AW’s Spicy Pineapple Glazed Ham

Ingredients:

1. Baking ham (bone-in or boneless)
2. purple grape juice – 2 1⁄2 cups
3. cola – 2 1⁄2 cups
4. sliced pineapple – 1 can (20 ounces)
5. brown sugar – 2 cups
6. spicy rub

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250° F.
2. Rinse ham &pat dry. Coat with spicy rub. If ham is not spiral cut, then cut 2 inch deep diagonal cuts on the ham for a more decorative finish when cooked.
3. Place ham in roasting pan (directly on the pan, not on a rack).  In roasting pan, pour 1-1⁄2 cups of coke and 1-1⁄2 cups grape juice. Then add enough water until the liquid reaches 1⁄2-inches deep. Cover ham with foil; crimp tightly around edge of roasting pan to seal in and retain moisture.
4. Place ham in oven and cook according to time specified on package.
5. Prepare the glaze by pouring 1 cup of grape juice, 1 cup of cola, all of the juice from the pineapple can, and brown sugar into a small sauce pan.  Simmer on low for 20 minutes until sauce is thick and shiny. Remove from heat and let sit at room temperature.
6. Check ham and when it reaches 100° F internally remove from oven.
7. Set oven temperature to 425° F.
8. Brush ham with 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 of the glaze mixture.  Place pineapple rings on ham and anchor with toothpicks (best to soak toothpicks beforehand).  When oven reaches new temperature return ham (uncovered) and bake for 15 minutes or until internal temperature is 140° F.
9. Remove ham and transfer to cutting board. Let ham rest for 15 minutes and then carve.
10. While ham is resting, return remaining portion of glaze to the stove. Using medium-low heat, warm glaze and drizzle over carved ham slices.

AW’s Green Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of broccoli
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• milk (one soup can amount); can substitute heavy cream but only use 3⁄4 of soup can amount.
• 1⁄2 pound Velveeta cheese (cut into small cubes)
• 3 cups steamed rice (note: fill water level to “2” on steam pot)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Saute broccoli in butter until thawed (if frozen) until soft.
3. In large mixing bowl add all ingredients and mix well.
4. Put mixture into large casserole dish and bake for 20-30 mins or until cheese has melted.

AW’s Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 5 bags cranberries; rinsed with bad berries removed
• dark Caribbean rum – 2 1⁄2 cups
• sweet white wine (moscato) – 2 1⁄2 cups
• zest and juice of one medium-sized orange
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 12 whole cloves
• 4 dashes ground nutmeg
• brown sugar (to taste)

Directions:

1. Put cloves & cinnamon stick (break up into smaller pieces) onto coffee filter and tie up so that all items are inside filter packet.
2. In tall-sided pot bring rum, wine, orange juice/zest, and brown sugar to a rolling boil. Put in clove/cinnamon stick packet and let boil for 5 minutes. Remove packet and discard.
3. Add berries and stir well. Return to boil then reduce heat to low. This is going to take a while to cook down to the consistency you like. Can use a potato masher to break up any berries that did not pop open. Stir often.
4. Add more brown sugar (to taste) until you get a good zangy hit of tartness followed by a mellowing bit of sweetness. Stir often.
5. Let cool completely.  Will keep for weeks!

AW’s Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

• Fresh green beans; ends cut off and strings removed
• Garlic
• Yellow Onion
• Bacon Grease
• Cream of Mushroom Soup (2)
• French-fried Onions (or use bread crumbs or crumbled Ritz crackers)
• Heavy cream (½ soup can amount)
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

NOTE: All ingredient amounts are “to taste”. This is my favorite style of cooking ’cause you just toss it all together and tweak it until you find the taste you are looking for.

1. Preheat oven to 375° (F).
2. In a deep pot, saute yellow onion and garlic in some extra virgin olive oil until onions are soft and translucent.
3. Add green beans and 1½ teaspoon of bacon grease. Cover beans with water and boil until beans are semi-soft.
4. Drain beans and return to the cooking pot. Add one can of soup and heavy cream. Stir until well blended.
5. Transfer mixture to greased casserole dish. Spread evenly and cover with shredded cheese.
6. Bake until soup is heated through and cheese has melted.
7. Remove from oven and cover casserole with second can of soup. Top with french-fried onions (or other options) and bake for 10-15 minutes more.

AW’s Chewy Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Base recipe source:  Food.com

Ingredients:

• Flour – 1½ cups
• Baking soda – 1 teaspoon
• Salt – ½ teaspoon
• Ground Cinnamon – ½ teaspoon
• Oats – 2½ cups
• Butter – 1 cup
• Brown Sugar – 1 cup
• Granulated Sugar – ½ cup
• Eggs – 2
• Honey – 1 tablespoon
• Vanilla Extract – 2 teaspoons
• Dried Cranberries – 1⅓ cup
• Chopped Pecans – ¾ cup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° (F).
2. Line cookie pan with parchment paper or spray with butter spray.
3. Mix dry ingredients (except the sugars) then add oats and pecans; stir well.
4. In a separate bowl beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and use a spatula to scrap down the edges of the bowl. Add honey and vanilla extract.  Beat mixture until well blended.
5. Add half of the dry mix into the batter and stir well.  Add remaining half of dry mix and stir until well blended.
6. Add cranberries and pecans and stir until well blended.
7. Put mixture onto cookie sheet and press down until mixture is level and touching each edge of the cookie sheet.
8. Bake for approximately 15 mins or until center is soft and no longer looks wet.
9. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to cutting board and cut into bars.  Place bars on rack to cool.

Wild Hog Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

• wild hog sausage
• chili powder
• garlic powder
• yellow onion
• jalapeno pepper
• shredded cheese
• eggs
• potatoes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and coat inside of casserole dish with butter or butter spray. Coarsely dice up potatoes, yellow onion and jalapeno.  Saute these in a pan until they begin to get soft. Add wild hog sausage and powders (to taste) and cook until sausage is cooked through completely.

Transfer to casserole dish in layers by putting in a small batch of the sausage mixture into the casserole dish and then top with shredded cheese.  Take 3 or 4 eggs and crack open over mixture. With a spatula, gently break up the egg yolks and then spread eggs over mixture.  Add more sausage mixture and top with shredded cheese and eggs (repeating the process of breaking up the eggs and spreading).

Place casserole dish in oven and cook until mixture is cooked thoroughly (roughly 25 to 30 minutes). Serve and eat as desired!!

TIP: Cut leftovers into serving sizes and place in sealable plastic bags and then freeze.

Joe Pool Lake – July 03, 2008

Lake Joe Pool – July 03, 2008

Fishing Partner: JW Smits
Air Temps – mid 90’s
Water Temp – 83
Skies – Sunny (small clouds dotting the sky periodically)
Moon Phase – new moon (+0)
Winds – Light, S/SW 10
Surface conditions – Calm to Choppy
Precipitation – None
Water Clarity – Stained to Muddy (mid-afternoon)
Structure/Cover Fished – Humps, flooded timber, brush, points, bridge pilings
Other Contributing Factors – Baitfish (loads of baitfish!), Heavy mayfly (spinnners) hatch

Fishing equipment used – Daiwa D-Shock spinning reel w/10# P-Line/Daiwa D-Force 6’6″ rod; Professional Angler 9’0″ custom rod / Daiwa D-Force spinning reel w/17# Berkely mono; Pinnacle Solene low-profile baitcaster with 12# P-line / Shakespeare Excursion graphite 6’6″ rod

Catch Count:
LMB = 1
Crappie = 0
WB = 0

My final outing on a 3-day fishing spree during my vacation.

Well today was another awesome day on the waters and I spent it with JW! When I arrived at JW’s house and saw the boat, I knew that we were going to have some serious fun!! Here’s a pic of the boat and then one of JW at the wheel.

Well we hit the water at Lynn Creek and headed off to the bassin hole! JW started off working with a small Rat-L-Trap and I started with malibu-style senko (did I mention I like those senkos?!). After JW’s fifth bass, I decided to give up on that senko and tie on my firetiger Rat-L-Trap. Well there were some hits but the ones doing the hitting were some young bucks and just not taking my offering. But I soon found out that string, rocks and a sunken tree branch just loved that firetiger Rat-L-Trap. So much so, that one rock decided to keep it all to himself!! We began working some sunken cedars… JW on a modified carolina-rigged lizard and I on my Texas-rigged senko. All of a sudden WHAMMO BLAMMO!! I had a lunker on and it was takin’ drag!!! I’m a-reelin’ and a-reelin’ and wondering when this lunker is going to surface!!! And then JW says, “Are you hung up?”. I stop and suddenly realize that I am!!! Thanks JW… just couldn’t let me live in the moment any longer could ya?!

I went back through the motions trying to figure out what had just occurred. There was definitely a serious THUMP! and that line did suddenly move to the right. After going through the motions a couple of times, JW and I surmised that it was a 7-pound bass that hit the senko and then got me all wrapped up in that cedar. I shall have my revenge on that bass one day!

Now it was time for some crappie fishing. Once on the humps and near the secret ‘house’ location, we set up our spider rigs and started trolling for crappie.

Those crappie must have orderd some baitfish to-go from Ray Roberts cause they weren’t biting!!! Nonetheless, we found a new feature in the water and have it marked so that we can come back and fish that spot knowing exactly what’s down there! While there, I noticed a lot of mayflies and caught one so that I could take a pic of it to use for reference when I’m tying up some flies later on.

Now we’re off to work a brush pile that was down in about 33 feet of water. I rigged up with a tandem drop-shot rig and started working that brush. Several tap-tap-taps but nothing ever solid taking hold. We were then off to work some bridge pilings where again a lot of tap-tap-taps and JW even got one to the surface before she shook off! Next we headed to some flooded timber and I was able to get a bass to the surface. But like JW’s crappie, this one shook off right at the surface.

Although the fishing action wasn’t what it was expected to be, it was still a joy meeting JW and swapping stories of our military days and just being on the water with someone who truly loves to fish. Can’t wait to get back out on the waters with him soon!!

Lake Ray Roberts – July 02, 2008

Lake Ray Roberts – July 02, 2008

Fishing Partner: Kyle Chrisman
Air Temps – mid 90’s
Water Temp – 83
Skies – Sunny (small clouds dotting the sky periodically)
Moon Phase – new moon
Winds – Light, S/SW 10
Surface conditions – Calm to Choppy
Precipitation – None
Water Clarity – Stained
Structure/Cover Fished – Humps, flooded timber, brush, points, bridge pilings
Other Contributing Factors – Baitfish (loads of baitfish!), Heavy mayfly (spinnners) hatch

Fishing equipment used – Daiwa D-Shock spinning reel w/10# P-Line/Daiwa D-Force 6’6″ rod; Professional Angler 9’0″ custom rod / Daiwa D-Force spinning reel w/17# Berkely mono; Pinnacle Solene low-profile baitcaster with 12# P-line / Shakespeare Excursion graphite 6’6″ rod

Catch count:
LMB = 1
Crappie = 0
WB = 9
Gar = 1
My second day of a 3-day fishing spree while on vacation.

Well this was my second day of fishing Ray Roberts this week and my third time overall. I warned Kyle that the fishing was going to be challenging if it was anything like the day before … and it was!!! On my first-ever trip on Ray Roberts, I spent the day with Kyle and we just had the time of our lives and have been trying to pick a date that worked in our schedules to get back out on the water together!

We went back and hit a couple of spots that I had fished with Gary the day before; at least the spots that I could remember!!! And those baitfish were still there in massive numbers!!! We worked the bridge pilings for quite a while! What a blast it was to watch those sandies pushing the baitfish up to the surface and seeing the water just boil and boil!! As the schools moved from one piling to the next, we just trolled beside them casting into the melay and bringing in those sandies!!

After hitting the sandies, we moved out to some flooded timber in hopes of making up for yesterday’s crappie performance on my part!! We tied off to a tree branch and started working that area. All of a sudden I felt one serious THUMP! on my line! I thought to myself that it was either one big crappie or a catfish. Much to my surprise I pulled to the surface the first gar that I’ve ever caught!!! Let me just say for the record that it shocked me to see that thing on the end of my line! The first thought I had was, “How in the heck am I gonna get this off my hook?!!” By now I have this prehistoric creature in the boat and it’s flopping around!!! Okay, it isn’t that big but it’s got tons of surgeon scapel-sharp teeth and I want to keep all my skin intact!!! So Kyle recommends that I just lip the gar and pose for a picture. Lip a gar… yeah, right!!! Well I get the gar in my hands and all I can think is, “Crikey!!! Look at that thing. Isn’t she a beauty?!!” So after posing for a few pictures, we get the crappie jig out of its upper jaw and release it back into the waters to shock another angler someday!!!

Well we were done with gar, crappie and sandies. It’s time to go bassin!!! So we head to one of Kyle’s favorite bassin spot and we start working those waters! We were getting some serious tap-tap-taps but I was waiting for that one tap from a 10+ pounder!!! He must not have gotten the word that we were coming because he did not show up!! All the same we caught some really nice bass that evening. There’s just something about fishing for bass on the lake while the sun is going down. It’s just surreal and relaxing … a place I wouldn’t mind being at every day!! Well many know that I’m not a bass fisherman but have lately started taking an interest in this species and out to catch more to learn more about it. So on this evening I caught my 4th-ever bass in my life (told ya I wasn’t a bass fisherman!!) and enjoyed the short battle! I had cast underneath a willow tree and felt the solid tap but I overreacted and jerk that Texas-rigged senko too far away. So I quickly reeled in and sent that senko right back under that tree. This time the bass hit and hit hard and soon he was in the boat!! Not a big one but a bass all the same! I just wonder…. which is bigger? The bass on my shirt or the bass in my hand?!!

Kyle had been telling me that this spot held some hefty fish. Said that it held 4-pounders like he’s never seen before. Well, I was beginning to have my doubts when all of a sudden I see his rod take to a serious bend and seeing the water swirl and the flash of a big white belly!!! Kyle starts yelling to get the net and we get that big boy into the boat!! Kyle was grinning like a kid on Christmas day!!! There’s a shot of the scale showing the 4.3 pound bass!

But sadly, all good things must come to an end. It was late in the evening and I needed to get home ’cause I had one more day of fishing to put in during my vacation. Oh, here’s a pic of some of the sandies that I brought home. I must be some good luck in the boat ’cause Kyle brought in that sweet looking magnum!!

Steak Fries

Ingredients:

• taters
• olive oil
• parmesan cheese
• shredded cheese
• salt/pepper (to taste)
• Tony’s Creole seasoning (to taste)

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and cut potatoes into thick wedges. Drizzle olive oil over taters, enough so that you can lightly coat each wedge.

Take cookie sheet and cover with foil. Lay tater wedges on the cookie sheet and season with salt, pepper, Tony’s to your taste; season both sides of tater wedge.

Put in oven and cook until tater wedge starts to get nice and crispy on the outside.  Turn wedges over and continue cooking until that side is nice and crispy on the outside.

Take cookie sheet out of oven and turn oven to the Hi-Broil setting. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on both sides of tater wedge then top with shredded cheese.  Pop back into the oven just inches from the broiler until the cheeses have melted and started to get crunchy.

Top with your home-made ketchup or that store-bought stuff!

Enjoy!!

AW’s Rum-filled Sunrise

Ingredients:

• crushed ice
• lime wedges
• dark rum
• orange juice
• lemon (or lime) juice

This is an easy drink to make as there are no set amounts of each ingredient.  Just mix it up the way you like it and enjoy a refreshing drink for any time of the day! This drink is especially enjoyable during the heat of summer ’cause it is guaranteed to cool ya down right good!

Drunken Venison Roundsteak

Ingredients:

• venison round steak (thawed and at room temperature)
• mushrooms (pick your favorite style)
• white onion
• salt/pepper (to taste)
• garlic powder
• butter
• dark rum
• light beer

In skillet (preferably cast-iron): saute mushrooms and onions in some butter and a little bit of beer. When softened, add just a touch of rum to color them up and saute until the alcohol smell is gone. Pour off into a bowl and set aside.

_

Season venison steaks with salt, pepper and garlic powder to your liking.

_

In skillet (preferably cast-iron): melt some butter and place venison steak on skillet over medium-high heat. As butter starts to burn, pour in a little bit of beer; continue until steak is cooked through turn steak occasionally. Once steak is cooked, remove steak and put in a little bit more butter and allow butter to simmer until it starts to brown. Add in some dark rum and then put sauteed mushrooms and onions back into skillet and cook until they are warm again.

_

Pour remaining sauce and mushrooms/onions over venison steaks and ENJOY with your favorite sides!!

Lake Ray Roberts – July 01, 2008

Lake Ray Roberts – July 01, 2008

Fishing Partner: Gary Sims
Air Temps – mid 90’s
Water Temp – 83
Skies – Sunny (small clouds dotting the sky periodically)
Moon Phase – new moon
Winds – Light, S/SW 10
Surface conditions – Calm to Choppy
Precipitation – None
Water Clarity – Stained
Structure/Cover Fished – Humps, flooded timber, brush, points, bridge pilings
Other Contributing Factors – Baitfish (loads of baitfish!), Heavy mayfly (spinnners) hatch

Fishing equipment used – Daiwa D-Shock spinning reel w/10# P-Line/Shakespeare Durango 7’0″ rod; Professional Angler 9’0″ custom rod / Shimano spinning reel w/6# Strean mono; Pinnacle Solene low-profile baitcaster with 12# P-line / Shakespeare Excursion graphite 6’6″ rod

Catch count:
LMB = 0
Crappie = 2
WB = 10

My first day on a 3-day fishing spree during my vacation.

What a blast it was to fish with Gary!! We headed out of Buck Creek and went wide-open (well, nearly wide-open!) through the flooded timber and started off a great day of fishing!! I thought with the storm systems that had blown through a few days before, coupled with the New Moon phase, that we were in for a fabulous day of catching!! Little did we know that catching fish would go from a dream to a goal!! We fished some bridge pilings and started to realize that today would pose a special challenge in catching the fish!!

Rather than a fishing report, I should be posting a baitfish report!!! NEVER in all my years of fishing have I ever witnessed such massive amounts of baitfish!!! At each flood timber, it was just covered with a huge ball of baitfish. We’d work that section and maybe get a nibble or two and maybe even a fish in the boat but it was clear, the fish were full of bait and not
really wanting what we were offering.

I’ve only been on Ray Roberts once before so it was good to get back and to fish a new section of the lake! Moreoever, it was just grand spending the day with Gary and getting to know him and pick his knowledge of the lake and how to fish for the crappie there!! Here’s a pic of Gary with a really nice crappie!

The crappie action was very, very slow so we decided to break the doldrums by hitting the sandies. How refreshing it was to finally start getting some fish on the hooks and into the boat!! I always tell folks, if you can’t catch sunfish or sandies, you may want to try another sport!! It’s always a grand feeling when you get a double hook-up!! Here are a couple of pics of our doubles:

Later during the day we bumped into Ratmo’s brother-in-law. We did take a pic of him and are waiting for the bribe money to get deposited. If not deposited soon, I will update this post with his picture!! We buddy-boated while we worked those sandies. He and Gary pulled in some really nice magnums too! Just check out this pic of the sandies!!

While working those sandies we kept seeing a fish hitting the surface and rolling about and then going back down. We moved in closer only to see a catfish with a sandie in its mouth but the sandie seemed to have the upper-hand in the battle as it had either finned the catfish in the mouth with its spikey dorsal fins or had gotten itself into a position where the catfish couldn’t easily get it all into its mouth to swallow it. George then tossed a slab (an RJR Beast to be exact!!) at the catfish. When then slab hit, the catfish spit out the sandie and both it and the sandie soon disapperead!

We then all headed to some more timber grounds in hopes of pulling out more crappie. Let me tell you, we fished and fished but they were just plumb full of that bait that I had mentioned earlier. But, we did manage to bring in a really nice catch!!

Let me just state for the record that yes, I did catch the smallest crappie… thank you very much!!! And just who did bring in that barndoor of a crappie?? Well that was George, Ratmo’s BIL!!! That crappie measured 16 inches and weighed 2.14 pounds!!!! Doesn’t it just dwarf all the other crappie??!!

The day just kept getting hotter and hotter and we searched a few more spots but nothing was biting so we just decided to cut the day short and head back home. All in all it was still an awesome day!! We managed to catch some fish but I enjoyed the day more because it was spent with someone that loves fishing about as much as I do!!!

I know we’ll be getting together more on Ray Roberts and hopefully some other lakes too!!

Hobo Casserole

Ingredients:

• sirloin beef (ground up; enough to make two thick burger patties) [or use hamburger meat, ground venison, or ground wild hog if you prefer]
• finely diced jalapenos (seeds optional; to taste)
• finely diced garlic (or use garlic powder; to taste)
• finely diced red onion (to taste)
• 1 cup of finely shredded cheese
• 1 can pinto beans (drained; or use fresh beans)
• 1 can of black-eyed peas (drained; or use fresh peas)
• tabasco sauce (to taste)
• salt / pepper (to taste)
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup

 

Directions:

1. Mix ground sirloin/beef, jalapenos, red onion, garlic until well-blended and form into two thick hamburger patties. Cook patties over medium heat until cooked thoroughly. Use a spatula to break patties into rough chunks.
2. Add both cans of soup and stir with the meat until well blended.
3. Add drained pinto beans. Stir well.
4. Add drained black-eyed peas. Stir well.
5. Add shredded cheese and stir until melted and well-incorporated.
6. Add tabasco sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
7. Simmer for 15 minutes over medium-low heat; stirring occasionally.
8. Serve over steamed rice, buttered noodles, or however you wish and enjoy!

Brody Chatting It Up!

Video shot of Brody just chatting it up with the family!!!  He has so much to share!!!

Telling It Like It Is!

Here’s a short video of Brody telling Pops (that’s me) like it is!  Bella directed and filmed this short masterpiece!

Brody’s got style!!

Yeah… if it’s one thing that Brody got from his Pops it’s style!!  Just check out the handsome stellar boys!!

Brody & Pops - ready for Hawaii!! April 20, 2011

Brody Joins the Clan!

Here’s a picture of when Brody was born and first wheeled out to meet the family!  I reckon from the looks on our faces that we were just a tad bit happy that Brody joined our clan!

Brody & Proud Grandparents!! March 23, 2011

Bella a baby-hog?! You bet!!

Common knowledge around our house is that Bella is … a BABY-HOG!  That’s right! Whenever Brody is near, she has him in her arms and just won’t let him out unless it is absolutely necessary (which is a rare thing with her!).  Back on Mother’s Day we spent the day out at the park with some old friends and Bella was just bursting with pride and joy!  See for yourself…

Brody & Bella - May 26, 2011

Brody & Bella - May 26, 2011

Brody & Bella (again!) - May 26, 2011

Caught him smiling!

When Brody first started smiling we were all just captivated and thrilled! Then it became a near-obsession to try and capture his smile on camera! The hard part was holding the camera long enough to get that picture instead of setting it down and enjoy more of Brody.  But soon his smile was captured … and I’m sure it will capture you!!

Brody - May 12, 2011

Did some blog-cleanin’…

Well it was high-time it got done…. did some blog-cleanin’ here.  Everything was just getting all jumbled up and looking all scattered-like.  So now everything has been reorganized and put into its own appropriate blog-page.  So if you’re looking for something in particular just click on any of the blog tabs above.