Ham and Sweet Potato Chowder

Now that Christmas is over, you're probably stuck with a myriad of leftovers. I know, it was days ago, but the only leftovers that matter are still good. Especially that ham. Mmmm...ham.

It's no secret around here that ham is my favorite meat. (I even have a little 'I love ham' song that my son has started to sing. It's so cute...) I usually make one a couple times a year because it's such an easy, delicious meal. If you grab a couple when they're on sale and stick them in your freezer then it's awesome, too. It's a great budget friendly food because you can get quite a few meals out of one ham. Super awesome, right? With the leftovers from one ham, I got this soup (three to four meals worth) and some super cute ham and cheese muffins (two to three meals worth). You just can't go wrong.

Peas with Roasted Garlic and Shallots

I hate peas. I'm just not a fan. They're bland and just don't have enough flavor for me to think they're exciting. My husband and son, on the other, love them. And hey, if it's a vegetable and my son will eat it, I'm making it!

Chocolate Coconut Clusters

You know how it goes when you want something...you just have to have it. Well, I was wanting something sweet after dinner one night and an Almond Joy sounded really good. My son got a couple when he was trick-or-treating, but well, those are long gone. Him and my husband both hate coconut so they were all mine. He, he.

The Ultimate Holiday Entertaining Check List and Guide

This past week, I was working on a new holiday email newsletter for a client and I thought I'd share some of the content on here. I like to include tips and tricks in every email and this particular one was holiday-related. Since the rest of the email focused on renting equipment for holiday parties, I thought I'd include a check list for entertaining. After some research, I ended up with is probably the most ultimate list ever. I dare you to find one list that includes more than this one does! Well, I'd like to believe that I included everything anyone could possibly think of, but there may be something I missed. If so, let me know!

Please add your own hints, tips, experiences to the comments so this can be the absolute best source for holiday entertaining!

Lemon Roasted Asparagus

I made Oven Roasted Asparagus with Garlic a few months ago and it has changed the entire way I look at asparagus. I was used to steamed asparagus which was good, but there was this fine line between cooked perfectly and mush. The oven roasted method pretty much eliminates the mush factor and produces a nice, crisp, perfectly cooked spear.

Crock Pot Zesty BBQ Meatloaf

Oh, meatloaf. The ultimate in family dinner foods...

Well, it didn't used to be around here but I think this one might become a trend. This meatloaf is actually the first 'traditional' meatloaf I've ever made. I used to make these Mini Mexican Meatloaves, but I never did the standard loaf one. I hated it when I was little so the idea just didn't appeal to me. My husband was the same way.

Since I started this whole blog thing though, I've tried to become more open to new (and some old) ideas. I've been doing the crock pot series so I thought I'd make up my own version of the 'classic' to see if it was what I remembered. Well, it wasn't. This one was actually good. So good, in fact, that my husband said I could make it every week for the rest of his life and he'd be happy. Let me tell you, for the seven and a half years we've been married, I've wanted nothing more than to make up a meal/food/dish/whatever that would make this non-foodie man I married say, "Wow." He just doesn't care much about food in general and I made it my goal a long time ago to make something that would spark his interest enough to evoke emotion about the food he was eating. It took awhile, but I finally did it with this meatloaf. Yes, he's 'liked' food I've made (if he didn't, he wouldn't eat it), but I wanted him to love it. And, boy did he love this meatloaf!

Crock Pot Meatless Lasagna

Lasagna in the crock pot? You better believe it!

I was a little leery at first, but as I was assembling everything, my confidence grew. I had no idea how it was going to turn out because this idea was completely foreign to me for a long time, but since I started doing the crock pot series, I've had to try out new ideas. And it's all been for the better!