Christmas

Christmas was quiet , but nice here. No visiting family, no family visiting, no calls, nothing but Mass schedules and then naps to recover from the late night and early morning services. And a big meal. I think my freezer is going to start begging for mercy shortly !

The meal begins with a Who Roast Beast. What is a Who Roast Beast ? It's a second Shank Ham in a week because you husband has been really craving ham and asks you to make a ham the way people used to make hams when you were children. Hey- presentation is everything !

Roast Who Beast ( ham to the rest of the world)

1 shank ham , with rind and outside fat trimmed
4 T stone ground mustard
4 T Brown Sugar
1 can pineapple rings ( reserve juice)
1 jar cherries( reserve juice)
whole cloves
toothpicks

Place ham in roasting Pan. Mix mustard, brown sugar and a small amount of the reserved pinapple and cherry juice till you have a sauce. poke the meat with a knife all over, lightly score and apply sauce with pastry brush. Place pinapple rings on ham, securing with tooth picks and place cherries in the center in the same fashion. Stud the meat with cloves and bake at 325 , 15 minutes per pound.

Polish Sausage and sauerkraut

1 jar polish sauerkraut
1 vacuum pak Polish Sausage( or Kielbasa)
Place sauerkraut in a 9x9 pan. Slice kielbasa into bite sized portions and insert into sauerkraut. Bake 325 for 1 hr.

Baby Bok Choy with Cashews Recipe
   * 2 Tbsp olive oil
    * 1 cup chopped green onions, including green ends
    * 3 cloves garlic, chopped
    * 1 pound baby bok choy, rinsed, sliced
    * 1/2 tsp sesame oil
    * Salt
    * 1/2 cup chopped, roasted, salted cashews
1 Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add onions, then garlic, then bok choy. Sprinkle with sesame oil and salt. Cover, and let the baby bok choy cook down for approximately 3 minutes. (Like spinach, when cooked, the bok choy will wilt a bit.)
2 Remove cover. Lower heat to low. Stir and let cook for a minute or two longer, until the bok choy is just cooked.Mix in cashews

Sweet Potato Dollars ( the most delicious way to make sweet potatoes so far)
Serves 4
3-4 Sweet Potatoes
3 TBL butter
3 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Celtic Sea Salt

Peel potatoes and slice crosswise at 1/4-inch intervals into “dollars.” Brush two cookie sheets with mixture of butter and oil. Arrange the dollars in one layer and brush with the remaining butter and oil. Season lightly with sea salt. Bake at about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

I have the bone from the ham becoming broth as we speak, and I am ready to get back to normal life again !
Hope your Christmas was good!