Preserving the Good Life

Often times, at Easter we try to have the non-traditional meal but when we decide to have ham it is truly delicious.  It never fails, we forget year to year how to make it and which ham produces the best meal so we call on our dear friend Angel to keep us straight.  So here we’re giving credit where credit is due…we took her advice and the outcome was simply delicious!

• 7-10 lb ham (butt not shank)
• 2 cups of water
• Juice from 29 oz can of peach halves in heavy syrup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Pour the water into a roasting pan with the ham and place in the oven for 2 hours at 275 degrees.  Since the ham is precooked, it simply needs to be warmed thoroughly.

Pour the juice out of a can of peach halves and mix with the brown sugar.  As you slice the ham, slowly pour the syrup over the ham.  Place back in the warm oven until ready to serve.

This is not your typical banana pudding for a couple of reasons but mainly because it doesn’t have to be baked!  Let’s be real a minute….who doesn’t love banana pudding…… This is truly a treat at our house as we do not indulge in full fledged banana pudding very often, just on special occasions.

So here goes….

• 8 ounces sour cream
• 2 of the 3.4 ounce packages instant french vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups milk
• 8 ounce container frozen Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed
• 16 ounce package vanilla wafer cookies
• 7 bananas, peeled and sliced

In large bowl combine sour cream, pudding mix and milk. Stir well with a mixer. Fold in the whipped topping.

Layer in a baking dish or trifle bowl a layer of cookies, a layer of bananas and a layer of pudding mixture.

Repeat until all ingredients are used or your bowl becomes full.  Save a few cookies for decoration.  Refrigerate until serving.  Makes about 8-10 servings.

People shake their heads at me when I say I can squash…..but when you love a recipe like squash casserole, you’ll figure out a way to preserve the summer harvest so you can have this delicious dish year round!  This is another one of my grandma’s recipes that the family enjoys….

• 3 cups of cooked squash drained (I use what I canned over the summer.)
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook onions in the butter until tender.

Combine the squash, cooked onions, shredded cheese and beaten egg in a greased casserole dish.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  (This temperature really surprises me, if you knew my grandmother, you know that she cooked everything on HIGH and 350 degrees).

Combine the topping and sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cup herb stuffing mix
• 1/2 stick of butter, melted

Bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes.  Enjoy!

As Easter approaches I begin reminiscing of years past, family dinners, egg hunts and Grandma’s kitchen.  I miss that lady….she was truly one of a kind.   My grandma used to make this on a regular basis, especially during the holidays.  Some call it corn casserole, she always called it scalloped corn.  So when we want to take a walk down memory lane and feel like we have a part of her with us on special occasions we bring out our Grandma Marshall cookbook and begin cooking, baking and working in the kitchen.  She was happiest in the kitchen feeding others and I would like to think that others view my kitchen the same…..

This recipe serves 5-6.  So for crowds, I recommend that you double it.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

• 2 cups corn
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoon self rising flour
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients.  Pour into a sprayed baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!!