again!  All dressed in their Easter best, and just the delight of the get together after church!  This is by far my favorite Christian holiday, it means so much to me.  It just made it perfect to have our children and almost all of our grandchildren with us.  I hope that if you celebrate Easter, you enjoyed the day with those you love, family, friends, whoever!  We couldn't have asked for more, Jesus, beautiful weather, laughter or more food!!

Speaking of which, the reason we are here.  This is just a basic hash brown casserole that my mom has made for years, now my sister makes, and this year I made.  I know I have had lots of versions of it, but this is mine and it is delicious and SUPER EASY.  You can choose to add 1/4 cup minced onions, we don't groove on onions in this dish so, I use onion powder.  IF you do add the onion, sauté it in butter for approx. 2-4 minutes first.  I just wanted you to know, the choice is yours.   For the record my sister ALWAYS uses onions.  She always has to be different!

You will need
1lb bag of frozen hash browns (shredded or cubed)
1/2 cup butter, melted
16 oz. sour cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (maybe a little extra for the top)
1 tbsp. onion powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black or white pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Your hash browns can be thawed or not, it makes no difference.  In a huge bowl literally mix everything together.  It is that simple.  Spray your 9x13 pan with non stick cooking spray OR butter it and then pour the completely combined mixture into your pan.  Bake for 60-90 minutes. 

PS Everything tastes more like mom's in her old pan she handed down to me!💗

ENJOY!

Food Truck Baked Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Evening!  I hope you are experiencing the same FABULOUS temps we are!  Spring has sprung, and I couldn't be happier.  Spring is my favorite season, so I am a happy girl!

These sandwiches.  Oh these sandwiches.  Some of my all time favorites.  At a previous place of employment in Jersey, every day around 11 the same food truck would come park outside, (we had a different name for it) and they would have these ham and cheese sandwiches.  They had a tiny bit of a mustard-ish sauce and they were wrapped in foil and I KNOW they had been in that oven for hours, maybe days, God only know but they were SO SO SO SO GOOD!

This is my version of them at home.  Now, I don't know whether this is a real recipe persay, or just a method.  I mean you can change the cheese, the meat, the sauce, but this is MY baked ham and cheese so I am giving you the ingredients I use.  As I always say, the world is your sandwich, make it how you like it!

I am pleased to announce I have found white American cheese in Nebraska.  Oddly, it isn't all American at all, it is an American/Swiss hybrid and it tastes just like WaWa white American cheese used to taste! ACK, I am in heaven.  I literally have a gigantor size square log of it pre sliced, ready for my enjoyment at any moment of the day!

I made 4 sandwiches, but obviously adjust to how many you need.  Such a great quick weeknight or weekend meal and I don't see any problem putting these on your grill either!  Make them all at once, perfect!

For the sauce you will need:
1/4 cup mustard (yellow or Dijon)
1=2 tsp. mayo

Just combine ingredients together in a small bow and set aside.

4 hoagie buns
8 thin slices of ham (if you use shaved that is fine, just get as much as you will want for 4 sammies)
8 slices of white American cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Slice rolls in half length wise.  Slather sauce on one side of the bun. Then  bend a slice cheese in half and use them length wise to cover the bun. 

Add two pieces of ham folded in half. 

Add another slice of halved cheese and put the tops on!  Roll each sandwich in a piece of foil and place on a cookie sheet, and put into your preheated oven for 25-40 minutes.  You can check them at 25 but you want them crispy, crusty and ooey, gooey melty cheese. 

Enjoy these yummy delights!!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Bark

Uh huh.  That's what it says in the title.  This recipe is a chocolate/peanut butter lovers dream.  I qualify, and apparently, after eating nearly this entire batch over the course of 3 days, my son qualifies as well!  HA!   It never gets old, no matter how old your kids get, seeing them enjoy something you make.  Am I right?  Or am I right?

I have seen this recipe so many places, I can name a few here, but a lot on Pinterest and then two YouTube channels I subscribe to most recently, they are Tammy over at Yoyomax12 and Lynn at Lynn's Recipes.  When I saw it, I thought how easy it looked, how fancy Nancy it looked and how flipping GOOD it looked!  I had to try it. 

Now, you can opt for any chocolate on the bottom.  I opted for semi sweet, I used chocolate chips which some don't recommend but let me tell you it turned out perfectly for me.  With the chocolate chips there is just ONE little trick.  Heat it for 30 seconds at a time and stir well, you ideally do not want to overheat the chocolate so mix it well every 30 seconds, so the heat of the bowl and the already melted chips will melt what is in there more.  If you overheat the chips you are done.  Ok?  Btw, the semi sweet, balanced all of the milk chocolate perfectly, not disgustingly sweet, but, still fairly sweet.

I made a "larger" batch, I would say double what most of the recipes call for.  I definitely see, taking this as an edible gift in the future, because it is that good.  In a decorative little box, oh yea, this will be a fun gift! 

Here is what you will need:

parchment paper
1 8oz. bag of Reese's minis
12 oz. bag of semi sweet chocolate chips (or whatever kind you choose)
6 ounces of peanut butter chips (about half of any bag)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Melt semisweet chocolate, slowly, take your time or you will ruin it!  When it is melted spread as thick or thin as you would like it.  Mine turned out to cover the better part of my cookie sheet. 

 

Next, working fairly quickly, melt your peanut butter chips.  Using the same method as the chocolate.  Drop spoonful's all over the chocolate you have melted and using a skewer, toothpick or butter knife, swirl the peanut butter around.  Be careful to make sure it maintains the swirled look and not so mixed up it looks like mud!!

 

 

Now take your mini peanut butter cups and cover the top, just drop them on, sort of evenly, you can always move them round.  Then, take your hand and press them down to so adhere into the chocolate and peanut butter!

And here is what you will end up with!  Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to make sure it is good and set.  Then break into pieces and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.  You can leave it out while serving as well, it will stay hard.  (unless it is super hot).  No worries, to be honest, it won't last that long!

Enjoy this simple, sinful treat!

PS.  Don't worry about the peanut butter and chocolate on my fingers.  When I was done I went ahead and licked it off!

Lemon Crunch Cake

Evening friends!  I hope you are all enjoying the beginning of spring!  Easter is quickly approaching, I can't believe it, the time just flies!!!

I wanted to share this cake with you.  I admittedly am not a fan of lemon in a savory sense, I can stand it in a sweet application but at the same time lemonade is my favorite beverage.  Go figure right?  If you say lemon pepper, I immediately want to gag, and if you mention lemon meringue, I gag twice.  It is so tart, so strong, so overpowering to me.  BUT.....not this cake.

This cake is my dream lemon cake.  We have a sweet lemony creamy flavor.  Nothing to strong, but definitely lemon.  I thought it was a perfect cake for spring, or an Easter dessert.  I intended for this cake to be 4 layers, but, a small catastrophic even occurred and it ended up 2 layers.  Feel free to divide those babies and make it 4!  There aren't many textures that have been left out of this one, and the crunch cookies just make my day man, they, make....my....day!

It is funny how when you don't like something you don't use it a lot for baking or cooking.  I noticed I wasn't pleasing any lemon loving  readers and I needed to give you some love.  With that said, I hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as I do!

This is written out a bit odd.  I feel like it is a bit of an odd day and it appears to have translated in my post.  I broke it down into the cake, the filling and the icing as far as directions.  So you will have to see under each, what ingredients you will need. 

Enjoy a lemony great day!


For the cake you will need:
1 lemon cake mix
1 3.4 oz. pkg of instant lemon pudding

Follow the directions on the cake mix, plus adding the pudding powder.  Mix until combined and pour half into each of your well greased, 9 inch round cake pans.  Bake according to package suggestions and then leave to cool for at least 30 minutes.

For the FILLING you will need:
1 3.4 oz. package lemon pudding
1 cup milk
lg package of lemon sandwich cookies (Oreos or store brand) you will need about 10 cookies for the filling

In a bowl combine pudding and milk, mix until smooth and combined.  Stir in about 10 cookies, crunched up into chunks.  Or you can put them on top of the filling. 

For the FROSTING you will need:
1 stick of softened butter
1 lb. confectioners sugar, powdered or icing sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

Mix until combined and then set on medium speed of your stand or hand mixer and let it rip for about 3-5 minutes. 

Take the rest of your lemon sandwich cookies and place into your food processor and process until they are fine crumbs. You can also place them in a sandwich bag and use a rolling pin to get them into fine crumbs.  You want FINE crumbs, trust me.

ASSEMBLY!

Place your first layer of  cake on your cake plate or serving plate.  If it is really domed on top you can trip the dome off.  Spread your pudding filling on top and then sprinkle over the roughly chopped cookies.  Or if you combined them, spread the whole thing over. 

Place your second cake, domed side up on top.  Start icing your cake.  I like to put a lot on top and work it down the sides.  You don't have to worry about perfection, as we will be covering the entire thing in cookie crumbs!  Place your crumbs on a large baking sheet, take some in your hand and carefully press them into the sides and top of the cake.  You have to find what works best for your.  You can always clean the crumbs off when you are done but give them a good press into the icing.

When you have covered the whole cake in crumbs, feel free to leave it as is, place a lemon twist or slice on top or use a few cookies and some fresh whipped heavy cream to decorate the top.  The choice is yours!

Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. 

ENJOY!