Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients:

1 fully cooked, boneless ham half (4-5 pounds) ( I like bone-in hams best)

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

Grated peel of 1 orange or tsp. dried orange peel

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place ham on a rack in a roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer reaches 125 degrees F. Prepare the glaze: in a small saucepan combine brown sugar, orange juice, orange peel, cloves and allspice; simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Brush the glaze over the ham. Bake the ham for 20 to 30 minutes more or until it reaches 135 degrees F. Allow it to stand for 15 minutes before carving. Makes 8 servings.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups of self rising flour

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 stick of butter, melted

1 cup of cooked, sweet potatoes, mashed

1/3 cup of orange juice

1/2 cup of milk

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the butter, sweet potatoes, milk, juice and egg. Mix well. Sift the dry ingredients together and stir them into the sweet potato mixture, mixing well. Pour batter into an 8 x 8 inch pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes-- spray the pan beforehand with cooking spray. Cool until warm, and cut into 8 squares. Serve with butter. Notes: Cook a large sweet potato in the microwave, like a potato, but about double the time, cool then mash for this recipe, or used leftover fresh or canned sweet potatoes.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces

3 large cloves garlic,minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans

2 tablespoons fresh, minced parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In roasting pan, combine sweet potatoes, garlic, rosemary and oil. Toss to blend well. Roast at 375 degrees F for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, sprinkle with nuts, parsley, salt and pepper. Makes 6-8 servings.

Cabbage Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 head green cabbage, cut into strips

2 cups red cabbage, cut into strips

1 large sweet onion, sliced thin and halved

2 Granny Smith apples, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar (or wine vinegar)

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large pan or skillet and sauté over medium heat until the cabbage and apples are tender. Season with salt and pepper again before serving as needed. Serves 8.

Baked Apples and Bananas

Ingredients:

4 apples, peeled,cored and thinly sliced

4 bananas, split lengthwise and cut in half

1 lemon

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 cups apple juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Vanilla Ice Cream or Pound Cake

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine the apples and bananas and put into a shallow baking dish. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze both halves over the fruit. Combine the remaining ingredients except vanilla in a saucepan and boil until the sugars are dissolved. Remove from heat, add vanilla, and pour over bananas and apples. Bake in 450 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Cool till warm, and serve over pound cake slices or vanilla ice cream. Top with whipped cream.