Today for lunch we had: leftover blackeyed peas (I need the luck), turnips, rice, ambrosia--Alabama Style, Orange Dressing (for the ambrosia), EASY Baked Ham, cherry-pineapple glaze, Spinach Potatoes Au Gratin, CLAUSSEN Pickles, Mexican cornbread, and sweet tea with lemon.

EASY BAKED HAM

1 5-7 lb. ham (I use Smithfield or Hamilton's)
1 qt. Coke
1 qt. ginger ale
1 Reynolds Cooking Bag
1 T. flour

Rinse the ham well and pat dry. Put the flour into the cooking bag and shake it around. Add the ham. Pour the Coke and ginger ale over the ham. Make 6 1" holes in the top of the cooking bag so that it won't explode. I let this ham cook for 4 hours at 200 degrees in my AROMA Roaster--it is like a NESCO Roaster. When ready to serve, remove the cooking bag from the roaster. Cut the ham off of the bone and serve with cherry-pineapple glaze. Delicious!

CHERRY-PINEAPPLE GLAZE

juice from 1 (10 oz.) jar of maraschino cherries
juice from 1 large can pineapple tidbits
splash of orange juice
cornstarch
orange juice

Combine the juices and put in a microwave-safe dish. Heat the juices to boiling--about 7 minutes. Put 1 T. of cornstarch into a cup and add just a little orange juice until smooth. Put the cornstarch/juice mixture into the bowl containing the hot juices. Let this come to a boil again. Cornstarch will thicken the juices into a wonderful glaze. If the glaze is not thick enough, add more of the cornstarch/orange juice mixture. Serve over ham.

SPINACH POTATOES AU GRATIN--I got this recipe from Quick Cooking, but I cooked it in the oven at 350 degrees instead of using the microwave as the recipe suggests.

8 cups thinly sliced potatoes (about 7 large)
1/4 cup water
3 T. butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 T. diced pimentos
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Place the potatoes in a 2 qt. baking dish that has been sprayed with PAM. Put the onions, pimento, and butter in a microwave-safe dish and cook until onion is done. Add the onion/pimento mixture to the potatoes. Put the spinach on top of the onions. Whisk the flour. Add milk to the flour until well-blended. Add the cheese. Pour the flour, cheese, milk mixture on top of the spinach. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until potatoes test done. When finished baking, sprinkle the dish with the bacon. Serves: 8.

**I made 1/2 of this recipe and it was delicious.

AMBROSIA--ALABAMA STYLE

5 oranges, peeled, seeded, and sliced into bite-sized pieces
2 tangeloes, peeled, seeded, and sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 bottle of maraschino cherries, drained (save the juice for the ham glaze)
1 large can of pineapple tidbits (save the juice for the ham glaze)
1 cup coconut--more if you like--less if you don't
1 cup chopped nuts--pecans, almonds, walnuts (whichever you like)

Place the oranges in a pretty clear bowl. I use one of my mom's crystal bowls. Add the tangeloes. Add the cherries on top of the tangeloes. Add the pineapple, over that, add the coconut, top with the nuts. Don't toss the "ambrosia" until you are at the table. It is so pretty. Serve with Orange Dressing.

ORANGE DRESSING

1 pkg. 1/3-less fat cream cheese
1 large jar marshmallow creme
juice from one orange
1 T. orange zest

Using the food processor, mix the cream cheese and marshmallow creme together. When smooth, add the orange juice. If it is too thick, add more orange juice. Add the orange zest. Store in a quart jar and serve with ambrosia. This stuff is so good that I could eat it by itself!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful New Year! Happy Sunday!