First, let me start this with:
I *do* like meat... I just do not like to *see* it in it's natural form.
Which is why I cannot eat meat on the bone...
give me a chicken nugget ANY day!
So,... my in-laws go to Virginia to visit my brother-in-law and family (including the new baby - Isabella -
which we are SO excited to get to meet over Christmas!!)
They call on their way back to Texas and let us know they have a ham for us.
WOO HOO!
We are a "ham" family and we are very excited.
When they arrive, only Clarence & Lexi are here, and to their surprise, it is not a nicely wrapped, spiral cut, ham. Oh no.... it has literally just been taken off of the meat hook and brought to our house. Cured for 100 days!
Quite a site, let me tell you.
Needless to say, I was at first mortified by the site. Seriously questioning if I would EVER be able to eat it. I did a little on-line researching,
and in fact, it is QUITE normal and even FAMOUS!
So,... onward we go.
More research later, in order to prepare the ham,
we will need to first scrub it with a wire brush.
Well, that definitely did make it *look* a little bit better!
Then, we are to soak it in ice water over night. So,.. we go to Home Depot, buy a fresh, new, clean
bucket just for this huge chunk of meat.
We fill it with ice water and in goes the ham.
We cover it with a towel, as to keep the
newly-scrubbed meat free from dust, flies, etc...
In the morning (which is a Wednesday), Clarence gets the ham out and starts to cook it - yes... 45 minutes PER POUND! And,... in case you are wondering, I do a lot of cooking around here,... it does seem that I always record everyone else always cooking. :)
Wednesday night, the neighbor men come over to try this specimen -
the kids and I are at church and we miss out.
Thursday morning,... I gently remind Clarence that he needs to dump the "ham water" (the bucket that is in the garage,
in which the ham had soaked over night).
Thursday night, I tell Clarence he needs to dump the ham water...
Friday, I think about dumping the ham water.
Even have a conversation with my neighbor about it, but decide that I may not be able to stomach a bucketful of ham water.
Friday, Clarence comes home from work... and I corner him and with a pointed finger say, "You need to go RIGHT NOW, and DUMP that Ham Water!"
Side note: the weather was beautiful, so the windows are open.
I am folding laundry and hear a scream... a scream from Clarence and unlike any noise that I have ever heard come out of his mouth before... EVER...
I do not jump up right away...
I think maybe, because I was confused at the scream.
Then, Clarence yells, "LORI!!!"
I jump up and run outside... and find...
the a possum had taken a drink from our ham water, fell in, and DROWNED!
That's right... we had a DEAD possum IN our HAM WATER!
I was SOOOO grossed out, Clarence was laughing hysterically!
Please note - the ham and the opossom were never in the bucket together.
Lesson Learned:
"This is WHY we do not leave ham water in the garage!!"
