Faron, the Nytimes had a fascinating article about what food items people do Google searches on by state. Interesting how many of them in the West I had never even heard of! Some I can do without, like Snickers salad. Speaking of salad, two thumbs up for the warm lentil salad I posted about. We had a party last night and that was one of the items. It was excellent. Here is a link that might be useful: Warm lentil salad with grapes, feta and mint

Mabel, for the carrots, I reduce 1/2 cup of spiced rum and 1/2 cup of water to about 1/4 cup and add it to taste to 1/2 cup of browned butter and drizzle over previously cooked carrots with a sprinkle of lime zest. They reheat great in the microwave. DURGIN-PARK BAKED HAM 1 (5 to 6 pound) smoked ham 3/4 cup fresh orange juice 1/2 cup dry sherry 1 cup honey Whole cloves 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 2 Tbs. dry mustard Trim the skin from the ham, leaving a thin, even layer of fat. With a skewer, poke the ham all over at 2-inch intervals. Place the ham in a large resealable plastic bag, and place in a large shallow pan. Combine the orange juice, sherry, and honey; pour over the ham and seal the bag securely. Marinate in the refrigerator for three days, turning the ham every 12 hours. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the ham from the bag, reserving the marinade. In a shallow roasting pan, with the ham fat side up, score the fat in a diamond design and stud with cloves. Insert a meat thermometer, making sure it does not touch bone. Pour all but a tablespoon of the marinade over the ham. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat thermometer registers 130 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and the tablespoon of the reserved marinade and brush the exposed portion of the ham. Cover with a tent of aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 140. Remove from the oven and allow the meat to stand for 10 minutes; then thinly slice and serve. 10 to 12 servings.

While everyone is celebrating Christmas, I'll be hosting 2 Channukah dinners Sunday and Monday and getting our Weber fired up. Sunday is for one of my childhood friends and her family. Grandkids and Daughters coming on Monday. Looking forward to all the kids lighting the Menorah and reciting the prayers for the lighting. Here is my Sunday Menu: First, Pomegrante Cosmopolitans, wine and beer along with Eggplant Caviar. I always go light on appetizers. Salmon on a cedar plank grilled with a dressing of apricot preserves and horseradish Baked Chicken with mustard and capers sauce Potato Latkes with homemade applesauce and sour cream sides Roasted carrots More wine Dessert will be: Homemade Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake (Barefoot Contessa and easy) Brownies My guest is bringing a desseert made from a recipe handed down from her Grandmother (who came from England). More wine and coffee. I love when Channukah falls on the same time of Xmas. I usually just host dinner on Xmas Day regardless. It's become a tradition in our home.

Christmas Eve is our big family gathering, we include a dinner for 20. We serve buffet style, but sit at dining tables. (I discovered that 20 is the perfect number: 10 at the DR, 10 in the sunroom at two folding banquet tables) We went with a simple dinner menu this year: beef tenderloin, mashed potatoes (two trays from costco, they were great, and pretty in my new red-orange Dansk pan) and a simple Chistmas salad my aunt made. Elegant! Appetizers were made/brought by others: just shrimp w/sauce, an artichoke dip with crackers, and my kids always make the classic Lipton soup dip. Dessert was the most complicated: DH made his mom's Walnut glory cake which calls for 9 count'em 9 separated eggs. But it's not called "glory" for nothing! Our Scandinavian tradition calls for rice pudding which, for the first time, came from my kitchen. It was a tad soupy, but delicious. And folks brought cookies and candy. Christmas morning DH made our traditional "Eggs McDH" and mimosas. We forgot to make the fruit medley, but that's okay. Then we went to my folks' and my brothers met us up there, for baked French toast (made with Challah, best French toast ever!) and bacon. Christmas night is our quiet intimate dinner at home of leftovers, at the dining room table with the party dinnerware. Me, I felt like the Very Hungry Caterpillar: I ate "one nice green leaf and felt much better". Literally, I had the salad with no dressing lol! Ahhh.