Ham- supporting our homeschool since 1995

I love being a homeschool mom ! I love being present for each new discovery my son makes, seeing firsthand how he overcomes challenges, and helping him to ponder through those things that trip him up. One other untold joy is being able to re-learn and learn things along side of him. It seems that many of us take for granted  so many things we were taught as part of our own education, but when you are a homeschooler, often you have to not only refresh your own mind about various things, but process them on a new level so that you can present them to your child in a way that your child not only understands, but actually cares about. Thus, you can often be found reading about the Battle of Hastings at 1 am and determining if you have enough apples, oranges and toilet paper to recreate the Bayoux  Tapestry in the living room next week because little BamBam absorbs a thing best by acting it out. People, other than homeschoolers, will consider this odd behavior. You consider it simply a part of your job description, and it is cool.

Till you remember you have to make dinner ( or breakfast, lunch, so on)

Planning becomes important, but the best laid plans get.....ignored some days for different reasons. Lessons go over so well your children do not want to stop, lessons do not go over so well and you try to salvage the day and find a better way to inform ,on the fly, the lesson inspires a wonderful discussion and together you wander down a dozen related rabbit trails, a deer or some other creature appears on your lawn and you break into an unplanned biology lesson,  the washer breaks, the toilet overflows, a neighbor or family member needs help and your well planned day goes not so according to plan. Suddenly it is dinner time and you have hungry people and the roast you planned on somehow never made it out of the freezer to defrost. You could do fast food, but you could also keep on hand the items for some tasty dish that can be prepared in a flash and make you look like supermom. This is one of those

 Amatriciana

1 lb spaghetti, cooked
5-6, 1/4 slices leftover ham, julienned
1 large red onion,chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (  can sub with canned diced tomatoes)
red pepper flakes to taste
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Salt for seasoning to taste


Place half a cup of extra virgin olive oil to a sauté pan and add red onion slices and add to the frying pan.
Cook for a minute and add cherry tomatoes and red pepper.Cover and cook 5 minutes, or till tomatoes begin to break down. Add the ham and cook for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the  seasonings. Remove from heat, toss in pasta and serve.

Curriculum is easy to come by. Managing the rest of life while schooling can be a real challenge. Few homeschoolers stop homeschooling for the lack of a geography curriculum, but many do because of Mt Washmore and the lack of a fridge that operates on Divine Intervention ( if I stare into ir for long enough, it will know what we could eat for dinner and toss it out at me) . Having a good collection of pantry /freezer stable, fast -fast recipes on hand  can be the most important thing for being able to homeschool all the way through high school and stay a happy family.

Ham of a Thousand Days

We have all seen that Norman Rockwell painting of the picture perfect Thanksgiving where Grandma carries in a perfectly roast turkey on a platter, garnished in an attractive way , presented to a table full of admiring diners. People aspire to create that scene for their own celebrations. Me, I worry. While it appears to be everything right with the world, in truth it is Birdzilla. Destined to take over your fridge and you menu for at least the next week. Longer if you are a small family like mine. The Easter Version of this portrait becomes Ham of a Thousand Days

Yes, this mahogany coated hunk of porcine love ( glazed with brown sugar, mustard and pineapple juice) makes for a yummy dinner. Then, however, there are leftovers. You make sandwiches, add it to omlettes, make ham salad, scalloped potatoes with ham and start to wonder if you are ever going to eat through this thing. Big families have advantages with having many mouths to devour the beast, but if you have only one child, this can become a serious commitment. Almost like a marriage, and it is a challenging spouse ! Soon you start encouraging the child to eat ham as a snack, add it to breakfast oatmeal, attempt to find some stray dogs to feed it to and other such shenanigans. That is until you realize that any ham is simply Prosciutto that forgot to dress up. Once you crack that nut, it opens up a world of possibilities , like this dish

Rotini con prosciutto,spinaci e pommadori

1 lb rotini, cooked to al dente and drained

4 cloves garlic, de-germed and chopped

1 handful fresh basil, chopped

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 container fresh baby spinach( lots- it cooks down to nothing)

1 generous fistful cooked ham, cut in julienne strips

1/3 cup heavy cream

olive oil

In a large pan, place olive oil and garlic, and cook till golden. Add tomatoes, crush slightly to increase moisture. Cook about 5 minutes and add the spinach. Cover and let cook till it wilts down- about 5 minutes. Add ham and cook till heated through. Add heavy cream and basil. Remove from heat , add pasta and mix. Serve.

Yule

Happy New Year !

Sound odd ? Not really. Today is The Winter Solstice and the beginning of the Solar Year. In our household it is one of the Winter Holidays, and it is usually celebrated on the eve of the event with decorations and a special meal amongst other things.

 Food is a part of most celebrations in some way. It is universal  in language. The participants may not understand the event celebrated in full , but they know when something smells and tastes good ! We had a meal with things that were in some way representative of the sun , the returning light  and I will share the pictures and recipes. It's going to be a big cooking week for me here with Solstice, Christmas Eve and Christmas  ! Good thing is I can make it nourishing !

Let's start with Soaked Sun Bread

Soaked Sun Bread

2 – 2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 stick butter, melted
3 tablespoons buttermilk

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
3 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons sugar( I used Splenda)
1/2 teaspoon salt
zest of one lemon (optional)
 Mix yeast and milk. Let stand until foamy. Stir in eggs, sugar, 2 cups flour, butter, salt and lemon. Mix well, adding flour as necessary to form a dough.Knead on a floured surface for 8 – 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.Place dough in greased bowl, cover with a cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1-2 hours. Punch down dough, knead gently, and divide into two portions. With one portion, form a round flat ball to make the sun’s face. Use a knife to carve eyes and a mouth. Use a bit of dough from the second half to form a nose and eyes and mouth
Divide the rest of the second half into six portions.Shape into a rope, cut rope into smaller sections to form spirals and place around the edge of the face.
Cover the sun and allow to rise again in a warm place for about an hour.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the sun bread for about twenty minutes or until lightly brown. Cool slightly before slicing.( we don't slice him, but kind of rip off pieces !)

Then bring on dinner ! We had  apple Maple glazed ham, spiced red cabbage ( red ball like the new born sun) sweet potatoes with maple butter ( orange like the sun and it goes well with ham) and orange cranberry sauce ( again, orange and red like the sun at different times of the day). All seasoned with herbs and spices that are "firey", like the sun itself.

Crockpot Rotkohl (German Red Cabbage)
1 medium/large red cabbage, shredded
1 med sweet onion, diced
2 med (or 1 large) apple, granny smith or other sour kind, peeled, cored and diced
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp honey
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp mulling spice, in a cheesecloth bag or tea steeper
1 c. water
1 tbsp butter
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 lb bacon, diced (optional)

   1. If using bacon, cook until crispy and drain on a paper towel. Then use the bacon grease to saute the onion.
   2. If not using bacon, saute the onion in the butter until translucent.
   3. Add rest of ingredients into crockpot, set on low for 6 hours.
   4. If you’re going to use a stock pot or dutch oven for this, the cooking time would be between 1 and 2 hours, depending on amount you make.
   5. Remove spice bag before serving. This seems self-explanatory and yet…maybe it’s just me.

Smoked Ham with Maple Apple Glaze
3 to 4 pound, semi-boneless cold smoked ham
1 to 2 large tart baking apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 to 3/4 cup pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 325º F.

Rinse the ham well with cold water and pat dry.  Place in a baking dish or roasting pan large enough to comfortably hold the ham, and cover tightly with foil.Bake the ham until completely heated through, about 20 minutes per pound.  About 10 minutes before the ham is done, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until it begins to foam.  Saute the apples in the butter until tender and golden, about 5 minutes, and add the maple syrup.  Increase the heat slightly and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the syrup begins to thicken.  Remove from the heat and set aside.Remove the ham from the oven and increase the temperature to 350º F.  Carefully pour the juices from the ham into the skillet with the apple/maple syrup mixture and stir to combine.  Spoon the glaze back over the ham and return to the oven.  Bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 to 20 minutes to glaze the ham, basting it every 5 minutes.Remove the ham to a cutting board and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before carving; reserve the glaze from the pan.  Carve, spoon the glaze over the slices and serve.

 Cranberry-Orange Sauce

    12 oz fresh or frozen Cranberries
    1 lg. organic Navel Orange
    1/2 Cup  Sugar or Sucanat ( I used Splenda)
    1 tsp. ground Cinnamon
    1/8 tsp. ground Cloves

    Rinse cranberries, and discard any spoiled ones. Finely grate or zest the orange peel. Cut orange into quarters, and add to a blender, along with the orange zest. Pour in enough water to make 1 cup, and blend until roughly chopped. (You don’t want a smooth puree; keep it “pulpy.”)
 Pour juice into a saucepan, along with sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour in cranberries, and return to a boil. Stir over medium heat for 8-10 min. Be careful!! Cranberries start popping & will splatter!! (When not stirring, you can partially cover the pot with a lid, to allow steam to escape, but keep some of the splatter inside.)

    When most of the cranberries have popped, and the liquid has started to thicken, remove from heat. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Pour into jars to store or into a serving dish. Refrigerate or freeze if not serving immediately.

An evening of fun and games took place, and then it was time for desert- gingerbread and home made eggnog

Soaked Flour Gingerbread

Combine and soak overnight
1 Cup Buttermilk or Kefir
2 ½ C Freshly Ground Spelt or White Wheat Flour
Next day  add
¼ lb Butter or Coconut Oil
¾ C Sucanat ( I used Splenda)
2 Eggs
¾ C Molasses
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
½ teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Powdered Ginger
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Pinch Cloves

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9 x 9 baking dish.   Bake in an oven preheated to 350 ° F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake’s center comes out clean

Egg Nog

    6 beaten egg yolks
    2 1/4 cups whole milk
    1/3 cup  sugar ( I used Splenda)
    1 tsp vanilla
    1 cup whipping cream
    2 Tbsp  sugar
    Ground nutmeg (optional)

 1) In a medium pot, mix the egg yolks, milk and the 1/3 cup sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture just coats a metal spoon . Remove from heat. Place pot in a sink or bowl of ice water and stir for 2 minutes to cool mixture off a little. Stir in vanilla. Cover and chill for 4-24 hours.
2) When you're ready to serve:
Beat the whipping cream and 2 Tbsp of sugar  until soft peaks form.
3) Transfer the chilled egg/milk/sugar mixture to a punch bowl. Fold in the whipped cream. Serve immediately. Sprinkle each serving with nutmeg. If you find it a little too thick or too sweet, simply stir in a bit of milk to thin it out.

Happy New Year !

Where is Solomon when you need him ?

Why is it that deep, sustainable changes have to be so difficult to make ? Simple change is easy, and just because something changes does not mean it will remain on the new course unless it is a sustainable action. And unless something is a sustainable action, change can mean more harm than good. Intelligent change must be real, measurable and sustainable. To bring sustainability all factors of the current problem must be understood and taken into account when making a change, or it will fail. That's kind of where I am right now, and it seems that the equation gets more complex as things go about. I have been considering just how to make this whole thing with family time work with my husband's commitments. He devotes almost all of his vacation time to the heavy weeks church wise ( Holy Week and Christmas), every weekend ( at least 2 weeks a month it is Saturday and Sunday, the rest is usually all morning on Sunday) flex time off at work for funerals and now he is being called to do funerals on his vacation as well. We have one car because we cannot afford a second car, no public transportation and live at an intersection of two very busy roads with no sidewalks.No possible solution is one that would be sustainable for many reasons and it is making me think very unkind thoughts about everything involved. Then in the mail I got a bridal shower invitation for one of the nieces, and as much as I would like to go I know I probably will not be able to because he is going to be called for a funeral AND do evening mass that day and we will have to jockey around the whole rest of the week in order to fit in the necessary errands of the week, so I will not go. It's one of a thousand things I have missed because he has to sing. It gets really old.

One thing is certain though, I think better on my feet while walking. Walking can become a moving meditation that gets your blood pumping, endorphins flowing and helps you burn some calories. While walking I discovered that I am also able to jump now ! Nick and I did a lot of walking yesterday , housecleaning and playing another Wii game called Walk it out. It allows you to walk to the beat of several different tracks while you build an island community. We could not walk because of the noise factor, so we did the most we possibly could while seated in a chair. We broke a sweat , and it was a lot of fun !

The day was powered at the start by pear apple blueberry oats. We seem to go to this one a lot !

Lunch was black bean salad on a bed of romaine and watercress. I really love the colors in a black bean/corn/tomato mix !

15-Minute Black Bean Salad

½ cup minced onion
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1 can black beans -- (15 oz) drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn -- thawed
8 cherry tomatoes -- quartered( I used 2 whole, chopped)
½ cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
3 TBS fresh lemon juice
lettuce of your choice

Mince onions and garlic
Mix all ingredients together and serve on a bed of lettuce. This salad will keep for a couple of days and gets more flavorful if you let it marinate in the refrigerator for awhile. Serves 4

Dinner was an easy one . I wanted to make another round of lentil soup and 15 bean soup for the freezer, and both work best with ham. I bought a shank ham for the bone, planned to cook it in my crockpot, but it would not fit so I had to cut the meat off the bone and cook it separately. This was a big advantage because I could do a second crock pot with lentil/split pea soup at the same time as the ham. I remebered a trick discussed on my freezer cooking loop to make ham less salty ( pour a can on lemon lime soda over it) , and decided to try it for myself. It worked ! The ham came out less salty and very tender. I served it with a tossed salad topped with fruit salad and pecans and a vegetable ragout- think a sort of stew without broth.

Asparagus-Potato-Leek Ragout

2 large leeks -- white and pale green
1 lb. small yukon gold potatoes ( or other small potatoes)
2 cups water -- seasoned with Mrs Dash
1 lb. asparagus -- trimmed and cut diagonally
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms
lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves -- chopped ( or 2 T dried)
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley -- finely chopped ( or 1 T dried)

Cut leeks lengthwise and wash thoroughly. Then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Quarter potatoes and steam in a steamer until just tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a bowl. In skillet,water-saute leeks in seasoned water for 3-4 minutes, stirring until tender. (Add liquid if needed.)
Transfer leeks to bowl with potatoes. In skillet, heat more VegiZest water and water-saute asparagus for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add mushrooms and water-saute mixture, and continue cooking for about 3 minutes or until mushrooms soften. Combine all ingredients. Before serving, squeeze a little lemon juice over vegetables, stir in mint, parsley, and pepper to taste, and gently toss. Serves 4.