I first posted this recipe back in 2007.  My elderly next door neighbor gave it to me and she's gone now but she was such a wonderful cook.  Pair this with some crusty fresh bread and a green salad and it’s just the best, ever!!!

So here it is again, if you make black-eyed peas for luck on New Years Day, this is a winner!

2 cans black-eyed peas, I drain and rinse for a more subtle flavor
2 cans italian stewed tomatoes  
1 lb. sweet italian sausage, with casing removed  or you can use 1 lb. of Polska kielbasa instead of Italian sausage
1 large onion  
2 tablespoons of italian seasoning  
1 teaspoon of oregano, if desired 

Small pasta, I like ditalini or Creamettes small shells

Brown onion and sausage, drain, crumble and dump all in a crockpot, simmer on high for 3-4 hours, meanwhile cook a cup or so of pasta, any small pasta will work and stir it in at the end.  

This is so good, and so easy….

Enjoy and Happy New Year

Oh so easy for the holidays.  Just precook the bacon a bit, roll in the cinnamon rolls and bake for 12 minutes.  

Just had to share ~ Jan

I was making these grilled cheese sandwiches at lunch (that’s 1 carb bread ladies, and it’s awesome).  I’m now using cast iron almost exclusively and loving it.  It gives food such wonderful flavor and I took a deep breath and listened to my sons, I don’t use soap on my skillets, I  soak them a bit in hot water and use my trusty Lodge scrubber on them.  This was really hard for me to do, but I’ve done it for a few months and hubby and I haven’t had food poisoning, so it must be okay.  And the best part, my skillets are now as smooth as a babies bottom, I can even fry eggs in them with no sticking.

So, I have a few favorite things to show you.   The first is a Lodge Scrub Brush.  John had one of these, I told Ryan about them, he looked them up on Amazon and we both ordered.

\What a great brush this is, I use it exclusively on my cast iron and it does a fine job.  $9.97 Prime, it’s a great price, too! 

Here’s the link

Then I bought the Lodge Silicone handle.  It fits all sizes of Lodge skillets, and keeps your hands cool when you use them.  It’s only $6.00 Prime.

You can buy it here

And for only $4.62 you can get these great pot scrapers.  Perfect for getting all of the residue off your skillets when you’re washing them.  It’s not Prime, but it is an add-on.  Here’s the click

And finally, this grill scraper.  You all know how hard it is to get between the ridges of a grill pan, well this little gadget will fix that problem for only $4.43 or $9.99 for a four pack, all Prime.

Here’s the link

I bought this 9” preseasoned skillet back in September specifically to make this Trisha Yearwood’s appe recipe that I posted on Jan CAN Cook.  This pie is a winner, and just as good, if not better with peach pie filling.  Want the recipe?  Grab it here!

But back to this 9” skillet.  It’s fantastic, my grab it every day, go to skillet of choice.  It’s on Amazon for $23.22 Prime and worth every penny.  A must have if you want to make that pie, a larger skillet won’t work.  Here’s the link to the skillet

These Lodge accessories would make great stocking stuffers, that pie would be amazing during the holidays, but you really do need to treat yourself to this skillet.  I’m telling you, it’s the perfect size!  

And I also have a great blog entry on how to make old cast iron new again, hubby is working on that little project for you.  It’s coming in a week or so… ~ Jan

It’s that time of year again, and I have Thanksgiving recipes from several years ago that my friends shared with me.  Busy day, but here’s a quick link, I’ll put them in the sidebar later.

Just click on the picture, you will link to the original file and from there, just click on individual recipes.  They’re good ones!!!!

And while I’m at it, I might as well give you the link to the Christmas ones, too.

Just in time for Thanksgiving.  Thanks, Libby!!!!

After I posted my recipe for Hammie Sammies, my cousin, Phyllis emailed me with her version.  This one has mayo and Phyl is a great cook, so I’m sure it’s yummy!

I pound baked ham
1 dozen dinner rolls ( the Hawaiian rolls are too sweet for our taste).

I mix about 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 1/2 cup salad dressing together .. Add garlic powder and onion powder to taste

Spray bottom of pan with Pam

Cut rolls in half .. Spread a light coating of mayo mixture on rolls

I take ham and cheese and alternate on bun

I use mozzarella or provolone cheese

After I get all 12 rolls assemblied I brush a brown sugar mixture on top of them

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
Garlic powder to taste
Onion powder to taste
Dab of Worchester sauce

I melt all in saucepan

Put in refrigerator about an hour or overnight

Bake at 350 degrees till cheese is melted - about 20 minutes

I have used roast beef and pepper jack cheese

I like them on croissants

Hammie Sammies are a huge hit, my friend Nisha made them for a tailgating party and declared them a “must try.”  My neighbor, Julie had them at a shower and said they were fantastic.  This is on our family’s list to make this holiday season, since you make them the night before, it’s an easy fix ahead meal to pop into the oven during this busy time.

Here’s a variation of the original recipe from King’s Hawaiian Rolls

Mini Baked Ham Sandwiches

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 20 min

Serving Info: 12 people

Ingredients

1 pound deli ham shaved

1 pound swiss cheese thinly sliced

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 1/2 tablespoons Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 small onion, diced

2 12-pack  KING’S HAWAIIAN Savory Butter Dinner Rolls (you won’t need all of these, but you do need two packages to fill a 9x13 pan

Optional:  1 Tablespoon of poppy seeds

Preparation

1. Melt butter, saute onions until soft and whisk in dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce and poppy seeds if desired

2. Cut the entire pack of rolls in half, horizontally (keeping all top and bottom halves separately intact).

3. In a 9x13 inch pan sprayed with Pam, place bottom half of rolls and cover with ham and cheese.  You will need to use a few rolls from the 2nd pack to fill the pan.

4. Cover ham and cheese stacks with top half of rolls.

5. Drizzle butter mixture over top of rolls, making sure onion is evenly distributed.

6. Refrigerate over night.

7. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes and, once finished, separate for serving.

Some recipes call for part of the sauce to be drizzled over the ham and cheese, then put on the top roll and drizzle on the rest.  Nisha just drizzled hers over the top and it worked great.

Taste this before drizzling to see if you want additional mustard or Worcestershire Sauce, some people prefer it a bit more tangy...