By Tara Wohlenhaus

Edited by Nanci Slagle

It's here!  It's here!  Spring has finally landed in Indiana - never mind that we had snow flurries on the first official day, it's still here!  I love spring and all that comes with it, like daffodils, crocus, warmer breezes and planning my next gardening adventure. 

I also love the Easter holiday.  On April 15 many of you will be enjoying a morning of worship, celebrating Jesus' resurrection.  Some of you more hardy folks will actually be seen at sunrise services!  I love Easter Sunday services.  I love to hear the voices of the congregation echoing through the rafters that Jesus is alive.   

I loved the Easter celebration as a child.  My only concerns then were what would appear in my basket, who would find the most eggs in the Easter egg hunt, and whether my mother would really make me wear those stupid shiny patent leather shoes in front of all my little friends at church!  As an adult, I have a clearer understanding of the importance of that biblical event and it is an even more special time for me.

For some, the Easter party will be a quiet family occasion - a simple meal shared around the table, a backyard hunt for those hand-colored eggs that represent new life.  For others, it will be a large affair full of family traditions.  All the little girls and boys will gather with their parents at the home of a family member and model their finest clothes in front of the grandparents, aunts and uncles.  Everyone will stand quietly in a circle around the table with their heads bowed while the patriarch utters a beautiful and solemn prayer over a table laden with wonderful foods.  After everyone has sufficiently stuffed themselves, the children will begin tugging at the sleeves of the adults, whining, "Now?  Can we have our Easter egg hunt NOW?"  The overly filled adults will obligingly follow the children out-of-doors and supervise finding the dozens of plastic eggs that are filled with unimaginable treasures.  The adults will, of course, make sure that the littlest family members find their share.  "Oh, sweetie!  Do you see what I see sticking out from behind that tree?"  The next hour or so will find the children blissfully covered in chocolate, making sure they never have to wear those silly Easter clothes again!

Whatever kind of celebration you will be taking part in, planning and making food ahead will certainly make the day more peaceful for all.  Little people and adults guests alike will be happier to have your company than have you slaving in the kitchen.  I hope you will find a few new recipes in this edition of the newsletter, and maybe a new twist on an old favorite or two.

I know some people will serve roast leg of lamb, but for this holiday, the most popular meat served in the United States is ham.  The tradition of ham being served began more out of practicality.  When people used to cure their own hams, it was a LONG process, taking all winter.  The hams were ready for eating just in time for Easter and it was something to look forward to.

Ham will be sold at good prices this time of year, so maybe you'd like to buy an extra.  I don't recommend freezing ham for more than a month, so don't buy ten of them, ok?  Ham is laden with salts from the curing process, and the flavor and texture of ham changes fairly rapidly while frozen.  The "ham and water" products are especially susceptible to loss of quality.  All of the water that is pumped into the meat will try  running out after thawing.

I have tried to include several ways to use up leftover ham.  You can serve your baked ham on one day, and over the rest of the week, serve the leftovers in a couple of other recipes.  The trick I've tried to perform here is to have recipes so good that no one will think, "Mom is desperately trying to use up the rest of the ham."

Included in this month's Chewin' The News:

Website Happenings!

Easter Celebration Recipes:

• Brown Sugar Baked Ham

• Raisin Sauce

• Vegetable Casserole

• Dorothy's Cucumber Salad

• Farm Style Green Beans

• Baked Pineapple Casserole

• Raisin Coconut Pecan Pie

• Perfect Peach Cobbler

• Suggested recipes from our books/site

Bonus Recipes:

• Creamy Pasta with Ham and Peas

• New Orleans Rice Salad

• Ham Salad Spread

• Special Macaroni Salad

• Split Pea Soup (that even some of my kids will eat)

• Ham and Greens

• Casserole of Ham and Vegetables

Treats 4 Kids:

• Scrambled Handfuls

• Wind-up Egg Cookies

• Favorite Cut Out Sugar Cookies

• Cookie Icing

Current Contest Winners

Cookin' Quote

Gourmet Q&A

Where We've Been and Where We're Headed

Tip of the Month

Beginning this month, there will be some major changes to the website!  Please be patient with us as we make the transitions.  You may have some difficulty with the site temporarily.  Good things are coming, so please stick with us and visit often!

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I actually tried 3 new baked ham recipes in preparation for this newsletter, and I am happy to report that I'm sticking with my old "standby".  I tried one that was supposed to mimic the recipe from a restaurant chain that specializes in baked hams - a dud!  It actually looked like I'd baked a whole armadillo.  I tried another that had cinnamon in the glaze and the kids thought tasted like a pumpkin pie.  The last one I tried was made with a "ham and water product" meat - you know, the kind that has no bones, and is formed into a large loaf shape and is wrapped in a brownish colored paper wrapper that mimics the color of smoked ham.  That was a dud too.  I know this is all opinion, but I really like a ham with a bone in it.  I think it is much more flavorful and I like the appearance of the more "natural" product.  Of course a bone-in ham will be more difficult to carve and serve, but I think it is worth it.  So, for all of that rambling, here is my favorite ham:

12 pound smoked ham - shankless and skinless (it will say so on the packaging)

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Whole cloves (optional)

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1/2 cup brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup apple cider or any fruit juice

2 tablespoons cider or wine vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup seedless dark raisins

Combine brown sugar, dry mustard, and flour in a saucepan.  Stir in all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil while stirring constantly.  Lower the heat and simmer until glossy, thickened like thin gravy and the raisins have plumped a little.  Makes about two cups of sauce.

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I like this recipe because it uses "real" cheese as opposed to the processed cheese spreads that many vegetable casseroles use.  Also, this can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated!  For sautéing the onions, I have given the option of cooking them in water or butter - your choice.  I personally prefer to "steam" my onions in the microwave.  I place the onions in a covered container with a little water and cook them for two minutes on high, stir, then cook another minute or so until they are translucent.  

3 tablespoon water or butter

1/2 cup onion, diced

1-1/2 cups white sauce or 1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 cup mayonnaise

1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

20 ounces frozen chopped vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, or a mix of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots)

12 round butter crackers

3 tablespoons butter

Melt the butter or heat the water in a medium skillet and sauté the onions until they are translucent.  Set aside.  In a bowl, combine the white sauce/ soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, eggs, garlic salt, pepper and seasoned salt.  Stir in the cheese and mix well.  Add the thawed vegetables and stir in gently so as not to mash them.  Place the vegetable mixture in an ungreased two quart casserole dish.  Crush the crackers into coarse crumbs in a food processor, blender, or in a plastic bag using a rolling pin.  Sprinkle the crumbs over the vegetable mixture.  Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the crumbs.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  The casserole should be browned on top.  Serves 6-8.

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Dorothy's Cucumber Salad

I used to enjoy making this salad as a kid.  It was not a written recipe that I know of.  My mother used to tell me the ingredients one at a time - every time.  The first command was always, "Go out to the garden and pick the cucumbers!"  I would come back with the cucumbers and say, "OK, what's next?"  I have never been good at remembering numbers.  Anyway, this is my rendition of that salad.  I like the fact that the dressing can be made ahead of time.  The cucumbers can be sliced ahead of time and tossed with the dressing at the last moment.  The cool, crisp cucumbers and the creamy dill flavored dressing is a wonderful contrast to ham.  It is also good served with grilled meats and seafood.  

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup milk (I have used half and half and it was wonderful)

1 tablespoon white distilled or wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pinch of ground pepper (I use white pepper)

1 tablespoon dried dill weed

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

2 medium salad cucumbers

Place the mayonnaise in a bowl.  Pour the milk over the mayonnaise.  Pour the vinegar over the milk.  I let it sit a couple of minutes until the milk resembles buttermilk - a little curdled.  With a whisk, combine the mayonnaise, milk and vinegar, stirring until smooth.  Add the remaining seasonings and stir well.    

When I make this salad, I peel, quarter lengthwise and seed the cucumbers, then cut them into thin slices.  You can do whatever you want.  Some people like the peel left on, some people like the seeds - whatever.  Toss the sliced cucumbers with the dressing and serve chilled.  Serves 6-8.

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These can be simmered ahead of time, then reheated just before the meal is served.  

6 slices bacon

2 fourteen ounce cans green beans (whole or cut) with liquid

1/2 of a medium yellow or white onion

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cut the bacon into 1/4 inch crosswise slices.  Brown the bacon in a two quart sauce pan over medium heat.   Cook the bacon until it is browned, but not crisp.  Discard at least half of the bacon fat that has accumulated in the pan.  Add the green beans and their liquid to the bacon.  Add enough water to just cover the green beans if there is not enough bean liquid to do so.  Add the salt, sugar, and pepper.  Slice the onion into 1/4 inch rings.  Place the onion rings on top of the green beans.  Cover the pan with a lid and bring it to a boil.  Turn down the heat so that the pan gently simmers and cook the beans for 45 minutes to an hour.  Occasionally check the water level in the pan.  If the lid does fit tightly, too much water may evaporate from the pan and the beans on top will become shriveled.  It the liquid level drops below the tops of the green beans, add a little water to cover them again.  Remove and discard the onion rings if you like.  Serves 6 to 8.

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I have seen and tried many different pineapple casseroles at potlucks and holiday dinners.  This is still my favorite.  I think it is very versatile.  It can be served almost like a condiment with your ham, or it can be a side dish.  The finished product almost resembles bread pudding in consistency, and I think it makes a fine dessert or even breakfast item.  It can be baked ahead and reheated at the same temperature.  It also reheats in the microwave very well.  The mixture can be made and refrigerated a day or two ahead and baked later.  

5 slices firm bread (I like Italian)

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

20 ounces crushed pineapple with juice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

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This is an "old-timey" kind of pie, delicious and rich!  

9 inch pie shell

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temp.

1-1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup raisins (golden or regular)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  With a mixer, combine eggs, sugar, and butter, beating until smooth.  Add the vinegar, vanilla, and lemon juice.  Pour the mixture into the pie shell.  Bake for 40 minutes or until set in the center.  You can test it by sticking a dinner knife into the filling near the center.  If it comes out gooey, bake it a little longer.  The knife should come out damp, but the liquid should be clear.

I love this recipe.  It drives me crazy, but I still love it!  The crust is very tender and I have a hard time managing getting it into the pan in one piece.  In fact, I have resigned myself to NOT getting it in, in one piece.  I roll the crust out, cut it into manageable portions and piece it together in the pan by overlapping the edges a little and pressing them together.  No one ever knows the difference.  When they are in season you can use three pounds of fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced.  Just toss them with a couple tablespoons of lemon juice to keep them from discoloring.  The directions look long and complicated - they're not complicated, just make sure and read through them a couple of times to make sure you have the order of events down.  They are long because I tried to make them as easily understood as possible.   

Crust:

2-1/2 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening

1 egg

1/4 cup icy cold water

4 cups dry beans or rice for weighting the crust (the crust may bubble up in the center if you don't)

Mix flour, 3 tablespoons sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Use a pastry blender to work the shortening in until the mixture is crumbly.  In another bowl, beat the egg and water together until well mixed and a little frothy.  Sprinkle a little egg mixture over the flour mixture and toss the crumb mixture with a fork.    Repeat until you have used up all of the egg mixture.  Use your hands to gather the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disk about one inch thick.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for half an hour.   

After chilling, divide the dough in half.  Return one half to the refrigerator.  Roll the other half 1/8 inch thick and place in a 9x13 baking dish.  The dough needs to completely cover the bottom and come half way up the sides of the pan (remember, piecing the dough is ok).  Trim the dough so that the edges are even.  Place a sheet of foil inside the pan on top of the crust.  Place the dry beans or rice on top of the foil.  Bake the crust for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and lift off the foil and beans.  Return the crust to the oven and bake another 5 minutes or so.  Remove from the oven and cool while preparing filling.   

Filling:

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

2 pounds frozen peaches, partially thawed

In a large bowl combine the white and brown sugars, nutmeg, cinnamon and cornstarch.  Stir in orange juice and cooled butter.  Stir in sliced peaches (and any juice from thawing).  Set aside.  

Top crust:

Remove remaining half of dough from refrigerator.  Roll it 1/4 inch thick (this is thicker than the bottom crust) and slice into 1/2 inch wide strips. 

Pour the filling into the bottom crust and weave the crust strips into a lattice pattern on top of the peaches.  If this is too complicated, just lay strips lengthwise over the peaches and then place strips crosswise over the top and forget getting fancy!  Trim the strips so that they are just a little past the edge of the bottom crust.  Fold the ends of the strips underneath themselves.  

Topping: