Cooks Ham & Price Chopper Blogger Conference

Well, it's official!  I have finally attended my first ever blogger conference.  You may ask what that is, and the only way I can describe is a certain company will ask "bloggers" (people like me who have a blog and type about products, sales, promotions, etc.), to attend.  While there, they explain about their company, give you background information, and current information; they also explain about their products, old and new.  Basically trying to get information to us to tell you, the consumer.  While there, we ate delicious, and so easy, recipes.  Such recipes were all created with 1 spiral ham.  What Cooks Ham is trying to do is get the consumer (you and me) to understand that you can buy 1 ham for dinner, and make several different meals with the leftovers (breakfast, brunch and lunches).  In today's society, with the recession being how it is, layoffs, pay cuts, etc., Cooks Ham is trying to help out families to provide one main ingredient for many, different meals.

As soon as I entered, I was quickly greeted by Heidi & Liz from Price Chopper.  They are the great minds behind Price Chopper Supermarkets on Facebook.  Those fabulous coupons you receive every Sunday - thanks goes to Heidi & Liz for that!  They were very pleasant and very open to listen to what us "mommy bloggers" were all about and what feedback we had to offer.  From there, I was introduced to Faith Koch of Cook's Ham.  She was extremely knowledgeable about the product and opened our minds to helping us save our families money.  Who would have thought so many meals from 1 ham?  Faith fed us so of course she had to be very nice - lol!

To be honest, I have only eaten ham for Easter.  Though, at times I have eaten plenty of ham steaks, especially because my son LOVES them.  Ham is not a "staple" ingredient in our house that we think to make, at least not frequently,though after today, it definately will be.  I now know how to incorporate 1 ham into about 5 meals (all depending on how much leftovers we have (I am feeding a family of 5 you know.)

Ok, so here are the delicious meals we were provided with 1 spiral ham (again, depending on what leftovers you have remaining).  Ham Panini's - have you ever thought to make these?  Not me, and I LOVE making panini's, just never thought of using ham, even a real ham.  Take ciabatta bread, cut into slices, put Central Market olive oil on the outside of each slice, take provolone cheese (sliced), put on one side of bread,top with a few slices of ham (to your liking) top with Central Market Red Peppers and sliced black olives, top with other slice of bread, and ready for this one - cook it on the George Foreman grill!  Yup, you heard right.  Unless you already have a panini maker, use your good ole George Foreman grill.  I would have never thought to use this and it came out delicious!  From looking at it, you may think greasy - but nope, delicious and cooked through.  Yum, yum.  I am hungry all over again.

Next meal, good ole pasta salad - I can link you up to what they cooked, but to be honest, it is nothing more than your typical pasta salad though instead of pepperoni you use ham - cubed ham - yum, yum!

The third recipe was delicious!  Ready for this one - Ham Tacos!  Using crescent rolls, take out of package, open and spread on baking sheet - top with dijon mustard (to your liking), lay a piece of ham on top of mustard and lay a piece of provolone cheese on top of ham, and ready for this - lay 1 slice of apple on top, than roll up like you would a normal crescent roll (just a little bigger) and than bake per direction on the crescent roll can - delicious!

Actually, all the recipes were delicious.  The spiral Cooks Ham was so tender, and juicy and yummy.  We also tried 2 different glazes.  The one glaze (sweet ham glaze) is sold in most all of their products, the other glaze, was a crunch glaze sold only on the Double Glazed Honey Ham - this alone I would enjoy.  Yum-e!!!

To get these recipes and more, please visit Ham Ideas and start planning your next meal.

When each ham is cut into portion, from that is made the following parts:  Smaller butt portion, 4 ham steaks, and the shank ham.  The shank ham has more meat and the ham steaks (middle section) is the best meat.
The one thing I am taking away from this conference is how to carve a ham.  Do you really know how?  Apparently I never did.  Well, firstly let me say you must have a ham rack - (layman's terms:  something to hold your ham in correctly so you can cut (which by the way Cooks Ham sells on their web site by clicking  here you will be able to check it out and possibly order one.  I am going to teach you how to cut a ham correctly.  Here goes:  Place the ham in your rack bone side up.  Cut in a circle around the bone.  You will notice in four spots on the ham, "fat lines".  These lines go directly to the bone.  Cut on each of these lines.  Thereafter, the slices of ham just lift away from the ham.  I never knew that - did you?  See, I did learn something and hopefully taught you something as well.

Did you also know Cooks Ham makes Corned Beef?  Again, didn't know that either!

As can be seen from the many pictures, these are the goodies I came home with from Cooks Ham.  I learned about a product I now will purchase and look forward to making many delicious meals with (and from).  I received some valuable coupons, which if you are still reading at this point, I will be hosting a giveaway very soon for free Cooks Hams.  Make sure you become a follower so you won't miss out on this great giveaway. 

Here are some pictures of the goodies I received from Central Market - wow - I now can't wait to have friends over to enjoy this food!  I have purchased many items from Central Market (which happens to be a brand developed by Price Chopper. 

Have you ever heard of the game show "Supermarket Sweep"?  Well, Cooks Ham and Price Chopper held a contest promoting their spiral ham.  That was for us bloggers to take a shopping cart and within 15 minutes, we had to make 3 meals with 1 spiral ham with a budget of $100.  I am so not good under pressure - and had to think quickly.  Hmm, what can I make with ham.  Being that I only cook it 1x a year, this was difficult - ok, than I went into fast mode.  I thought of not 1, not 2, not 3, but 6 - yes 6 meals!  Funny how your mind starts to run when given a task, especially in such a short period.  From this picture below, I made 6 meals.

The meals consist of the following, keep in mind, all meals are to be served with a spiral ham  (not pictured).

• Broccoli, Ham and Cheese casserole - (frozen broccoli, chopped ham, velveeta cheese, crushed crackers, and butter.
• Ham wrap.  Wheat wraps (not pictured), sliced strawberries and strawberry cream cheese.
• Ham  Stir Fry.   Rice, diced tomatoes, cut up fresh green beans, cubed ham, shredded cheese (not pictured).
• Ham & Pineapple Pizza.  Pizza dough, alfredo sauce, pineapple, shredded cheese (not pictured) and cubed ham.
• Scalloped potatoes.  I took the easy way out and picked up Betty Crocker boxed Scalloped potatoes and add cubed ham.
• Ham & Egg Scramble.  Eggs, onions, mushroom, shredded cheese (not pictured), half & half, cubed ham, spices. 

All ingredients totaled $59 - not bad for 6 meals made from 1 ham.  There were 3 prize categories, one of which was most value.  Since I provided 6 meals for $59 - I won that category.  I received a Ham rack, Cooks Ham apron and Cooks Ham carving knife set.

I am very thankful and appreciative of both Cooks Ham and Price Chopper for putting on this terrific conference.  I truly learned alot.  I also met 9 new "blogging" friends and am truly excited to explore a "savings" relationship with each one of them.  Check out their websites below:

• A Couch with a View
• Kids Meal Crowd
• Koupon Karen
• The Angel Forever
• Albany Kid
• Phenomenal Content (also Cutest Kid Ever)
• Michelle from Mom Central

(I am missing one of the women's cards - though if you are reading this, please forward me your information as I would love to post it!)

Remember, be on the lookout for an upcoming giveaway - just in time for Easter!!!

Disclosure: Cook’s Ham and Price Chopper invited me to participate in this blogging event. I did not pay to attend this event,  nor did I receive money to attend.  I was not asked to blog about this, but wanted to share my opinion. I was not compensated, but did receive free food, free samples and free flowers.  Thanks Cook's Ham and Price Chopper!