I like to have a simple, yet tasty meal that doesn't take forever to prepare on busy days like Christmas. On Christmas we typically have ham. This simple dinner was not only easy to prepare and delicious, but we also felt good after eating it (so often after a holiday meal, I feel bloated and sluggish). This year's Christmas dinner included the following:
Baked Sweet Potato (from our garden) with Homemade Butter (instructions coming soon)
Baked and Marinated Pineapple Chunks (from the ham preparation)
Fresh Pomegranate Seeds
Baby Greens with Homemade Oil and Vinegar Dressing
Be careful when you buy a ham or any pork product. We don't eat pork very often, just a few times a year, since pigs are the garbage collectors of the earth (they eat anything) and pork carries parasites that can be transmitted to humans and must be cooked thoroughly. Perhaps the old Jewish dietary and sanitary laws were given to them by God as a blessing for good health. Deuteronomy 14 outlines what animals can be eaten and those that should not be eaten by the Jewish people. Deuteronomy 14:8, "The pig is also unclean, although it has a split hoof; it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses." If and when eating pork, I think it is especially important to buy the best quality and know how it was raised and fed.
I found this Wellshire Farm ham at Whole Foods this year, the only better quality ham with a bone that I could find that was not spiral cut. But I am not pleased with its ingredients since it contained evaporated cane syrup (sugar) and spice extractives (possible source of MSG). However, it was not preserved with nitrates or phosphates or other added chemicals often sprayed on or injected into the ham during the curing process. Easter is also a good time of the year to have ham. For my next ham, I will plan a little better in advance and look for a local farmer providing hams. Don't just blindly buy foods; always look at their ingredient labels and determine in advance which ingredients you want to completely avoid and which you want to minimize. Also find good sources for local food and learn how the animals or products are raised. Here are some websites to help you get started finding local products:
