Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwich with George Foreman's Grill

So far this Christmas is turning out to be one of the best in a long time. We both took this week off on vacation, so between the Christmas Eve break last week and all this week, it feels like being off a long time. It is a healthy break from work, and I like nothing more than to be able to relax at home in the desert. We're working on a project at the house-parts of the kitchen are torn up and a total mess. I've been taking photos so it will likely turn into a post later in the week. When lunch time rolled around today, I went to the refrigerator to pull something together. Of course, nothing appealed to me at all. The spiral baked ham was staring at me through the plastic Saran Wrap with a muffled voice: "eat me, eat me, I don't have much time left". I cringed. Blech, I'm sick of cold ham, I thought. But I HATE to waste food under any circumstances. I pondered what my next move would be. Pizza? Pasta? Frozen something or other? Then I remembered I had a George Foreman grill buried deep in the cabinet somewhere. A hot ham sandwich sounded perfect! So I went to work.

above: I carved a few slices of ham, and some fresh sharp cheddar cheese...

above: I piled the ham and cheese on slices of wheat bread and placed in on the George Foreman grill...and in no time...
VOILA! My hot, ham and cheddar cheese sandwich was ready! The cheese was oozing from the sides of the sandwich, the bread was all toasty and crisp! I found the jar of kosher dill pickle spears and called it lunch. It turned out to be a perfect lunch for a winters day. I guess a bowl of tomato soup might have made it even better, but it was plenty of food and I was satisfied. The best part was that I didn't waste any of the ham. And now I thought I'd close with a joke I received yesterday from my friend Pete:

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A lady goes to the bar on a cruise ship and orders a Scotch with two drops of water.

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As the bartender gives her the drink she says, 'I'm on this cruise to celebrate my 80th birthday and it's today...'

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The bartender says, 'Well, since it's your birthday, I'll buy you a drink. In fact, this one is on me.'

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As the woman finishes her drink, the woman to her right says, 'I would like to buy you a drink, too.'

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The old woman says, 'Thank you. Bartender, I want a Scotch with two drops of water.'

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'Coming up,' says the bartender. 'Thank you, says the old woman.'

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Shortly after, the old woman says again, 'Bartender, I want another Scotch with two drops of water.'

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'Coming right up,' the bartender says.

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As he gives her the drink, he says, 'Ma'am, I'm dying of curiosity. Why the Scotch with only two drops of water?'

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The old woman replies, 'Sonny, when you're my age, you've learned how to hold your liquor. Holding your water, however, is a whole other issue.'

Happy Tuesday!

-Rick Rockhill