Home Fires Burning

I love that first smell of cold weather. It's a crispness that's hard to explain, it just smells cold! Last night when I let Ben out, I could smell the woodsy warm fragrance of someone's fireplace smoke. Familiar like an old friend's face, it transports me back to my childhood. Winters in Missouri were cold and snowy. We visited my Grandparents often, and when we'd get there we'd pile out of the car and hurry into the warm little rock house. Grandma would have supper ready and the fire would be crackling in the fireplace. It was a mix of smells that are ingrained in my memory...ham and baked sweet potatoes, green beans, homemade rolls and pumpkin pie. That farm and their hard work provided the meals that they would fall back on all winter. It's a comforting memory that I return to every winter!

GRANDMA'S SOUTHERN STYLE BAKED HAM WITH COLA
1 (20 oz.) can sliced pineapple
1 fully cooked smoked ham, whole or half ~Go to OzarkMountainSmokehouse.com
2-4 c. (depending on size of ham) cola beverage

Arrange pineapple on ham; secure with wood picks. Place ham in shallow pan. Pour cola over ham; bake 15 minutes per pound in preheated 350 degree oven, basting with pan juices occasionally. Remove to warm platter and let stand 20 minutes before carving. Serve with sweet potatoes and hot ham drippings. Makes approximately 30 servings with whole ham, 15 servings with half.
Print Recipe