My first ham

Right out of the oven.

 I successfully made my first ham. It was super easy. I followed the directions on the label.

For Christmas, my brother and I had ham, corn, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. I cheated an just made boxed everything.

I would say success!

Banana Bread

Banana bread loaf 

Yummy slice with soy milk

Some of our bananas were starting to brown. I used one more banana than asked for in the recipe I found online. I think the extra banana helped make it extra soft and moist even after it was cut into.

Creamy Potato Soup

Soup cooking

Final product!

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs. of potatoes(I used red potatoes, but that's a personal preference)-I would try something else next time, there are better potatoes for soup...maybe Russet or Golden?
1 red onion, diced
1/2 stalk of celery, diced(I boiled the potatoes with celery leaves for their flavor)
1/2 lb. of bacon
2 cups of milk
1/4-1/2 cup of sour cream
1 can of whole kernel corn
Salt & pepper as needed
1-2 cups of chicken broth(I used about half water and half broth)
Water, as needed



I was trying to make a soup that Paul would eat(he doesn't like bacon all too much...) and I would enjoy as well. We found this happy medium. I adapted my recipe from a few I found online and in cookbooks I own.

I boiled the potatoes until they were easy to skin, then cut into bite-sized pieces(or your preference if you like them itty bitty or bigger chunks).

I would say it was a success for my first time making a variation of potato soup!

Beer-battered onion rings

Beer battered onion rings. 

I used cheap beer and all-purpose flour for the batter with a little bit of chili powder for an extra kick. Pan-fried the rings in olive oil until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side. 

And Paul loved them! Always a success when he approves!

Beer-battered onion rings