Food - I promise to start cooking more....April Fools Day! Sometimes I just crack myself up.
Anyham, Easter is hopping right along and will be coming soon and all of us who are entertaining are busy planning our Easter breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner & leftovers for midnight snack. So, first things first; how to properly choose a ham. While methods for choosing a ham may vary the simple likes and dislikes are usually personal - but, I will give it a shank and give you some tips.
- Don't buy hams that are what I call "Artificial - cheap hams" they are usually labeled "Ham and Water Product."
- The best hams for baking will resemble the shape of a pig's hind leg.
- Even more expensive hams contain water, but the ham you want to choose will have a label that should state: "Ham with Natural Juices."
- They come as a whole ham 11-16 lbs, or in halves at 6-8 lbs.
- Shank is the lower part of the leg, while the butt end is the hip end.
- Shank end is usually easier to carve.
- Butt end is a little more tender.
- Hams usually come fully cooked. Baking them doesn't simply "re-heat" them, it helps remove extra moisture and adds flavor.
- When baking a ham buy one with the bone-in, meat cooked on a bone tastes better.
- Bone-in meat also means the processor doesn't have to find a way to reform the ham (you don't even want to know the details,) so it doesn't fall apart upon being sliced.
- Left over Bone-in hams are great to make soups with.
- Boneless hams have a more spongy texture.
- Spiral-cut hams are another version of a bone-in ham. The hip bone has been removed and only the round leg bones remain, which make them suitable for slicing on a rotating circular blade.
- Spiral-cut hams are great for buffet tables, but remember when pre-cut, the slices tend to dry out when re-warmed.
Dish - President Obama warned Americans to prepare for years of war in Afghanistan (Was "Warning" the operative action word for people to now be accepting of troops being sent? If it is, maybe that was Bushs' down fall all along, he didn't warn us.)
Is the honeymoon over, already? Obama's Afghanistan plan calls for 4,000 more U.S. troops. "Sending the 4,000 new troops, who would train Afghan soldiers and police. The plan includes a goal of having 134,000 soldiers in the Afghan army, up from about 65,000 soldiers now. "That is how we will prepare Afghans to take responsibility for their security, and how we will ultimately be able to bring our troops home," Obama said." (something sounds all too familiar.)
Let's face it, when faced with a grave situation; sending troops anywhere, but home, is never a good thing. before1stBush, 2ndBush, nowObama...I wonder how patient everyone will be in regards to the time frame before we start hearing: "bring the troops home"?
Embellish - The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
