Christmas Means Hope

I was reflecting on how many people I know who have lost loves ones this year. The list is really, really long. My mom will be spending her first Christmas without her mom. My cousin lost her 14-year-old son in a dirt bike accident. Another dear friend lost her 15-year-old son to an undiagnosed heart condition. And several of my friends have lost parents and grandparents, many unexpectedly. At a time of year when families come together, these families will be hurting and grieving their losses.

And yet, in spite of the sadness, there is hope.

Why? Because Jesus came to give hope. Hope of eternal life. Hope of seeing those loved ones again. Hope of comfort and strength when we can't go on. Jesus came to make a way of salvation. For all of us, if we'll simply receive His gift.

So in the midst of the tears, there can still be joy. There can still be peace.

Thank You, Jesus. Thank You for leaving Your throne in heaven and coming to this sinful earth. Thank You for making a way for us to live eternally with You.

Quick Peanut Butter Fudge

Okay, I'm done with the leftover ham recipes for now. But with Christmas just around the corner, you might find yourself in need of a quick sweet treat. Well, peanut butter fudge never has been quicker! All you need are two ingredients.

one 18-oz jar of peanut butter
one can of vanilla frosting

That's it!

Place the peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 15 seconds or until it stirs very easily. Add the frosting and mix until well blended.



Pat into a greased 8x8 pan and refrigerate for an hour.


Cut into small squares while cold.

Leftover Ham Recipe #4 Ham Broccoli Quiche

This is the last of my leftover ham recipes. I hope you've found some inspiration for using up the remains of your yummy Christmas ham.

I acquired this recipe shortly after I was married and have just recently dug it back out. It's a basic quiche recipe, not too eggy which I really like. Even my kids gobble it up, so it's a great way to use up ham leftovers. But deli ham works perfectly fine, too.

Here's what you need:

1 9-inch pastry shell
1 cup diced ham (smoked ham is great in this)
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1 cup half and half or milk
1/2 teas garlic powder
1/2 teas onion powder
1/2 teas seasoned salt
dash of black pepper

Layer the ham, broccoli and cheese in the pastry shell.


In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, cream or milk and spices together.


Pour over the entire pie shell. Cover the edges of the crust with foil or a pie shield. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the filling is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


Let the quiche set for 10 minutes before cutting.


*Note - to avoid the possibility of a soggy crust, prebake your pie shell for 10 minutes, making sure to cover the edges with foil or a pie shield. I generally don't do this because we have a convection oven and it cooks pretty evenly. But you might try it if you have trouble with uneven baking in your oven.


You can customize the savory ingredients to your family's preferences. Swap out the ham for sausage or bacon. Try Swiss cheese instead of cheddar. Forego the broccoli for spinach or mushrooms. Use your imagination....and use up those leftovers!

Leftover Ham Recipe #3 Ham and White Bean Soup

One of the best parts about having ham for dinner is having a leftover bone or two with which to make soup. It imparts such wonderful flavor to soup and reduces the amount of seasonings you need to use.

I make this soup in the crockpot. And you'll need a big crockpot.

Here's the ingredient list:

1 ham bone
1 cup diced ham
4 cups chicken broth
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 teas minced garlic
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
2 cans (15 oz each) white beans, drained and rinsed well
2 teas cumin
1/4 teas black pepper
Water, optional

Put all the ingredients into a large crockpot. If there's any room left after the bone, veggies, beans and spices, add a little water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the ham bone from the pot. Scrape off any meat still clinging to the bone and return the meat to the crockpot.

This soup is delicious! The cumin adds a smokiness to the broth and the veggies soak up all the wonderful ham flavor. It's even better the next day, if you can prevent your family from sopping it all up right away.

Leftover Ham Recipe #2 - Cheesy Ham and Veggie Shells

This is the second recipe in the Leftover Ham series. Since Christmas dinner is coming and many people will have ham, I thought it would be a great idea to share some ways to use up leftovers.

I found this recipe over at Finding Joy in My Kitchen. SnoWhite is an excellent cook, and I always enjoy her recipes. I tweaked this one a bit using the veggies I had on hand. But broccoli is an excellent choice, as is zucchini. The beauty of this recipe is you can clean out the ham leftovers as well as your veggies!

Here's what you need:

1 lb shell pasta, cooked according to package directions
2 cups chopped veggies (I used red pepper, mushrooms and onions)
2 teas minced garlic
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped ham
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan, heat some olive oil. Add the chopped veggies and garlic and cook until soft.


Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to coat well.


Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly. The mixture should start to thicken. If it gets too thick, add some more milk until the reaches the consistency you want.



Now stir in the cheese until is completely melted. Add the ham.


Finally, stir in the cooked pasta shells and make sure everything is covered with the cheesy sauce.


The sauce will thicken upon standing, so if you need to reheat this, add a bit more milk.

Leftover Ham - Simple Yeast Roll Sandwiches

Ham is a popular main dish to serve for Christmas dinner around these parts. We all love it. But inevitably, we have leftovers. And then I'm trying to find ways to use the ham without wasting any. So this week before Christmas, I'll feature some ham recipes using leftovers so hopefully you can use up all your leftover Christmas ham.

One of the easiest way to use up leftovers is to make sandwiches. You can use regular bread if you want, but my family loves these little bite-sized sandwiches made from yeast rolls.


Here's what you need:

1 pkg frozen yeast rolls, baked according to the package directions
Leftover sliced or chopped ham
Cheddar or Swiss cheese slices (You can use shredded, too, if you don't have slices)
Mustard, if desired
1 TBSP butter, melted
1/4 teas garlic powder
1/4 teas onion powder

When the yeast rolls are cool enough to handle, split each one. Spread mustard inside if desired. Layer with ham and cheese. Place on a baking sheet. Combine the butter, garlic powder, and onion powder. Brush over the little sandwiches. Stick in the oven at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted.

Then stand back and see how quickly these yummy bites are gobbled up. Super easy and super delicious!

Menu Plan December 18-24

The final countdown has begun. One week until Christmas! Is everyone else excited, too?

This past weekend was filled with food and fellowship. Friday night we had dinner with friends who are very special to us. We ate and ate and ate. Saturday night we attended our Sunday School class Christmas party. We ate and ate and ate. Then today we went out to dinner courtesy of some friends. We ate and ate and ate. The server even gave us our dessert for free!

The moral of the story is, don't overindulge in rich foods this last week before Christmas. You will be miserable if you do. And who wants to be miserable for Christmas? Tonight we're paying for it with upset tummies and trips to the bathroom. Enough said.

Now on to this week's menu.

Sunday
Out to eat

Monday
Asian meatballs over rice, sesame green beans

Tuesday
Cheesy Vegetable Chowder, homemade bread

Wednesday
Parmesan crusted pork chops, buttered noodles, roasted carrots

Thursday
Pesto chicken pasta, broccoli

Friday
Tacos, cheesy fiesta potatoes

Saturday
Pizza soup, garlic breadsticks

For more meal planning inspiration, visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.