Ham and Rice

In the early days of homemaking, I was a very inexperienced cook. Recipes consisted of exact directions with no creativity at all! My sister in law was the exact opposite and could whip up a delicious meal with ingredients I would never thought would go together. She showed me this easy dish which is a great way to use leftover ham. This recipe works best with a bone in ham. Oh, and through the years, I've learned a few things to add to add creativity to my dishes!! This is one of my sons favorite meals:

Ham and Rice

Place ham bone with meat still on it in a pot 1/2 filled with water. Add chopped onions and a bay leaf if desired. Cook to boiling and cover pot. Boil about 20 minutes or until meat is fork tender. Pull ham off bone with a fork. Add 1 to 1/2 cups of rice, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with fork. The ham juices and bone flavor the rice wonderfully!

Blueberry Crumb Pie

This down home blueberry pie is made with sour cream and fresh or frozen blueberries. The recipe comes from Southern Food. I made it this week and it is out of this world!

Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
.
Pecan Topping:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons soft butter or margarine
3 tablespoons chopped pecans (I used walnuts and it turned out fine!)

Preparation:
In a mixing bowl, beat together sour cream, 2 tablespoons of flour, sugar, vanilla, salt, and egg until smooth, about 4 to 5 minutes. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour into the pie crust and bake at 400° for 25 minutes.
Combine the 3 tablespoons of flour, margarine, and pecans, mixing well. Sprinkle pecan mixture over the top of the pie; return to oven and bake 10 minutes longer. Let cool. Chill before serving. Serves 8 to 10.