Grilled Mango-Glazed Ham

Tasty, tasty!! This was a wonderful combination of flavors!



Grilled Mango-Glazed Ham
Taste of home

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
1 medium ripe mango or 2 medium ripe peaches, peeled and cut into wedges
1 bone-in fully cooked lean ham steak (about 2 pounds)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, jalapeno and ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until glaze is thick and caramelized. Strain and cool. Place mango in a food processor or blender; cover and process until smooth. Stir into glaze; set aside.
Coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Sprinkle both sides of ham steak with pepper. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 10 minutes on each side or until heated through. Brush both sides of ham with mango glaze; grill 5 minutes longer. Serve ham with remaining glaze. Yield: 8 servings.

FISH FRY!!

Yummy! This was a delicious change of pace for us! Hubby found a recipe for oven fried catfish and asked me to try it out. I am so glad I did! I paired it up with apple and cabbage coleslaw, hush puppies and corn on the cob. Can't beat that!

Apple Cabbage Slaw
tasteofhome.com
Ingredients:
6 cups shredded cabbage
3 medium red apples, chopped
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons grated onion
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
Dash pepper
Directions:
In a large bowl, toss the cabbage and apples. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 10 servings. (I like to add a bit of shredded carrots in)



Brush both sides of fish with lemon juice and pat dry. dip in milk, roll in breadcrumbs or cornflakes, pressing the crumbs gently into fish. spread one tablespoon of vegetable oil in baking dish, place fish in pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until tender and flakes easily. (i liked the breadcrumbs, but am anxious to try the cornflakes next time!)
The fish before being "oven fried"

The complete meal....

German Brats.....My,My

First, I would like to say that, yes, we do eat other things besides pork! LOL...lately the other things I have been making, I have already posted about. So I have been saving up my new stuff to show you.

German Brats were a hit the first time I made them for the family! Simple and fairly quick, they are rich and delicious. I served them with cheesy au gratin potatoes, green beans and corn.

German Brats
Taste of Home
Serves 5

4 bacon strips, diced
5 uncooked bratwurst
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon white wine or additional chicken broth
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon celery seed


DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels (save for another use). Drain, reserving 4 tablespoons drippings. In the drippings, cook bratwurst for 10-15 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. Drain skillet.
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and broth until smooth; set aside. Add the mustard, brown sugar, wine or additional broth, vinegar and celery seed to skillet; cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is hot and bubbly.
Gradually add cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened. Return bratwurst to the pan; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until glazed. Yield: 5 servings.

Making the sauce






Au gratin potatoes
tasteofhome.com

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
5 cups thinly sliced peeled potatoes (about 6 medium)
1/2 cup chopped onion
Directions:
In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. Add potatoes and onion; stir well.
Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover; bake 30-40 minutes longer or until the potatoes are tender. Yield: 6-8 servings.

100th post...or sort of...

As customary here is my 100 things for my 100th post...is it 100 or am I late by 1 or 2?

Anyhoo...

1. I do not sleep outdoors.....
2. My idea of roughing it is Motel 6
3. I do not eat the ends of french fries....(didn't realize I was weird, did ya?)
4. I do not like the weather here in the summer...too sticky and humid
5. I like chocolate ice cream
6. I always wanted a tattoo...but too chicken
7. So chicken that my ears are not pierced
8. I am addicted to coffee and have considered starting a program at the local community center
9. There is always a book near me
10. I do not like ricotta cheese...very important thing to know about me
11. I sunburn in less than 20 minutes in the sun...SPF 55 for me
12. I am now realizing that 100 things may be too much for me....
13. I want to see Sex and The City movie.....can I talk hubby into it?
14. or will I have to go to Texas and go with my BFF
15. I want to go back to college
16. Before I die I would like to live in New York for at least a year
17. And London
18. I would pack up right now if we were offered the chance to live in Alaska...not humid there I bet
19. I hate spiders
20. I want to get a puppy
21. Laundry is fun for me...but I refuse to iron
22. Seriously I have not ironed since 1997 when I burned my favorite shirt...
23. Hubby is okay with that..hehehehe
24. I have a favorite pair of shoes and dress that I wear when I feel especially good about my self....doesn't every girl have that?
25. i have secretly wanted to be a photographer for a long time
26. once when i was a teenager my four year old cousin insisted I take him trick or treating at Halloween
27 So did, I dressed up as Mickey Mouse and took him to the mall
28 luckily his parent came along, the other visitors thought i had been hired by the mall and had me take pictures with their kids...after an hour I realized I should have started charging a dollar a pic....
29. I still have not seen Gone With The Wind
30. I love Italian food
31. And Thai food
32. i love to cook...did I already mention that?
33. I feel naked and exposed if my toenails arenot painted...regardless if I am wearing sandals or tennis shoes
34. I am allergic to bananas
35. I have ordered a banana split without the banana, just to see the clerks reaction
36. which was...."you want ice cream though,right?"


And now for questions from my peers:



from Pam at Random Thoughts

questions: What do you like most about each of your kids? hubby?
I love that my daughter has a natural grace. She has been in ballet for 4 years now. I have always received comments from her teacher that she is a natural at it. She is graceful in nature and it often shows in little things she does for us. Picking flowers for me, organizing dad's bookshelves after Jaxson has played in them, and entertaining Jaxson if he is being gooberish.
My son is a ball of energy, and although that can be tiring, it is also endearing. He loves to play and I am enjoying the time that I am the one he wants to play with!

hubby.....where do i start? He is amazing. I could not ask for a better husband and father. He is my helpmate in the true sense of the word. We often pick up where the other left off. If I make dinner, he cleans the kitchen. If he had a bad day at work, he is greeted with his favorite meal and dessert....He is very logical and practical. Some people find this annoying and boring. For me it is comforting and I know our family is taken care of.

how did you and hubby meet? We met while working in a call center for cellular service. Neither wanted the job in particular but at least we found each other! (And new jobs...lol)

what is your dream vacation? First, it would be a dream to get a vacation with just hubby. My dream vacation with the kids would be Disneyland. Dream vacation with hubby would be anywhere...London, Ireland, ANYWHERE!

if you had a super power, what would it be? I would want to be able to form a bubble around my family and friends from the bad things in the world. Sickness, hate and anything that would be bring them pain.

from Reluctant housewife
Questions: What is your all-time favourite recipe?
My favorite All Time Recipe would be my grandmother's BBQ chicken. Whenever I make it, I am overwhelmed with memories.

And what your favourite meal when you were a kid?
Spaghetti!!!!


I know...not a hundred...sigh...but the kids are begging to go outside and I am uncomfortable sending them out without me...hey that's another one!
Anyhoo...if you have more questions...please feel free to ask and i will update the post with the answers!

Cheers for now!

Grandma's Chicken...shhhh it's a secret

My Grandmother's Chicken is legendary. She was one of five siblings and all the girls would make this dish when company came calling. It was secret for a long time. (Largely do to the lack of cooking interest among my cousins) I however finally got the recipe from my great aunt before she passed away. It is really simple and I was shocked by the "secret ingredients"
I usually make a huge package of drumsticks (my family's favorite) bu for company I will 2-3 pounds of chicken thighs, drumsticks and sometimes breast. We like a dark meat here! First you season flour with salt an pepper, dredge your chicken pieces and fry them in oil, just until lightly browned. Line a 13x9 baking dish with foil and place your browned chicken in it. (If making a huge batch, you made need another baking dish!) In a large bowl make the "secret sauce" the biggest bottle of Kraft Original BBQ, 1/3 to 1/2 cup of brown sugar, a dollop of prepared mustard and a squirt or two of ketchup.....no kidding those were her instructions...lol.
Bake in 275 degree oven for 2-2 1/2 hours, basting once half way through with remaining sauce. It is fall off the bone tender! We love it. It is pretty involved so I only do it a few times a year. The sauce has never tasted the same twice! But it is always good.

I also make up my mother's whipped potato salad. 2-3 pounds of potatoes. Prepare as you would mashed potatoes, mixing with hand mixer. Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup mayo, 1 to 2 teaspoons of prepared mustard and 1/4 cup of sweet relish. My family doesn't write much down....but it is always good. The best way to follow these recipes (as I have learned) is to taste as you go. It is always easier to add something than to take it out!

I also served it with green beans and fresh corn on the cob. Here is a pic of hubby and the kids shucking corn! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Another pork dish...but oh so good!

When BBQ doesn't quite right and the grill is out of commision..(sheesh)...what's a girl to do with those pork spareribs???



This is heavenly! My family loves it, yup, even the kids! I served mine with steamed zucchini and yellow squash.


Sparerib Casserole
Taste of home
6 servings

4 to 5 pounds pork spareribs, cut into individual ribs
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
6 cups cubed potatoes
1 medium onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Sprinkle ribs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a large skillet, brown ribs in 3 tablespoons oil in batches. Place ribs on a rack in shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Turn ribs; bake 20 minutes longer. Pat dry.
Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water; cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute onion and garlic in remaining oil until tender. Stir in the flour, parsley, and remaining salt and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Drain potatoes; place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Top with sauce and ribs. Cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with paprika. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until ribs are tender and potatoes are heated through