How to Stretch a Ham

A couple times a year a make a ham and then feel challenged to come up with dishes in which to use it all week.  Pretty economical considering I bought the ham around Christmas when they were on sale and threw it in the freezer.  I take on the same challenge with turkey each year.  I started by baking the ham the best way I have found so far.  It is incredibly delicious and very easy.  Here is the link to the recipe:
http://www.alaskanbeer.com/component/rapidrecipe/smoked-porter-ham-glaze.html
It calls for Alaskan Smoked Porter. I understand that beer by this awesome brewery is not available everywhere so I'm sure any smoked porter could be substituted.  Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the finished ham because we torn into it pretty quickly.  Trust me when I say it was a beautiful sight...

Besides enjoying out of the fridge and on the obvious ham sandwiches I made Ham and Bean soup for the first rollover recipe using the ham bone.

 MMmmmm.  This recipe was from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Rinse 1 c. dried navy beans, combine with 4c. water, bring to a boil then simmer for 2 min.  Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hr covered.  (You could also used canned beans and skip this step).  Drain and rinse.  Combine beans, ham bone, 1 1/2c. chopped celery, 1c. chopped onion, 3/4 t dried thyme, pepper to taste, a bay leaf, and 4 cups fresh water.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hr.  Remove bone and cut meat off, add extra ham meat from leftovers if not a lot on bone.  Mash up the beans (I just used a potato masher).  Then I added 1 box chopped frozen spinach (thawed and wrung in a kitchen towel) to heat through.  You could also add carrots, parsnips, or rutabaga (really whatever other root veggies you like) during the last 15 min.  Delicious!

Next up, Mac & cheese. 
The basic roadmap for this comes from Rachael Ray.  I've tweaked here and there along the way to make it easier on the calorie and fat counts.  Start by boiling 1lb of favorite mac and cheese pasta, I used whole grain elbows.  In a large skillet melt 2T butter, add 2 T flour and make a roux, cook out for a min or 2.  Add 2 c. milk (I cut cals using skim here) and wisk to thicken.  Once thickened add 1T favorite mustard (spicy brown) and 8oz shredded cheese of choice (2% med cheddar here), turn off heat and stir until cheese is melted.  Combine drained pasta w/ cheese sauce, add diced ham and some thawed frozen or steamed broccoli.  Now, Eric has "texture" issues and barely tolerates broccoli invading his food.  So, in order to get him to participate in eating leftovers I have found that serving the broccoli on the side works best for us.  If it was up to me I would load up on broccoli and cauliflower.  Pour into a casserole and top with bread crumbs, panko, or toasted slivered almonds, whatever floats your boat. Bake at 350 for 10-15min, until toppings browned, then eat!

 The last of our delicious ham leftovers was used in Potato soup.  I normally only make one soup, but, since it's January and this is my husband' most favorite, I consented.  This doesn't have a "real" recipe and it is slightly different each time I make it. It is based off my Mom's recipe and I tweak here and there.  Here is the basics:
 Saute a couple stalks of chopped celery (with leafy tops if present), 1 med chopped onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper in a drizzle of olive oil until soft (I have been known to thrown in a chopped leak or 2 here as well).  Add 1-2 T butter and melt.  Add 2 T flour and mix up to make a kind of celery and onion paste and cook out 1-2 min.  Add 1-ish cup of chicken stock or broth and stir to combine with the flour.  Then add 3-4 more cups (I keep quarts on hand and just eyeball it).  Add ham bone or chopped ham and 4-6 potatoes peeled and sliced, add more liquid to cover potatoes if needed.  I have used yellow, russet, and red potatoes and it always turns out delicious.  Add more stock if needed to cover.  Simmer until potatoes are soft then grab that handy masher and squish some of them up until it's to your liking.  Add a dash of nutmeg at the end and adjust salt and pepper.  It will be the best potato soup you've ever had, I promise. 

And there you have it, 4 complete meals (not including sandwiches and ham straight up) 1 ham at about 15 bucks, I had most of the other ingredients on hand. And we are still eating the leftovers...

 In other news, we should probably consider kids soon, I worry that we are turning it to "those people"...

New 'do

So I cut my long hair off in November to about my shoulders.  But, once you go short, it is my experience that you just want to go shorter.  So I had a visit at the salon today

 And the back

I pretty much love it (although taking pictures of yourself is awkward).  I have decided that a good hair stylist must possess mind-reading skills.  I have never been the type to bring in a magazine picture and say "this is what I want".  Instead, I give vague suggestions like "I think I may want some bangs, but I hate hair to be in my eyes", or "How about shorter?  But no dramatic angles".  And my dear Maggie hits it on the head every time and is also very good at separating my sleep-deprived, just-came-off-a-night-shift ideas from what I really want.  So if you live in the northern front range and need a good stylist, I've got one for you!

We then decided that the dogbert needed a bath.  Look how pathetic she is

This is the same dog that can  not be kept out of the shallowest of puddles let alone rivers or lakes.  She acts like we are torturing her.  But then she is fluffy and soft for a few weeks and it makes the torture worthwhile.

 

A Sunday Afternoon Drive

Working evening and night shifts can make you feel daylight-deprived every once in a while.  This weekend I was off and we didn't have any plans.  We weren't up for a weekend getaway so I just suggested a scenic drive starting with the foothills that are, literally, across the street.  I was just kind of going stir crazy and its been too cold and blustery for a hike.  But the sun was shining  so we loaded up the dog and planned to just see where the roads took us and try to turn where we hadn't turned before.  Within the first 5 minutes we saw lots of deer crossing

Then, as we round the bend up the hill, this sight never ceases to take my breath away

The Horsetooth Resevoir.  So pretty, even if it is man-made.  We continued our journey and were soon on to uncharted territory within the foothills.  Many pretty houses and estates to be seen as well as horses and other livestock-y animals.  I am always amazed how quickly you can get away from urban living here.  And it seems to be custom to name your property "Something Ranch" with some sort of archway over the driveway.  Even if there seems to be nothing ranch-y about the place.  Oh well, I guess if you live in the heart of the foothills or mountains more than 30min away from the closest gas station you can do as you please. There is an alluring quality to it for sure

After about an hour we were gaining on familiar territory for us and were spit out in the Poudre Canyon (Yes, pronounced "pooder", go ahead and giggle), which was fine with us, we love the Poudre!

Tunnel!

By this time, Cass was feeling pretty bummed due to the lack of hiking that was occurring, I guess she doesn't appreciate scenery

So we decided to pull off and let her explore a bit.  She found some snow to to roll in

And was confused as to what was wrong with the river she usually swims in

And then we headed home.  Overall, just what I needed, to soak up the Colorado winter sun and scenery, even if it was through the car windows.  Now we polish off the weekend by baking a ham just because and watching football.  The playoffs haven't gone our way in the slightest and we are still nursing broken hearts over our Packers, but life goes on.  How was your Sunday?

Wonton-ing

So thought I might share some of my cooking adventures.  First off, I love to cook.  I find it relaxing (ironic, I know) and rewarding, and, I just love food.  Mostly I cook in the Rachael Ray style, I really appreciate  her approach to cooking that involves very little measuring and encouraging to make it your own.  Plus most of her recipes use basic foods (not a lot of processed mixes, etc.) and are pretty easy.  That being said I thought I would stretch my comfort zone a little.  I asked for this cook book for Christmas after seeing him on the (surprise) Rachael Ray Show demo-ing some of the recipes, plus I liked the concept:  

 (Ignore the "click to look inside", just a photo from Amazon)

Many of the recipes in here are the "classics" made the classic way, and there are some scary recipes that call for things like oxtails and rabbit, I may be brave in the kitchen but not that brave.  So anyway, there was a recipe for wonton soup, which I LOVE.  It was a bit time consuming but I was very pleased with the outcome.  It started by steeping the broth for about an hour in just mushroom stems and scallions.  I thought this was a little much but it really did make a difference to the taste.  Then came the fun part, wonton making! I must confess that it was not entirely from scratch as I cheated and bought wonton wrappers, I don't think I have the patience to roll dough that thin.  The filling was a pork and shrimp base, then I got to wontoning!  If you ever find yourself making wontons, the trick is to have a dry surface but a small bowl of water nearby, wet your fingers and trace around whichever edge you are sealing, it was like magic.

  Aren't they PRETTY?!!  I think I squealed like a little girl when they where done, Eric though I had lost it getting so excited about my own food, but, hey, they were hard work!  From this point it was smooth sailing, just combining all the veggies (which there were a lot: snap peas, napa cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, to name a few) with the broth and it turned out sooo much better than anything I have had from a Chinese restaurant.   

 It makes my mouth water just thinking about it again.  The only downside I saw to this recipe was that the wontons got a little soggy and fell apart in the leftovers.  I think next time I will freeze the uncooked wontons separately from the broth and make the soup on different days, or just invite over some friends!

Redefining Expectations

Let me start off by saying there is not a nursing shortage in this part of the country at this time.  Being a new grad RN is tough.  To put it in perspective, a nursing manager said that for each position posted for New Grad RN, they receive between 200-300 applicants.  Ouch.  I didn't realize this when I went to nursing school, although it wouldn't have changed my decision one bit. 

 When I graduated I was so incredibly anxious to find a job.  It was my turn to start making money and contribute to our family (personal pressure, not from Eric at all), and all I wanted to to was be the nurse that I had worked so hard to become.  I applied to many many many hospital jobs, many I wasn't qualified for, but hey, gotta try right?  As the rejection emails started pouring in I was definitely getting discouraged (mind you this was only over a couple weeks but it felt like months), after all, I got good grades, had good references and relevant prior experience.  I expanded my search to include (gulp) long term care facilities.  Low and behold I got a call for an interview.  It was for long term care but what did I care?  Someone actually thinks I just may be worth investing in and will actually PAY ME to be a nurse!!  Hooray! Skip ahead to me getting the job offer.

I was very excited to start working and I jumped right in.  But there was still a nagging voice in the back of my head saying "this isn't the kind of nurse you wanted to be, you need to be in the hospital taking care of REALLY sick people" I told that voice to be quiet, at least I had a job.  I was fortunate to be assigned to the rehab (physical, not chemical rehab) wings and learned very quickly that I was doing SO much more than just passing meds.  I was assessing, delegating, prioritizing.  I was calling doctors and family members. I was identifying declining conditions and sending residents to the ER. I was performing most of the nursing tasks I learned in labs and clinicals, I was being a nurse. 

Then it started to dawn on me, I was now a part of a really great team.  I really kind of loved my job, and it surprised me!  I got to see people get better and go home, make a difference in their daily life, and be there at the very end of a life.  I was now part of a wonderful culture of nurses.  Regardless of where we were educated, how much experience we had, or where we practiced the art of nursing, we shared the commonality of nursing, and boy is it a great club to be a part of. 

So I have had to redefine my expectations and embrace this unexpected turn.  It's not how I thought my nursing career would start but I am thankful every day that I have had this opportunity.  I am a nurse.  I am a rehab nurse, a geriatric nurse, and a hospice nurse.  And, yes, a long term care nurse.  I say all of those things with pride now instead of followed by, "well, I really want to be a NICU or Peds nurse".  I still have that goal in mind, but I am happy to wait for that door to open in its own time.  For now, I'm just proud to be a nurse.

Two cents on Tebow

I don't know about the rest of the country but CO has gone a little Tebow crazy.  Broncos fans are an interesting bunch.  Let me give you some background first.  When we first moved out here in 2006 Broncos fans were in an uproar over QB Jake Plummer.  He was a decent player, but no John Elway.  I was shocked to hear self-proclaimed life-long Broncos fans cursing him and saying things like "I'll never watch the Broncos again" and giving up their season tickets.  I guess I may have a  little jaded perspective on what it means to be a sports fan, I am, after all, from IL.  And a Cubs fan.  And an Illini fan.  Not a Bears fan thank god, but the Packers have given me plenty of seasons of heartache and I love them just the same.  So us IL sports team fans know what it is like to root for your team through thick and thin, we are even a little sadistic perhaps.

  When we moved here we took full advantage of the opportunity to root for the home teams (except when they play the Cubs or Packers of course) and go to many games.  We watched as the Broncos run out coach Mike Shannahan, and 2 more quarterbacks.  Then, as Josh Mcdaniels was gutting the home team from the inside out a spark of hope was aquired.....Tim Tebow. 

From his first season as a the 2nd string QB his jersey sold more than the starter Kyle Orton.  Where else does that happen?!  What is wrong with these fans? I have asked myself time and time again.  I started feeling sorry for Orty (or "Old Neck Beard" as Eric calls him)  I mean, he's not THAT bad.  But, as was apparent at the Chargers v Broncos game we were at, the average Broncos fan was not as supportive, basically booing him off the field, then going crazy when Tebow was put in a was successful at a couple trick plays.  Then they started him.  And then he started winning.  And this beautiful state in which I live went Tebow crazy.

Each week I shook my head in disbelief as his awful passes were somehow caught, or he managed to slip through and run the ball.    And I thought, why does this guy bug me?  I didn't go this far though:

http://www.sweaterpunch.com/2011/12/grown-man-throws-a-tim-tebow-tantrum/

(I hope that link works, never put one in before)
I think it's great that he has such strong faith, that humility and conviction is pretty rare these days.  Thank goodness there is a positive role model in sports.  I also think he has brought good sportsmanship back to light.  He always shakes hands with everyone.  He never takes the bait in interviews and is always positive.  Maybe we are all still looking for the crazy to come out, but so far, he is pretty darn genuine.  But, bottom line, he's really not that good.  But maybe that doesn't matter, he inspires his team to play better and, somehow, they make it work.  You can never accuse this guy of not working hard, that's for sure.  And here in CO he makes for some humorous news stories.  Not sure how this reflects our the state of things here when every 3rd story on the News is Tebow-related. 

 
But when people teach their animals to "Tebow" I find it pretty amusing.  We even have a sea lion at the zoo that can Tebow! And predicts winners (he just predicted a Patriots win though, as do I). 

We'll see  how much farther they go and I'll continue to cheer on the home team and chuckle at the amount of news coverage and how a last name has become a verb.   But if they play the Packers, watch out, my heart really belongs to Aaron Rodgers.  

Embarking on the blogging adventure

Well here we go!  I love reading the blog posts of my friends and family as we are spread from coast to coast so I though I would contribute!  While I am not sure exactly the direction this blog will take I am sure it will include tales from my job as an RN, cooking endeavors, hiking and camping experiences, and just the general goings on as we navigate life in a state we love but miles away from family and friends.