How Sweet The Sound

We Three Kings

 

 

 

Guide us to Thy perfect light.

 

 

 

 

Please visit Spiritual Sunday to fill your heart with joy.

 

 

Thank you, dear Charlotte.

Cooking Country Ham

 

 

Country Ham, for my family, is a once a year treat. 

And, this is what we call country ham.

Right out of the oven.

 

According to Wikipedia, Country ham is a variety of cured ham, typically very salty. Country ham is first mentioned in print in 1944, referring to a method of curing and smoking done in the rural parts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, Kentucky and other nearby southern states.

 

I spent most of my life living in south Florida. 

Every year my mother ordered a country ham 

from North Carolina to be delivered to 

my daddy as one of his gifts.

 

Now that we are living in North Carolina, 

every December my husband and I drive to 

our hometown to purchase a country ham 

and a bag of sausage.  We don't eat ham or sausage

often, and that is why it is a holiday only treat for us.

We purchase ours from Bear Pond Fresh Market in

Henderson, North Carolina.

 

When I was a young child visiting my grandmother, I

always rode with her to Frazier Brothers Grocery.

Frazier Brothers is now Bear Pond Fresh Market. 

She always purchased bags of sausage there 

every winter because "they kill the hogs 

as soon as the first frost and make fresh sausage".

What did I know?  I am a city girl,

but I can attest it is delicious sausage.

 

My daddy loved it so much that he would have his

mother freeze a bag which when visiting her

the two of them would wrap and put in his suitcase

for his flight home. 

Can you imagine that in this day and time?

 

My daddy had his tried and true method

for cooking country ham,

and I thought I would share it with you today.

 

By the way, we still have some country ham left.

Why don't you come on over for a

cup of coffee and ham biscuit?

 

Scrub ham in warm water and cut off hock, if desired.  (I soak the ham in a sink filled with cold water for about eight hours.) 

Place in large roasting pan with skin side up with 8 to 10 cups of water.  Cover pan tightly, and place in cold oven.  Set temperature to 500 degrees.  Never open door once ham has been placed in oven.  Count cooking time when oven temperature reaches 500 degrees.  Cook for 15 minutes, turn oven off and leave for 3 hours. 

Turn oven on again and after reaching 500 degrees allow to cook for another 15 minutes.  Turn off and leave ham in oven 6 to 8 hours. 

After removing from oven, take off skin and excess fat.

Holiday Home Tour Day Nine - Our Den

 

 

 

 

We have our main Christmas tree in our den.

 

I love to sit and look at the lights

 

after everyone has gone to bed at night.

 

Each ornament is Santa, and no two are alike.

 

 

 

This is a difficult room to photograph

 

with the stained wainscoting.

 

(I am trying to convince my husband that we need to paint the wainscoting and resurface the fireplace.

What is it with men and wood?)

 

The white church was a gift from my husband.

 

 

The paint color is a soft and buttery gold,

 

but it is one of those colors that looks

 

different from all angles.

 

I made the Santa collage which hangs

 

between the windows about 30 years ago.

 

 

The fireplace photo shows the color best.

 

The largest Santa on the right side of the hearth

 

was used by my parents the

 

first Christmas they were married - 1951.

 

The green stocking hanging in the middle

 

is mine and was handmade for me in 1953.

 

The hurricane lamp on the left side of the mantel

 

belonged to my great-grandmother,

 

and the mantel clock belonged to

 

my husband's great-grandfather.

 

 

The vignette on the lower shelf is Department 56

 

All Through The House.

 

 

Santas, Santas, Santas!

 

 

This Santa basket is filled with cloth Santas,

 

some as much as forty years old.

 

 

 

Back in the 1970s, my father owned several

 

gas stations in Delray Beach, Florida.

 

People were always coming by selling things.

 

One year he purchased this village to take home

 

to my mother, and she has always loved it.

 

Until a few weeks ago the roofs were all

 

painted pastel colors.  Yuck!  I asked her

 

if I could paint them, she said yes,

 

and I grabbed my paints and brush

 

before she could change her mine.

 

Now, I love it, too.

 

 

Our tree at night.

 

 

Today I am joining

 

 

 

Susan at Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

  

and

  

Cindy at Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday. 

 

 

Away In A Manger

 

 

 

The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head.

 

 

 

 

Please visit Spiritual Sunday to fill your heart with joy.

 

 

Thank you, dear Charlotte.

Holiday Home Tour Day Eight A Peek In The Powder Room

 

 

 

Just a little peek in the powder room.

 

 

A few Santas to keep you company

 

while you take care of business.

 

 

And, this good fellow can help you

 

just in case you can't reach the paper.

 

 

 

Today I am joining

 

 

 

Susan at Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

  

and

  

Cindy at Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday. 

 

 

Santa In Chimney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time was 3:57 minutes.

*************************************

 

Be sure to come back later today for

 

Pink Saturday.

 

Christmas Day Dinner

 

 

 

The table is set for our Christmas dinner.

 

It is our family tradition to have lasagna.

 

 

I have had this Santa with his sleigh and reindeer

 

for more than twenty years.

 

Now that I think about it,

 

everything on the table has been around

 

a very, very long time.

 

 

But, that is okay.

 

I love my family treasures.

 

 

In addition to lasagna,

 

we had butter garlic shrimp,

 

oven roasted broccoli,

 

fresh yeast rolls,

 

tropical fruit salad

 

and pecan pie.

 

 Today I am joining Susan for Tablescape Thursday

 

at Between Naps On The Porch.

 

 

Merry Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for

 

your fellowship & support.

 

Let there be peace on Earth.

 

 

Christmas Home Tour - Day Seven In My Christmas Sunroom

 

 

 

Welcome to our Christmas sunroom.

 

In a prior life, our sunroom was

 

a screened porch.

 

 

 We wanted to use the

 

room year round, and we had the screens

 

replaced with wall to wall and

 

ceiling to floor windows.

 

 

Now we are cool in warm weather

 

with a ceiling fan and open windows.

 

And, we are warm in the winter

 

with closed windows and warm heat.

 

 

This room is the perfect spot to enjoy your

 

morning coffee or a cool beverage.

 

You can enjoy the quiet of nature

 

or lively visits with family and friends.

 

 

Now it is dressed in Christmas finery.

 

Christmas trees, Christmas birdhouses,

 

a lovely Christmas church, my husband's

 

favorite cardinals and even Santa.

 

 

So, come on in and let's visit.

 

I have coffee, hot cider and hot chocolate.

 

And, of course we need cookies.

 

 

Today I am joining

 

Susan at Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

 

and

 

Cindy at Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday.

 

 

Hark The Herald Angels Sing

 

 

 

 

Hark The Herald Angels Sing

 

 

 

Please visit Spiritual Sunday to fill your heart with joy.

 

 

Thank you, dear Charlotte.

 

Please visit Spiritual Sunday to fill your heart with joy.

 

 

Thank you, dear Charlotte.

 

Please visit Spiritual Sunday to fill your heart with joy.

 

 

Thank you, dear Charlotte.