Easter Traditions

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

It is so hard for me to believe that it is already Easter. I have always associated Easter with the start of spring. The start of new life (and renewed life). The weather here is finally turning and I am hoping that the warmer weather is here to stay.

Holidays seem to be a time of tradition for me. When I was a kid, I can remember my grandparents taking us to an Easter egg hunt. Of course, coloring Easter eggs is a fun activity that is typically reserved to Easter. I can remember getting a new spring dress and shoes for Easter, and even on a few occasions a new hat too. Easter menus include ham and scalloped potatoes (although, I don't eat those, so I'm not sure why I would associate that) and of course, colored eggs. Easter morning always included the hunt for the Easter basket and the yummy chocolates and chocolate eggs.

We colored our Easter eggs just yesterday. The son has gotten 'too big' to color eggs, but my daughter still enjoys it. Of course, she wants to color a lot of eggs, but I am the only one that eats the hard boiled eggs, so we have to balance the desire to color with how many eggs I can eat! We enjoy using a white crayon to write a message that magically appears when the egg is colored.

The menu for Easter has evolved over the years. This year it is just the four of us at home. Of course, I can't go without ham, but since, as with eggs, I'm the only one in the house that generally eats it, I go with a small one. Fortunately for me, there is a quarter ham version of the Hormel Cure 81 Brown Sugar Boneless Ham. I place it in a covered dish with a bit of soda (instead of water) and warm it in a low oven while I prepare dinner for the family.

Here are a few tips for you that Hormel previously shared with me when it comes to ham:

Know your Numbers: When purchasing ham for a large crowd, such as Easter dinner, count the number of guests scheduled to attend. It's a good idea to get about a pound of ham for every 3-4 people. Don't forget to estimate a little extra for unexpected guests, and everyone's favorite - leftovers!"
As Simple as Heat & Serve: Hams are typically sold as a fully cooked product, so when preparing, all you need to do is heat it until the ham is hot throughout. A good gauge is when the ham reaches about 140-145 degrees. It's a simple protein solution when you are pressed for time.
A Ham for Every Occasion: In recent years, various cuts and flavors of ham have been introduced, making it a great option for entertaining or a weeknight family dinner. Hormel Cure 81 ham items are available pre-diced or pre-cubed for an easy addition to your morning omelet, or in ham steaks that are great to throw on the grill.

How do you celebrate Easter? Are there recipes that you make every spring?

Have leftovers from your Easter celebration? There are some great recipes that you can try on the Hormel Cure 81 page.

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product and some of the information for this post.

Post Holiday Leftovers

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. As a Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger, I received information from Hormel for this post, as well as product samples.
I'm not sure how it works at your house, but at my house, we can usually get one or two leftover meals in enjoying the food as originally prepared before it gets to be ho hum or plain old undesirable. As such, over the years, I have come up with several ways to enjoy our leftovers as new meals and the family is less likely to get tired of them. Plus, if I have a good amount, I will sometimes freeze them for those other meals.

Here are some of our family favorites:
For turkey, we use it like we would chicken:
Buffalo Turkey Cheesesteak
Pulled Barbecue Turkey Sandwiches - make your own sauce or use a bottle of barbecue sauce. Let it all sit in the crock pot for a few hours and it will be tender and yummy.
Turkey Enchiladas
Loaded Turkey Nachos - Layer tortilla chips with shredded turkey, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes and all of your favorite toppings. Put in the oven for about 15 minutes, so that everything warms through and the cheese melts. Serve with sour cream, salsa and/or guacamole.
Turkey Pot Pie
Turkey Shepard's Pie - substitute cubed or shredded turkey for the ground meat and use up your turkey gravy, vegetables and mashed potato leftovers too.
Turkey Noodle Soup - if we have gravy, we thin that for the base, or just use chicken or vegetable broth

For ham, we use it to make some family favorites:
Grilled Ham and Cheese sandwiches
Quiche - I add it to my broccoli cheese quiche
Omelets
Scrambled Eggs and Ham
Green Eggs and Ham - the kids find the color to be fun

For Mashed Potatoes, we have a new favorite recipe (if we don't use them up in a Shepard's Pie:
Fried Mashed Potato Balls

Hormel has also shared with me some Holiday Leftover Ideas:

Leave it to leftovers to keep you in the holiday spirit even after your big meals are over and done with. To help expand your post-feast repertoire, Hormel Foods has compiled a list of new ways to enjoy leftovers this holiday season. Impress your family and friends with these creative and tasty options:
* Looking for a new approach for all that leftover Thanksgiving turkey? Create Greek Turkey Kabobs by cutting Jennie-O® Turkey Store® oven roasted turkey breast into cubes and alternately threading them onto skewers with cucumbers, tomatoes and Peloponnese® kalamata pitted olives. This Mediterranean twist might just convert reluctant turkey eaters!

* Use extra holiday ham and pie crusts to bake a delicious quiche! Mix in your favorite vegetables and seasonings with Hormel® Cure 81® sliced ham to create a wonderful meal that can feed the whole family.

* If you’re craving the standard leftover turkey sandwich, take it up a notch with corn tortillas! They make a great stand-in for bread and give your sandwich an extra special crunch.

* Make a lunchtime salad by tossing pasta with leftover turkey or ham, vegetables, and your favorite dressing.

How do you use up your leftovers?

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. As a Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger, I received information from Hormel for this post, as well as product samples.

The Easter Turkey?

When I was growing up, there were many Easter traditions. I can remember going to egg hunts and to a couple of family dinners. You could always count on plenty of hard boiled eggs, marshmallow eggs and ham.

Unfortunately, my husband doesn't care for marshmallow eggs (more for me!) or ham. As such, when we celebrate on our own, we have the non-traditional Easter Turkey for dinner. Sure, I am a big fan of a roasted turkey with all of the trimmings, but I miss the ham. I can't really make a ham for myself (the kids might eat some, but I'm thinking that they will choose the turkey), so I have to improvise.

I think that we will likely do our main meal at noontime this year. So, I will get my ham fix at breakfast and lunch this year using Hormel Cure 81 Ham. Instead of buying a larger spiral sliced ham that would feed a family, I am going to stick with their diced ham. It is the perfect way for me to get the taste of that delicious ham without having to make a whole ham for one!

I will make eggs for breakfast, but mine will not be just plain scrambled eggs. I will be adding some of the diced ham to my eggs. I can already taste the scrambled eggs with ham and cheese. And then, at dinnertime, since we will likely still be full from the turkey, we will have a simple meal of grilled cheese and perhaps, some tomato soup. Once again, I will plus up my sandwich by adding some diced ham.

Whether you are planning a traditional ham dinner for Easter or having to improvise, be sure to print out a coupon for Hormel Cure 81 Ham.

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some of the information for this post.