Over the weekend I made a ham pot pie for my niece's family. She'd mentioned that ham pot pie was her husband's favorite and I wanted to make a ham for my family, but knew I'd have a lot of ham left over.

Ham pot pie is a delicious way to use your leftover holiday ham. So I've posted my recipe.

Now...this is a made up recipe. It's probably not like a normal ham pot pie recipe! LOL But it's delicious.

Enjoy!

susan
THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS 11/09

1 box (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box. (I use Pillsbury.)

1 cup of diced potatoes
1 large onion
1/2 bag of frozen green beans
1 cup of diced ham
2 cups of "juice" from ham
2 tbs flour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bring juice to boil, add potatoes and onion. Boil for 15 minutes.

While boiling, make flour and water paste. When the potatoes and onions have boiled for 15 minutes, add the flour and water paste to "thicken" the juice of the potato and onion mixture.

Set aside.

Unroll crusts. Line 9" pie pan with first crust.

Layer frozen green beans on the bottom of the crust. Approx 1/2 a bag should make one nice row of beans.

Place diced ham on top of frozen beans.

Pour enough of the potato/onion/gravy mixture to fill pie "almost" to the top.

Place second crust on top of pie. Poke holes in the top crust for ventilation.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. (You might have to cover the edge of the crust with a strip of aluminum foil to keep from burning in the last 15minutes or so.)

Let stand five minutes before serving.

My younger sister, Laura, makes one of the best linguine salads for picnics. With the Fourth of July looming, I thought this would make a great addition for the blog. My mouth watered just typing the recipe! LOL

1 Tomato, chopped
1 Cucumber, chopped
1 Box Linguine
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
1 Bottle (8 oz.) Italian salad dressing
3/4 Bottle McCormick Salad Supreme

Cook linguine and drain. Pour dressing over linguine immediately, toss. Add chopped ingredients; sprinkle with Salad Supreme. Toss lightly, refrigerate and serve cold.

This week as I was leafing through the cookbook to choose a recipe to post, I came upon Mary's Cakey Fruit Pie and I thought...It's too bad I can't post the pictures with the recipes in this book.

The picture with my sister Mary's recipe is a picture of her and her youngest son Davey. Davey is a cute kid. Very happy. Kinda crazy. All of Mary's kids are outgoing and fun. Fun to be with. Her Daughter Stephanie turned 21 last week and wanted all of us to wear mini-skirts and high heels to go out with her for her first official (read: Legal) drinks in a bar.

Those of who tossed our miniskirts out during the Clinton administration had to beg off.

But seriously, the real fun of this cookbook is the pictures. All of us are represented at various ages and weights. With hair styles that somebody in some era obviously thought was a good idea.

Reading the book, using the recipes, is like being there with our family. Remembering things we'd forgotten.

Once again, I have to thank my sister Tammy for taking charge and getting this done!

susan

1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups fruit pie filling (apple or peach)
1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup sugar

Mix oil and 1 cup sugar together. Add one egg at a time and beat after each egg. Add vanilla, baking powder and flour; mix together.

Grease cake pan and pour half of the patter into the pan. Mix cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar together; sprinkle half over batter. Add fruit pie filling. Add remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture onto the batter. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Janette is one of my younger sisters. I've always admired her abilities as a homemaker. She doesn't just cook. She also sews and decorates. She's one of those women with lots and lots of natural abilities. And she's cute too. LOL

Meatballs have always been a main staple in our family. You can serve them with spaghetti or ravioli or on a sandwich. It's especially good if you have leftovers!

Hope you enjoy Janette's garlic meatballs!

susan