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The tab is there to open the can
The can is there to hold in the spam...
- Weird Al Yankovic ("Spam")
Every now and then, something triggers a memory, and my mind goes tumbling into the past; the sights, the sounds, and yes, the smells of my childhood.
One of my fondest memories is of my mom, working artfully in the kitchen, preparing our Christmas dinner. And what could be more appropriate and traditional for the season than a good old-fashioned spam bake?
Mom would carefully pry the key from its anchor on top of the can, and with an ease and a sense of purpose that only a wise, loving mother has, wind the little metal strip from the side to reveal the glorious, pristine contents.
Then, after removing the spam and scraping off the wonderful goopy gelatinous scum (I always begged for this, but mom said she had a better use for it - she never told me what it was though - I wonder why?) she would place the spam-loaf in the center of a pie tin, and garnish it with whole cloves.
And if it was for Christmas dinner, mom would top the spam with a brown-sugar and canned pineapple juice glaze - adding extra class to an already classy meal. Into the oven it would go, to bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes. And oh what a smell on a Christmas afternoon! It was heaven, and every time I have a spam-bake, the smell of roasting spam reminds me of mom, and home.
Do you have a favorite holiday dish that reminds you of home? Add your own recipe in a comment!
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7 comments:
This isn't quite as classy as spam bake. But holiday meals aren't complete without mom's "cheesy potatoes" made with hashbrowns, (used to be a can of cream of chicken soup), this year will have to make do with cream of mushroom now that we're vegetarians, sour cream and cheese! Sprinkle crushed cornflakes on top and dot with butter, then bake in a 400 oven until warm. YUM. There's nothing like potatoes with lots of butter, sour cream and cheese.
I'm glad to see you blogging again.
Oooh thanks KW! I especially like the cornflakes. :)
I should have known as soon as I saw A spam bake...that it was you......you're a good man paul!
SPAM, BAM, NO THANK YOU MAN.....blech!
I honestly don't think I've ever had baked spam-- and I won't be having any now -- since I no longer eat meat.
I've been toying with the idea of tofurkey, but don't like the taste of fake meat usually-- and it's expensive-- and I'd be the only one eating it.
I am really looking forward to pecan pie though-- YUM-- NOW THAT IS A HOLIDAY FOOD!!
I just read big chunks of your blog, and got a sort of rueful, empathetic chuckle from some of it. I think I agree with Linda about the questionnaire, but it I also might have written something similar when I was at the point you are in this divorce process. You're smart not to jump into any new relationships just now.
Even though it's not a recipe, I felt compelled to share something a guy I worked with told me just as my actual divorce began. He'd gone through it five years before. You might resent it a bit - I did initially- but it turned out to be completely true. (You have to imagine a Brazilian accent, he was from there):
"You not gonna think straight for maybe two years. You gonna THINK you're thinking straight, but then you gonna look back and say, Oh my God, I was crazy then."
I do wish you the best...
Hey, MJC, I don't resent the thought at all - if I was thinking straight now I'd probably lose my mind. ;)
Thanks for the kind words!
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