Let's just say I'm happy Thanksgiving is over. No turkeys were harmed on my behalf for this holiday. But at the last minute I bought a ham. The fella at the store said it was already cooked; all I'd have to do was heat it up.
So after watching Martha Stewart over the years, I put a glaze on it like I'd seen her do--mustard/brown sugar/ pineapple, and baked it for an hour.
Hah! Warm it up? It was so tough I couldn't eat it, so I put it in a pot with a can of pineapple chunks with juice and simmered it for three hours. That softened it up. I finally sliced it up and it now resides in the freezer, where someday I'll find a use for it.

Then I tried making a pumpkin pie. The recipe is on the side of the can, and seemed so simple, just four ingredients.
The can of pumpkin, 2 eggs, a can of sweetened condensed milk, some nutmeg or whatever you like, mix it up and pour in a nine inch pie crust (frozen in my case.)
After an hour, the rim of the crust was very dark, and the pie looked done, so I took it out. It wasn't done enough. It tasted dismayingly eggy and the bottom crust was soft. Back in the oven for 30 more minutes, with tin foil covering the crust--the only part of the pie that was thoroughly cooked. After that re-bake, though, it tasted good. I still haven't figured out how to make a bottom crust flaky when you're making a wet pie filling. Maybe it isn't possible.


As for dressing, and I always prided myself on that, but I found a pan of SYSCO brand cornbread dressing at the store that beats mine hands down. Just delicious.
For Christmas, I WILL Not be doing any ham baking or pie making, or dressing. I've got another pan of that SYSCO dressing in the freezer. I know a restaurant that sells delicious pies, and will get one there. I might roast a chicken, and that's it. Martha would be horrified at my ineptness, so I'm gonna have to let her ideals slide by the wayside. Sorry Martha!

susil