Crock Pot Ham Sandwiches

I'm falling in love hard and fast with my Crock Pot. I've always been a fan, but lately, it's showing me new wonders I've never beheld. You think I'm exaggerating, but this is for real. We all know the standard fare for slow cookers...pot roast, chilis, delicious things of that nature. But I'm on a new kick of making anything and everything in the old girl. I'll start with something a little more "normal."

HONEY GLAZED HAM! Last month for Easter Sunday, I was faced with what I'm sure is an age-old dilemma: too many hot dishes and not enough oven space (#firstworldproblems). Even if I could have used our first-floor neighbor's oven (he was joining us for our meal), I didn't want to keep coming back through our church service next door to keep glazing the pig. TK suggested we use the Crock Pot and I was sure some genius out there had already figured out the details.

I hit the jackpot with a recipe from this website. To. Die. For....and I'm seriously not even a ham person. It was beyond simple and tasted like Easter perfection. My husband raved about it for over a week in April so I made it again this past weekend for some gourmet ham sandwiches he wanted to make. It worked again like magic.

Here's what you do: stuff that ham (bone in, ready-to-eat) into your crock pot...depending on your slow cooker's size, you won't want to get a ham that is over 8 pounds. It's a snug fit...and I mean snug. Mix up 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons thyme and pour it over the ham into the slow cooker.




Set your Crock Pot to low and leave it be for 6 hours. That's it. THAT'S IT for a perfect ham. Look at that meat fall off the bone. Even though it slides right off, it stays relatively intact so that you can traditionally slice it and dice it.




We served ours up on a pretzel role, with provolone cheese and a special mayo/ranch/mustard concoction. Like I said, I'm not that much of a ham person...but now I might be. Enjoy! Little dudesicle liked it too...

Country Boy

I'm a country girl at heart.

I can admit that living in Chicago has it's perks, but my husband and I - we were made for the countryside. As we contemplate our eventual move to the more rural life we desire require, we're trying to make a point of visiting what nature we can as time allows...especially so our mini me can catch the bug himself.


This weekend we went out to Palos Heights Forest Preserve and had a grand old time. Each time we've visited, Sawyer has the time of his life on the hills, trails, and water.



Throwing rocks into the water gives him a thrill only a two-year-old could get from doing the same thing, repeatedly, for forty-five minutes. When he's having the time of his life, so am I.



My favorite boy and I were finally were able to take a picture together...sweet thing! He took a major face-plant in the parking lot before we got to the lake, so his forehead, nose, and upper lip are a little worse for the wear...but that'll happen when you're enjoying the great outdoors. Man I love this kid...stop growing up!!!

Johnson Made

One reason my blogging has been sparse (I know, that's a generous adjective) has been due to a job I got about two years ago. I started a new position at my organization as its Web Content Manager, and basically it means that I'm responsible for the text, timeliness, and content of their website. As a librarian, this has been a great match for me since I love organizing information. As a girl who grew up wanting to be an artist and as someone who's been into textile arts, the job has also exposed me to the art of web and graphic design.

My director/co-worker/friend Ben has been instrumental in mentoring me in my new-found interest and I can't thank him enough for his patience, willingness, and interest in showing me the ropes. He's an amazingly talented artist who is always curious about new techniques, knows solid design (but also when to "break the rules," and works his butt off.

Since starting my job and practicing this new "craft," I've also been doing freelance work on the side to bring home some extra bacon...Mama's got mouths to feed. I've also pursued my side-work to continuously learn more; "practice makes better" is what my mom always says, and I agree. I plan to share some of my work and the new things I'm learning here on the old blog too if you don't mind!

If you're interested in my work or need a website built, check out my portfolio and information here at Johnson Made...I'd love to hear from you!

Aaaand We're Back!

Anyone there still checking this blog? Anyone? Bueller? It's been more than a couple months since I last posted, but I won't bore you with excuses...I'll try and pump this sucker back to life with some activity in the coming weeks and months.

This spring has been a good one, full of some downs but mostly ups. Our biggest "up" every day is our sweet boy who continues to grow and grow. Here's some of what we've been up to from the last several weeks.

Time for Cheesy Potatoes

I'm having one of those Januarys. One where it's nasty outside and you can't think of anything fun to do. One where you sort of just want to hibernate like other sane mammals and just wake up in the Spring. Seriously, most days I feel like I've been bored out of my mind or motivated to do nothing but feel sorry anyone who's with me in this miserable, cold weather.

That's when it's time for cheesy potatoes. We had a potluck at church this weekend, so I figured it was a good time to bring out the big guns. There are many things I love about my church, but one of them is that we know how to throw a potluck. We're a pretty young demographic, so sometimes the traditional sides aren't plentiful...which is why I "take it upon myself" to make the most conventional, classic potluck offering of all time! This recipe is from my dearest mother-in-law who is a potluck goddess to be sure. I realize this picture maybe looks less than appetizing, but I promise every bite is a dream come true.

Here's the recipe for those who need a potluck dish, or a January pick-me-up. I scooped out a serving for myself before the meal so that I could be sure to get some...and so I could bring some cheese-filled goodness to my cold, lame winter.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs cubed frozen hashbrowns
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can cream of chicken or potato soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 10 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation

1. Mix all ingredients putting potatoes in last. Place in 9x13 inch dish. Crush 1 pkg Ritz crackers and mix with 6 tbsp melted margarine. Put this mixture on top of potatoes for the last 20 minutes.
2. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Potted Christmas Tree

I don't have one, but I want one. Our Christmas tree this year is a bit of a wreck, so I'm not even going to bother posting about it...it's uninspired, rather bare, and a bit ragged. Undoubtedly, any Christmas tree is a wonderful, soul-soothing site to behold, but this year's tree has got me to thinking about what kind of tree I really want. (All images from Martha Stewart.com)

I'm not ready to give up the traditional tree for the holidays, but I've become enamored with the idea of a living, potted Christmas tree. I'm sure it's been all the rage, but I just didn't know about them until now.

Imagine a small tree or two spaced throughout your house, decorated with love, and smelling up the place with an evergreen, perfect scent of Christmas. Imagine with me after the season is over, planting your Christmas tree(s) in the old backyard instead of throwing it out with the wrapping paper and other holiday waste. It's kind of ludicrous to think that every year we discard such a symbol of the season with the rest of the trash.

What I need is a backyard though. For now, this city slicker will have to settle for a rosemary plant to scratch my living Christmas tree itch. Anyway, aren't they pretty?