5 ingredient Crock Pot ham & bean soup

Ham and navy bean soup is one of my favorite soups in the universe.  I've been eating it since I was young, when my dear mom made it.  As soon as I moved out and had to fend for myself, I started making it, too.

For those keeping track, that's over 25 years of soup enjoyment, 10 years of which were thanks to yours truly, and zero mention of it in over 4 years of blogging.  To sum it up, shame on me for not sharing.

This is the ultimate everyday soup.  Regardless of the rhyme or reason, it's one of those recipes that warrants the reaction, "That would be perfect!"

The Birmingham ome with ham, kale & black eyed peas

Rise and shine, sugar bandits!  I hope all of you had a happy and healthy Easter.  (To those of the Jewish faith, I hope you are continuing to enjoy Passover.)  We spent the weekend at my parents' and totally chilled out.  Enjoyed everyone's company, watched some hockey, played with the animals, and indulged on Easter Sunday with our baskets and the brunch buffet at the country club.  Perfect lazy weekend!

The only thing that could've made it better?  Leftovers!  Since we went out for the main meal, we weren't blessed with oodles of leftover glazed ham like we've been years that we cooked at home.

If you've got pounds of ham left in your fridge or if you can sneak to the grocery store to pick up a ham steak or two, this recipe is for you.  I've got a bright and delicious way to use it up: a Birmingham omelette!

(For other ham recipes, try a quiche, a frittata with asparagus, ham and potato hash, or split pea soup.)

What is a Birmingham omelette you ask?  An omelette made in Alabama, of course.  Ha ha ha!  I kid.

No no, don't leave!  I'll be serious. 

Ham & asparagus frittata

Wine?  Wisdom?  My retirement fund?  (One can only hope...)

But really, I'm talking about my cast-iron skillet!  You know, the one that I received as a birthday gift last summer.  By not cleaning it other than a light scrub with salt to remove cooked bits of food, the skillet has become practically nonstick and is so seasoned that I swear I could cook a plain egg and it'd come out tasting fabulous.

Well, I took that plain egg idea a step further when I busted out yet another frittata last night for dinner: ham and asparagus frittata!

You might say I've developed quite an obsession with frittatas.  Easy, quick, incredibly adaptable with whatever ingredients you've got.  Apples.  Bacon.  Goat cheese.

You also might ask why on earth I'm sharing another frittata recipe with you.  It's because this was, by far, my most favorite frittata to date!

Ham, pepper & potato hash

Happy Monday!  Feeling rested and rejuvenated after a long weekend?  Or are you feeling like you need some more time to regain your energy after a fun and packed weekend?  Either/or.  My weekends have belonged in the latter category for the past month, but this most recent one was a much-needed lounge fest!

Sure, there was a very thorough cleaning of the old apartment on Saturday morning, but the rest of my time was spent finally enjoying the new apartment and enjoying the overwhelming feeling that this is my new home!  Everything has been long unpacked and found its place in the new abode, and I've become familiar enough with my surroundings that I'm getting into a comfy little groove.  There were evening walks around the new 'hood with ice cream pit stops (weekend tally = 3: Razzy Fresh, Baskin Robbins, and Cold Stone, in case you're wondering).  And I discovered my walk to church is even shorter now -- 0.7 miles.

And then came the lounging.  Ohhhhhhhhh, the lounging.  I shook things up and bought groceries on Saturday (gasp!) and had the whole afternoon to do whatever I wanted.  And what did I do?

Monte Cristo sandwiches

(I've flown the coop and headed south!  :)  I'll be spending the next few days on vacation in Savannah, Georgia.  While I'm off enjoying the sights and tastes of the area, I've prepared some recipes to keep your eyes and stomachs happy and satisfied.  Any questions or comments will go unanswered until I return.  Thanks for understanding!)

Quick!  Name a few of your favorite foods.  If I said that to Matt, somewhere in his top 5 would come mentions of French toast and sandwiches.  This comes as no surprise since one of our very first conversations revolved around lunch and that sandwiches were one of the greatest things on the planet.  Looking back now, had I mentioned this very meal, I'm convinced he would've proposed on the spot :)  Hindsight is always 20-20, right?

What exactly is this very meal?  A Monte Cristo sandwich, of course!

Chicken roulades with ham & Swiss cheese

TGIF!  It's Friday and that means a few things to me this week.  I think it's time for a list, wouldn't you agree?

1. Pizza day!  An end of the week fun to make reward meal for moi.  I bought the makings for a serious breakfast pizza to make tonight after the gym.  I've talked about pizza here before but never posted a recipe for the crust.  I'll be sharing it with you next week -- stay tuned.

2. Get psyched for Christmas shopping!  I'm making my list and checking it twice before heading to Ross Park Mall to finish buying gifts for everyone on my list.  And, gulp, Christmas cards.  Confession: I really had every intention of making cards this year, but the absence of any free time (seriously, how is it December 10th already?) made me realize I had to bite the bullet and mail store-bought cards this year.  As crushing to my soul as it is, a few friends have explained that it's not the end of the world and it's the thought that counts.  Thanks, pals :)

3. The Nutcracker!  My sister and I are getting together for a nice lunch and heading downtown to see classic Christmas ballet.  I haven't seen it since college so I'm really looking forward to it.

4. Though it's no secret, the results of Monday's poll are in and they are indisputable -- cinnamon love knots!  Man, you guys sure love your sweets... and that's why I love you so :)  Look for that recipe next week sometime as well.

5.  Devour leftovers for lunch.  Not something most people would normally be excited about, but then again, most people aren't eating chicken roulades with ham and Swiss cheese.  They are just as delicious and much easier to make than you might think...