Let's Chit Chat

Pams Hams on WXYZ tv on Easter morn

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:36:00 +0000

If you have left-over ham and four minutes, check out the video below for simple instructions for making a ham strata (breakfast casserole.) One of the best things about this casserole is that you probably have every ingredient in your kitchen cupboard already. In addition to the ham, it's made with just white bread, eggs, cheddar cheese and a dash of mustard. You can also add some color by putting some left-over veggies in - we used asparagas.

(if you have trouble loading the below vid, you can also find it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuxrmgTvBVI)

The recipe itself is also on our website at http://www.pams-hams.com/ham-strata-recipe.html

Homestyle Baked Pork Chops

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:15:00 +0000

In the list of entrees that are simple to prepare and taste like "mommy used to make", baked pork chops definitely tops the list. This is one of those recipes that everyone makes but you may have forgotten to put it into the rotation recently. Give it another try - my husband loves it.

Baked Pork Chop Ingredients
2 lbs. pork chops (give or take)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup coke
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 t. spices - I use onion and garlic
1 t. margarine

Baked Pork Chop Instructions
Mix the ketchup, coke and brown sugar. Set aside. Mix the flour and spices in a plastic bag. Shake the pork chops in the bag. Brown the pork chops in the margarine and then place them in a baking pan with the coke, ketchup mixture. Bake 350 for about an hour. If time permits, I usually do 325 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours to be sure they remain tender.

Mom would be so proud!

Cooking Corned Beef Couldn't Be Simpler

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:09:00 +0000

With St. Patrick's Day right around the corner, you can find good corned beef at every grocery store and meat market. By now, many are even on sale making this not only an incredibly easy dinner but also a pretty economical one.

You know that I love to eat but don't like to cook complicated meals. My families favorite foods resemble those our mom's used to make. That is why making corned beef is right up my alley!

The most foolproof way to prepare corned beef is to put it in a crock pot on low for 8 - 10 hours. Cover with either beer or water and make sure to use the little spice packet that comes with the meat. DONE! It's that easy.

As far as serving it, we love it with cabbage, potatoes and carrots on the first night. I cook the corned beef overnight and then use the liquid (from the corned beef) to cook the veggies on low for 8 hours in the crock pot the next day. If you don't have time for that, I'd still recommend using the crock pot for the meat but you could cook the veggies on the stove top using the liquid. Wedges of cabbage should take about 15 minutes, small red skin potatoes or cut pieces of larger potatoes are closer to 30 minutes. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to medium/medium-low.

Equally tasty is corned beef sandwiches the next day. Use a good onion roll, some swiss cheese and thousand island dressing for the best flavor. Serving with cole slaw on the side or on the sandwich is messy but worth it. No thousand island on hand, just mix a little mayo with some relish and a dab of ketchup.

Yes, I'm Irish and so are my little red heads but no luck is needed for this festive St. Patrick's Day dinner.

Silly Tip of the Day - Cooking Squash

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:44:00 +0000

I am a big fan of squash - acorn, spaghetti, butternut - you name it. They are not only good for you (antioxidant, beta-carotene, vitamins A and C), but they are extremely easy to cook. You just need to allow yourself ample time and they will be perfect. Cook them even longer - still perfect. You've got to love that.

My biggest problem has always been cutting them in half. The winter variety squashes have a very hard shell so I was always fearful that I'd lob off a digit while trying to prepare them for the oven.

Here's the trick - cook them for about 20 minutes BEFORE you try to cut them. Put about a half inch of water in the bottom of the pan and cook at 350. You'll need a hot pad when you're cutting them but will find that the knife goes right through the partially cooked squash. Then you can remove the seeds, place the squash face down in the pan (with water) and cook the remainder of the way. I usually cook them another 30 -40 minutes at 350. We put a little butter/margarine and brown sugar inside and place them right-side-up for the last 10 minutes.

I mean seriously - if your mom doesn't tell you this stuff - how the heck do you figure it out? Seems like a silly thing to blog about but I'm excited to have squash in my weekly rotation again.

Tasty Hamburger in Sour Cream Sauce

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:56:00 +0000

I guess this is a simplified and kid friendly version of beef stroganoff. Serve over noodles or rice for a simple weekday dinner. My ten year old loved it except the mushrooms so I'll probably eliminate those for the next 8 years or so!

Kid Friendly Beef Stroganoff Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chuck
2 T. minced garlic
1 package dry gravy mix
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
4 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
6 oz. mushrooms (or not in my case)
(rice or noodles)

Instructions:
Brown ground chuck with garlic until fully cooked. Mix all other ingredients, stir together and heat.

When a Glazed Ham Really Isn't

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:34:00 +0000

Since I sell a fabulous spiral ham with a crunchy sweet glaze on top, I find myself purchasing other products that have similar labeling. This past Christmas, my neighborhood gourmet grocer sold a glazed spiral ham in their refrigerated bin so I gave it a try.

It appears the USDA does not have any labeling rules on the word glazed because that ham had neither a visible glaze coating nor a separate glaze packet. This ham may be fine for some that plan on embellishing it themselves, but for those that thought they had a simple meal solution, they were inevitably disappointed.

A good rule of thumb might be that a ham with a crunchy glaze on it sold at a market or grocery store should probably be in a box. It would make sense that the crispy glaze would crack too much if it was thrown around in a bin with the other hams.

And don't even get me started on meat quality!

I Highly Recommend the Green Bags

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:25:00 +0000

Have you tried the green bags yet - the ones that are supposed to keep your fruit and vegetables fresh for longer? They really do work! According the the package, they work by absorbing and removing the ethylene gas that fruits, veggies (and fresh flowers) produce.

Mary convinced me to get them because she did her own experiment with bananas. She bought two bunches at the same time and placed one of the bunches in the green bag. It lasted 5 days longer than the other bunch bought on the same day. That was enough for me and I've been using them ever since. I haven't done any experiments but I do know that I've been using up my fruit instead of throwing it away.

Since the package I bought had 20 in it (10 large and 10 small), I passed a couple along to Lynda so now she can tell two friends...

Peppermint Bark Makes Good Use of all Those Leftover Candy Canes

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:52:00 +0000

I had some yummy peppermint bark at Kelly's house during the pre-holiday snow day. I'm neither a peppermint fan nor a white chocolate fan so it was surprising to me how addicting that bark was for me. I've since then discovered that you can subsitute dark chocolate (or a swirl of the white and the dark). I may eat the entire batch myself if I had that combination in front of me.

We have at least 20 extra candy canes floating around here post-holiday so my family and friends will be enjoying lots of peppermint bark a la Coles.

You know my preference is toward homemade simple foods but this one has to top the charts for simplicity. And think how much you're saving instead of buying it at a specialty store!

Simple Peppermint Bark Recipe
1 package white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips (or half a bag of each if you want to swirl)
4 crushed candy canes
1 T. peppermint extract (not mint -PEPPERMINT - otherwise it'll taste like toothpaste)

Instructions: melt chocolate chips per package instructions. I did mine in the microwave and it took less than 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on it though as microwave temps vary. Once melted, stir in the peppermint extract. Spread it out on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Place (or smush would be a more descriptive term) the crushed peppermint into the peppermint chocolate mixture. Place in a freezer - or outside if it's cold enough - for about 10 minutes to harden. Then just break it apart and start eating.

Also makes a great food gift. Buy some of those tins 80% off after the holiday and plan to make this next year.

Special Sugar Cookies Recipe

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:25:00 +0000

Another great recipe idea from the gals at Curves. This one is for a sugar cookie with candy bar filling. Delicious and easy to make any time of year, this recipe can also be an extra special homemade holiday gift from the kids. Wouldn't grandma just love something the kids made themselves? And to top it off, it actually tastes as good as it looks (or better!)

You can make this with your favorite sugar cookie recipe but we made it extra simple for the kids by buying a tube of the premade sugar cookies. I cut the cookie dough into 12 circles and then the kids did the rest.

NOTE: Since we made these just for ourselves, we used the dough as-is which means it will spread out into a flat cookie. With the chocolate inside, it looks a bit like a sombrero. If you want to make it into a pretty ball, you need to add about 1/2 cup flour to the dough first.

Special Sugar Cookie Ingredients:
One 16 oz. tube sugar cookie dough
12 miniature (the really small square ones) chocolate candies (we used milky way)
Colored sugar (optional)

Special Sugar Cookie Instructions:
Cut the tube of cookie dough into twelve rounds. Place the candy in the middle of the cookie dough and then wrap the dough around the chocolate to hide it. Optional - roll in colored sugar for a festive holiday look. Bake according to the instructions on your sugar cookie dough. (approx. 350 for 12 minutes). COOL BEFORE EATING as the center will be hot and gooey.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Great for Thanksgiving

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:46:00 +0000

We needed to make a dish with pumpkin in it for a fourth grade Thanksgiving celebration so we whipped up my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe. I, personally, don't even like pumpkin but really like this bread. If you have kids over for Thanksgiving and don't think they'll enjoy a pumpkin pie, try this out. It can be your new tradition!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Ingredients:
Dry ingredients:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda

Other ingredients:
1 stick butter room temp
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin (from a can)
1 t. vanilla
1/3 cup milk (I used skim)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Use flour based Pam (or grease and flour) two metal loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Combine other ingredients and use an electric mixer to mix them up in this order; butter first, then sugar, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, milk and dry ingredients. Then stir in (by hand) the chocolate chips.

Cook about 55 minutes or until loaf feels firm and a knife comes out of the center clean (or with just melted chocolate!)

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Baked Pork Chops with Stuffing and Apples

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:27:00 +0000

Another simple recipe from the gals at Curves. Nothing like talking food while you're working it off! This is compliments of Sherry's sister and is a simple three ingredient meal (four if you count the margargine!) As usual with these conversational recipes, the amounts aren't really discussed but you'll get the general idea.

Baked Pork Chops Ingredients:
1 package pork chops
1 can apple pie filling
1 box corn bread stuffing mix

Baked Pork Chop Instructions:
Brown the pork chops on both sides in a frying pan. Make the box of corn bread stuffing mix. (mine required margarine and water) Layer in a baking dish, apple pie filling, browned pork chops and pre-cooked corn bread stuffing. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with a green vegetable or salad and you have a full meal.

Thanks Sherry. Can't wait to try the next one.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie a la Kristin

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:06:00 +0000

When discussing the simple lasagne recipe, Kristin told me about her easy family favorite chicken pot pie recipe. It too is a snap to make and truely enjoyed the the whole family. It's a great way to use up leftover turkey or chicken too. She didn't have any specific quantities so this is showing how I made it. Like most of these homemade recipes, they taste even better when you add your own flair. For instance, if you like more chicken, add it. If you prefer different veggies, go for it. This is what I did to use as a guide.

Chicken Pot Pie Ingredients:
Crust ingredients: 1 tube of buttermilk biscuits, 1/2 t. each parmesan, basil, and parsley

Pot Pie ingredients: cooked chopped chicken or turkey(I used about a cup)
one can of cream of chicken or mushroom soup
veggies (about one cup from bag of frozen veggies)

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Instructions:
Chop each biscuit into quarters. Put all the quartered raw biscuits into a baggie with cheese and spices and shake. Bake according to biscuit instructions (minus a few minutes )

Warm the chicken, veggie, soup mixture on top of the stove. When warm, place in a casserole dish. Put the biscuit pieces on top. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Lasagne that is Simpler than Simple

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:40:00 +0000

The gals at Curves were discussing this recipe and it came out great. The prep time is 5 minutes which is unheard of for real lasagne and the results of this faux lasagne are just as good. It is also easy to modify based on personal preference. Here's how I did it:

Lasagne (faux lasagne) Ingredients:
1 Two pound bag of frozen ravioli
1 jar spaghetti sauce
16 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pound cooked ground chuck

Instructions for Faux Lasagne:
Cook ravioli according to instructions on the bag. (The type I used cooked at 400 for 40 minutes). Once the ravioli is cooked, layer sauce, cooked ravioli, hamburger, cheese, cooked ravioli, cheese. Cook at 400 for 30 minutes covered and then 10 minutes uncovered.

Sherry made it with an extra 8 oz. of cheese because she likes hers extra cheesy and she didn't put in any hamburger. Some of the other gals thought some slivered vegetables added to the sauce would add a healthy flare. Whatever your preference, go for it since the main part is this easy! Bon Appetit.

Split Pea Soup made with ham from pams-hams

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:29:00 +0000

One of the very best things about ham is the versatility. Not only is it great for dinner and sandwiches, but it's fabulous in soup. After we had ours for dinner several times, I used the ham bone to make split pea soup. I used Wendy's recipe which she calls Walters Alpine Split Pea Soup. Only substitution is that I used a pack of Lysanders split pea soup mix instead of the Manischewitz that her recipe called for.

I like the instructions on this. It makes sense whether you have more beans or less.

Split Pea Soup Recipe Ingredients
1 package Lysanders split pea soup mix (peas plus a flavoring package.)
2 extra packages of split peas (Wendy used 3 - you need a BIG pot if you use 3)
1 large onion chopped fine
5 medium carrots chopped fine - or substitute shaved carrots
1 ham bone - preferrably from pams hams!

Split Pea Soup Recipe Instructions
Wash and sort peas. Cover with water in large pot and soak for 2 hours. Remove dry powder from the pea soup mix. Add all the other ingredients and cover with 1 inch of water. Cook 2 to 2 1/2 hours stirring often. Add salt and pepper plus more water as necessary.

When peas are dissolved, remove the ham bone and blend the soup with an electric mixer until kinda smooth. Trim the ham bone and add the chopped ham to the soup. Add the dry powder from the mix a little at a time to taste. (I used the whole thing.)

It was awesome on day one and even better on day two. Thanks Wendy (and Walter?)

Simple Seasonal Brownie Recipe

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:01:00 +0000

OK- it's not really a " brownie recipe" as much a tip to make a great batch of brownies with a seasonal twist. We needed to bring a dish to Chellie's annual Halloween bash and were short on time and inspiration. Since we had a couple boxes of brownie mix in the cupboard, that was the dish. But here's the fun part...

In order to spruce them up a bit, we drizzled caramel on the top of each brownie and put a candy corn for decoration. And it was so easy, the kids had a great time doing it too.

The real trick for this easy recipe was not only using the boxed brownies but using the caramel apple wraps for the caramel. You know the ones that are already flattened and stretched to the size of an apple? (love them for the apples too!) We cut those into about 16 pieces per box of brownie. Once the brownies were cooked, cooled and cut, we placed the caramel pieces on top and put under the broiler for about one minute. Then while the caramel was still sticky, we placed the candy corn in the middle. So cute, so easy and so immediately gobbled up by party gremlins big and small. Try it!

Chicken 2 Ways - Chicken Noodle Soup and Baked Chicken

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:48:00 +0000

Now that the weather has turned, I'm back to cooking homemade easy comfort foods in the oven and crock pot. I love to come into the house when there is something slowly cooking in the kitchen. It feels like mom is cooking for me.

One of the quintessential comfort foods is baked chicken. It is so popular they sell it already cooked at just about every grocery store in the land now. If you don't have time to make one, you can buy it and it will taste great to you because someone else cooked it!

I find that the pre-cooked ones are usually on the small side (... like a good sized cornish hen!) so I try to cook my own if time allows. Plus, you can often get a good sized whole roaster chicken on sale for about $5 whereas the pre-cooked smaller ones are closer to $8.

There really is nothing to it. Two main tips - one, remove giblet bag!! and two, when in doubt, over cook it. Nothing worse than raw chicken.

Baked Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:
1 unstuffed whole chicken (giblets removed)
2 T. favorite seasoning
2 T. butter

Baked Chicken Recipe Instructions: Remove giblet bag. Rinse the inside cavity of the chicken. (Gross part is now over). Sprinkle the outside of the chicken with your favorite seasoning (mine is italian seasoning) and then spritz with spray butter. Bake, breast side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Ideally, you should put on a rack in the pan so the chicken doesn't stew in it's juices - but I just drain it regularly. (Keep the juices for your soup though).

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes per pound. A meat thermometer in the thickest part should read 185 or the juices should run clear when you cut the thickest part.

Homemade Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
Chopped cooked chicken (leftovers from the baked chicken)
1/3 of a 16 oz. bag of egg noodles
Juices from the baked chicken
2 15 oz. cans chicken broth (or chicken bouillon and water)
20 mini carrots chopped (or to taste)
Magi liquid seasoning - about 20 squirts or to taste

Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe Instructions: Combine all ingredients except noodles. Bring soup to a boil and add noodles. Cook about 10 minutes.

This is so easy to make that you can cure your own cold. I have many times bought the pre-cooked chicken simply to make this soup for myself. Almost as good as having mom make it...

Fresh Salmon and More Kid Parties

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:54:00 +0000

Fresh Salmon Recipes
The guys just got back from a salmon fishing trip and brought back A LOT of fresh salmon. The biggest fish caught was 20 lbs. and they caught a total of 7! Since they fished with (and split the fish with) the Webers, we had a salmon recipe cookoff the night they returned. Wendy chose a variation of Karen's sweeter recipe and we used Uncle Don's recipe. They both turned out great and not-at-all fishy.

Sweeter Recipe - Maple Glazed Salmon Recipe
4 (6 oz.) salmon fillets or 2 (12 oz. in our case)
3 t. paprika
3 t. chili powder
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 brown sugar
1 t. sea salt
cooking spray (we prefer PAM!)
2 t. maple syrup

Rub fish with sea salt and sprinkle with remaining dry ingredients. Spray grill with cooking spray. Grill fish about 7 minutes. Drizzle syrup on fish. Grill another 1-4 minutes until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Tangier Recipe - Mayo Soy Salmon Recipe
4 (6 oz.) salmon
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
Cooking Spray

Stir together. Spread on salmon right before cooking. Spray grill with cooking spray. Grill 7-12 minutes depending on the size of the fish. Should flake easily when tested with a fork if done.

End of Summer Kid Party - a Beach Bash for Boys
Since my daughter is having a Cheetah Girls party on Friday, my son decided to have a beach bash with his friends. Swimming, tubing and pizza will be the agenda for the day. It's so nice to get the gang together for gatherings that don't result in excessive gifts for the birthday child. This is just for the fun of it. Hoping for a nice day otherwise we'll be playing a lot of Wii games inside!

Kids Party Idea and Tasty Barbecued Pork Tenderloin

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:56:00 +0000

Movie Viewing for Cheetah Girls One World Premier
The girly gatherings around the Disney movie releases have been so fun that we're having one ourselves for the August 22 premier of the One World movie featuring the Cheetah Girls on the Disney Channel. Similar to the parties held for the Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds 3D and High School Musical 2, we'll have the girls over for pizza and a craft and then they'll settle in for the big show. This movie takes place in Bollywood instead of Hollywood and the Cheetah Girls will be wearing lovely, traditional Indian clothes for the big finale.

So based on that, the girls at our party will be making their own saris for their craft! Using the simple instructions found online (http://www.wikihow.com/Dress-in-a-Sari), we are going to transform 4 yards of tulle into a cute mock-saris for each girl. (Since tulle is only about $1 per yard, it was the obvious choice albeit a see-through one. The girls will be wearing their shorts and t-shirts under it anyway). We'll finish it off with a pin from the Dollar Store and make sure to take lots of pictures.

Pork Tenderloin and Tomato, Vidalia Salad
I haven't been doing much original cooking lately as most of my stand-by favorites are the summer salads featured on my website. I did, however, use a variation of one of the favorites last weekend to make a tasty meat and salad combination.

Tomato, Vidalia Salad Ingredients:
1 package plum tomatoes, chopped (for extra color, use yellow and red tomatoes)
1/2 small vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 cup vinegar (I used a garlic and oil vinegar found at regular grocers)
6 T olive oil
1 T minced garlic
1 T fresh basil, chopped, cut or ripped
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. After a half hour or more, pour off the liquid into a large ziploc bag and place the pork loin in the marinade. Marinade 1/2 hour or more in the refrigerator. Grill tenderloin 10-15 minutes (depending on size - until the juices run clear and the meat is firm). Serve with the salad as a garnish.

Chicken Do Over

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:12:00 +0000

I admit that sometimes the result of combining my favorite ingredients does not work out as well as I had originally hoped. That happened this week with crock pot chicken. The problem wasn't so much the way the chicken tasted but the way it looked. (Crock pot meat isn't always the most attractive presentation anyway). If you don't mind really white chicken, it's worth making it. In the crockpot, I combined 3 large chicken breasts, a can of chicken broth, a small container of ranch, and some garlic bits*. It was cooked on high about 6 hours. Again, it tasted fine and the texture was great. Shaking black pepper all over it worked wonders on the color too!

Since only half the chicken was used on day one, I whipped up a much better recipe for day two. This would work well with leftover turkey or (somewhat bland) chicken. It's a variation on a recipe Aunt Cheri made for us a few years ago and it tasted just as good last night.

Chicken Cream Sauce Recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup cooked turkey or chicken - chopped
chopped vegetables (1-2 cups total)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth (or bouillon and water)
2 T. flour
1 can cream of anything soup
1/2 t. celery salt
2 T. butter or margarine

Chop fresh vegetables and cook in a frying pan using the margarine. In a separate container, combine the sauce ingredients (milk, soup,wine, broth, celery salt and flour) and whisk. Add to vegetables and add in chicken and any canned (or fully cooked) vegetables. Cook for 5-10 minutes.

Great served over rice or those frozen puff pastries.

Since I was, in effect, putting perfume on a pig for this recipe, I just used what I had in the fridge for the veggies which was green onions, celery and red pepper. I then added some leftover peas and chopped some cooked corn off the cob. Colorful and tasty.

And even better yet, there's still enough left over for tonight now that all the vegetables are combined in there too.

*I love the crispy garlic bits from the Garlic Co. They are fun in salads, soups and just about any recipe.

Vacation Update and Great Baked Pork Chops

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:35:00 +0000

Fun Vacation to Turks and Caicos
Sorry it's been a while but we had the 4 day power outage and then went on a fabulous vacation to Turks and Caicos. We stayed at a Beaches resort which I would highly recommend if you have a family. This particular resort had 6 pools, 9 restaurants, 38 X-Boxes and more. The pools were all different so it was fun to experience the variety throughout the day. The kid pool was right alongside a cute little diner that they could run into for a quick hot dog or milk shake. Each pool also had a swim up bar and my kids made great use of them for their special Shirley Temple drinks. They are also building a whole new section there that will feauture a huge water park.

My favorite parts of the vacation:
1. snorkeling with the kids (Paker wants to learn to scuba when he turns 10 now)
2. watching my son defeat my husband an the half-life-sized chess game
3. the restaurant variety - kids were able to try sushi and the japanese steak house knowing they could get a hot dog later as needed.
4. the safe environment for families which allowed the kids a little freedom. Being able to walk into the poolside diner to get your own hot dog is a big deal when you're small.

Yummy Baked Pork Chop Recipe
I saw some great looking pork chops at the store but had no time to crock pot them so I found a simple baked pork chop recipe. I revised it since I didn't have a couple ingredients* and this is the resulting simple, delicous baked pork chop recipe.

Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce Ingredients:
4 pork chops about 1/2 inch thick (mine were huge - more than 8 oz. each)
2 T. Grillmaster steak seasoning (or comparable amounts of ground pepper and salt)
1/2 can chicken broth
1/2 can skim milk (or half and half)
2 T. butter (not needed if you use half and half)
2 T. dijon mustard

Instructions:
Rub the seasoning onto both sides of the chops. Use non-stick frying pan or coat a regular pan first with cooking spray (we like Pam!). Cook chops on medium-high heat until browned (about 4-5 minutes each side). Remove chops and keep warm. Add broth, mustard, milk and butter to skillet. Put chops back in and simmer about 10 minutes or until sauce thickens a bit. Flip the chops once or twice during that time.

*no idea what the actual conversion should be for this but I didn't have half and half so I used my skim milk and then added the butter.

White Bean Chicken Chili in a Pinch

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:31:00 +0000

We are in the midst of a power outage from the storms that pummelled the midwest. The initial storm was the craziest thing I have ever seen. The skies got black and then within five minutes, we happened to look out as a wall of rain was blasting at us. My son was sitting on the porch under a big golf umbrella (like a fort)and we had to scream at him to run in. He had no clue anything was going on outside. He got in just in time with the rain coming in sideways behind him. (In the meantime, my daughter felt the need to run back out in it to grab her new jelly shoes from Target.) Fortunately, everyone is fine but we have no power.

Since we have a generator, I'm blessed to have a working refrigerator and a couple outlets that I can use. Each morning when I make my pot of coffee, I'm especially thankful! Since I can't use the stove or oven, I decided to find something I could make in the crock pot. I'm at the public library typing this but I think it is going to be a tasty compromise for white bean chicken chili. The main difference is that I had a pound of chicken sausage in the freezer so that is substituted for chicken. Lucky me, I had the rest of the ingredients in the pantry.

White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe
1 can white beans (rinse very well and drain)
1 lb. chicken sausage, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 large vidalia onion, chopped
2 small cans chopped green chilis (found in mexican food aisle at any grocer)
2 T. cumin
1 1/2 t. ground oregono
1/2 t. cayenne pepper

Crock pot for 8-10 on low or 4-5 on high. Serve with tortilla chips, monterrey jack cheese, sour cream and/or salsa.

This should last us a day or two but hoping for power by Friday!

Crock Pot Italian Chicken Still Great in Summer

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:01:00 +0000

There are a lot of these crock pot dishes that may at first glance seem like odd choices for summer. In reality, it's still nice to have a home cooked meal waiting for you when you get home instead of having to stoke up the grill every night. It's especially handy if you have a variety of different schedules too. Everyone can just help themselves.

When made in the summer, this chicken recipe can also make great use of fresh tomatoes. In my case, I used 1 14 oz. can of the diced tomatoes with italian seasonings and also chopped up one very large fresh tomato. I'm going to write down the way I did it but any combination of fresh and canned is perfectly fine.

Crock Pot Italian Chicken Recipe
1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with italian seasoning
1 small jar mushrooms
1/3 of a huge vidalia onion, chopped
1 can green beans
1/2 can chicken broth
2 T. italian seasoning (or more if you use all fresh tomatoes0
2 T. minced garlic. I actually used the garlic garlic spice from Tastefully Simple

Layer, green beans, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes (if any), chicken, and cover with diced tomatoes. The pour the chicken broth over it all. Cook on low 8 hours or on high for 5 hours. Not necessary but a little bit fancier...I used a mini food processor (I call it a mini chop) to grind up some of the ingredients to make them more of a traditional sauce consistency. I left many of the ingredients as large chunks though too. Serve on cooked noodles.

Encrusted Salmon and Orzo Salad

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:28:00 +0000

You'll almost never find a blog on cooking fish from me because I'm just not fond of the stuff. (I know, I know - it is good for me)

When my husband has his choice though, he likes to grill salmon or swordfish. The kids actually caught a couple huge salmon last year in Lake Michigan when we were vacationing in Door County, WI. They were better than most because they were so darned fresh.

Anyway, my husband and his brother tried something new this time that tasted great (if you like fish). They got the inspiration from the flavors they like at restaurants. The short of it is they spread a dijon mustard all over the fish and then rolled it in crushed pistachios. They grilled them for about 20 minutes I believe but best to use that as a guide and keep testing the fish when you cook it yourself.

Now onto the orzo salad that is one of my summertime favorites. First let me say that mine is extra yummy due to an olive oil that my mom hooked me on. It's lemon grass oil from KAMI. If you can find it in one of your stores, buy it! I had to order it online and ended up with 6 (which I split with mom) but it is SO worth it. Another option would be to put the fresh herb in or use the dried spice. DO NOT use lemon flavored olive oil. The lemon grass oil is a completely different, light, fresh flavor. Regular olive oil works just fine too. (my theory continues to be that you shouldn't ever make a special trip to the store for one ingredient)

Orzo Salad Recipe
1/2 lb. orzo (it's half the little box - you'll be surprised how much this makes)
3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 english cucumber (or 1 regular cuke) peeled
1 package crumbled feta
1/2 cup fresh basil or cilantro or 2 T. of the dried spice
1/2 cup olive oil (I used the lemon grass)
1/4 cup vinegar (I used a blend from the grocery store - basil and oregono)
Pitted black olives, chopped to taste (I probably used 20 of them)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the orzo in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly, stir and let cool. Combine with remaining ingredients and toss.

TIP: As for the cucumbers, I think it's fun to peel them instead of cutting them. Do it just like you'd peel off the skin but peel the cucumber itself. The "ribbons" are a little something different and most people that don't like cukes don't mind them because they don't have the seeds.

Sweet and Salty Spinach Salad

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:05:00 +0000

If you like foods that combine sweet and salty, you will enjoy this spinach salad. I love to get popcorn at the movies and eat it with red licorice so I knew I'd like it before I even finished prepping. I usually recommend buying bottled dressing but this one is so simple, it's worth just whipping up a small batch fresh for your salad. Without further delay, here is the recipe:

Spinach, Strawberry and Bacon Salad
1 package baby spinach leaves (6 oz.)
12 package fresh strawberries (8 oz.)
2 chopped hard boiled eggs
8 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled (I use microwavable - just cook for about 30 seconds)
1/2 english cucumber (or 1 whole regular one)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sliced green onions
Combine ingredients and chill. Recommend using homemade poppyseed dressing

Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 t. poppy seeds
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. ground mustard (dry - it's a spice)
Combine in a plastic container with tight lid. Shake. This makes enough for 2 - 3 salads so either refrigerate the remainder, or make a smaller batch.

Michigan Based Companies
I got an email recently that said:
"In a recent issue of Hour Detroit magazine, I read the following quote: 'If we all spent $10 a week on Michigan products, we could put $36 million every week back into the state's economy'. That was powerful to me. Every day I hear people bemoan the state of Michigan's economy and here was a simple and impactful thing that each of us could do to help. I contacted a woman named Jeanne Lipe at the Michigan Agritourist Department who confirmed that the numbers were correct."

Although I didn't confirm the source, it does stand to reason that supporting Michigan based companies would provide some relief to our depressed economy. Good thought starters!

One new website that I worked with recently has deals on Michigan products and tips for Michigan related things. It's called gemontheweb. Just try to keep it in mind on your next grocery shopping trip. The bottom line is that every little bit helps.

Awesome Summer Salad

pam@pams-hams.com (Pam Cole) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:03:00 +0000

This is a great salad recipe to serve with chicken, pork or fish and it can be as easy as opening a few cans from your pantry. John, Don and mom wanted the recipe so here it is:

Black Bean and Hearts of Palm Salad
1 can hearts of palm, drained
1 can black beans rinsed and rinsed and rinsed again, then drain
3 ears of fresh corn (slice the corn off the cob) or 1 can corn rinsed and drain
3 large tomatoes chopped fine
3 stalks green onion chopped
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or 2 T. powdered)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 T. lime juice
1 t. corainder

Combine ingredients. Cover and refigerate. This is even better the next day. If at all possible, try to use the fresh cilantro and corn. It is still pretty darned good with canned but really pops with the fresh.