Whiskey Glazed Carrots



Welcome!  One of the goals of this mini blog is to provide not only tasty recipes but CHEAP ones at that!  That's why I decided to put together a glazed carrot recipe and shrink it to a version for camping.  This easy crock pot version is one I made recently while traveling north to do some sledding in remote northeast Iowa.  At close to zero degrees, you can see how this will warm the belly!  (So will some of the leftover whiskey) Enjoy!


Whiskey Glazed Carrots
1 lb. bag baby carrots (do NOT use petite - they will cook too fast)
1C water
1T of Jack Daniels (optional)
2T of butter or margarine (but not reduced cal margarine - too watery)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Method:

In a small crockpot (2 quarts is perfect), place the water and carrots.  Cook on low for about 8 hours.  You can increase to high temperature for some of the time but watch for splitting.  When the carrots are soft enough to be easily poked with a fork, drain the water completely.  Add the butter, sugar, and booze.  Adjust amounts as needed.  Let cook a while longer until the glaze coats the carrots (I let them glaze for about 45 minutes).  Note - especially for non-drinkers, these carrots are also good without adding the liquor. 

Ham Loaf with Tasty Glaze

Ham loaf... Tastes great any time of the year.



I'm a lover of meatloaf, but you can't beat a good ham loaf.  Some people make their ham loaf with ground ham and ground turkey.  Not me... it's whole hog all the way.  I like using ground ham and ground pork.  At the end of the post, you'll find my favorite version of ham loaf.  But there is an easier way for we campers because....

It is often cheaper (and just as tasty) to buy the ham loaf already made.  Being a penny pincher, I watch the butcher counter at the local grocery store.  They put the ham loaves in a display case for a few days and then as the sell by date approaches, put a "SPECIAL PRICE" sticker on them, cutting the price in half.  The magic day at this store is Saturday.

I bought a 2 pounder yesterday - enough for four servings - for $4.00.  Then it was divided up into halves and frozen in mini foil loaf pans in anticipation of the next camping trip.  I bake them at 350 until the internal temp hits about 170.  Size matters -  a 2 lb loaf can take an hour and a half while a one point loaf can be done in a mere half hour.

Here is the glaze that I use... It is amazingly simple but the flavor is out of this world.  Ham loaf is good anyway, but this simple little glaze takes it to new heights.  This glaze is also heavenly on roasted turkey, too!

Tasty Ham Glaze

1/2  cup brown sugar
1/4  cup of coarse ground mustard
1T  orange or pineapple juice

That's it.  You just mix the glaze and spoon it over the ham loaf and bake.  When checking the temperature, I baste some of the juices back over the meat.

The beauty of this dish is that you can cook it in an oven, toaster oven, over a campfire, you name it...  If the glaze gets a little warm, it might darken and scorch, leaving even more flavor!

But should you want to make one and not buy it at the store, here is the recipe for a simple but delicious ham loaf.