Figgy Duff and British Bulldog Puddings

 The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen. She challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if possible, a very traditional British ingredient: suet.

We've have quite a few challenges in a row now that I've been pretty excited about on Baker's and Cook's....and this one is no exception.  I love steamed puddings, sticky puddings etc.....LOVE THEM ALL!  My family was not one to make steamed puddings although I believe my great grandmother on my fathers paternal side did make them.  I think this because my dad has had steamed plum pudding somewhere and it is certainly not made by a living relative.  So I suspect it's on the French Canadian side of the family...........

 My first exposure to a steamed pudding was at Christmas time with my in-laws.  My SIL makes the most delicious carrot pudding (steam right in a canning jar) and serves it with her grandmothers recipe for hard sauce.  Absolutely delicious....nothing more I can say about that one.  So when the challenge gave us the option of making our own steamed pudding recipe that is the recipe that first came to my mind.  We were to give a try at making suet pudding though (the carrot pudding recipe does not) so I continued to research.  In the end I decided to try British Bulldog (layers of suet pastry and stewed beef) and for dessert......a Canadian twist on Spotted Dick.......called Figgy Duff.  The Figgy Duff is a steamed pudding although it doesn't contain suet........well at least I'm trying something new!  If nothing else I was excited at the prospect of using some just gorgeous pudding bowls.  If you'd like to give it a try......here is the recipes I used. for the beef steak pudding.......the Figgy Duff recipe is from this site and I made individual servings of a 1/2 recipe.

 What did I think???  I really liked the British Bulldog recipe.  The pastry has baking powder  (recipe calls for self raising flour) in it and during the steaming it puffs up like a light and flaky biscuit, and I really liked the stew recipe, so for me it was all good.  With all the suet in it....it is rich though.  The Figgy Duff had a great texture and I will try it again, but will look for a recipe with less molasses in it.  It was quite overpowering in this one.....especially when served with a custard sauce.

British Bulldog
Pastry
12 oz flour
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
6 oz beef suet, crumbled
1 cup cold water (as much as you need to pull together a soft dough)
Place dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Add 1/2 of the water and then gradually any extra needed to form a workable dough.  I added nearly all of it.  Do not over work the dough.  Wrap in plastic wrap and set in the fridge until ready. (I left mine in over night)

Filling
1 12/ lbs chuck steak or roast cut into small pieces
1 large onion chopped
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 can mushrooms, drained
1 cup dark beer or (1 cup light beer with 1 tbsp molasses)
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
Chop meat into small bit sized pieces and blot very well with paper towels.  Season with salt and pepper and let sit while you assemble your ingredients.  Add 1 tbsp oil to pan and brown the meat in 3 batches slowly over medium high heat so as not to crowd the pan.  Each batch should take about  minutes to brown.  Remove browned beef to side plate and repeat until all batches are browned. Put chopped onions in the pan and over medium heat cook until translucent.  Sprinkle flour over onions and stir to coat.  Add tomato paste and cook  3-4 more minutes making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan and reduce heat if it starts to burn.  Add beer stirring to mix well.  Add beef broth and remaining ingredients including the beef back to the pot.  Cover partially with lid and reduce heat to keep a light simmer for 2 hours.  Set aside to cool before assembling with pastry.

A Perfectly Perfect Day

 We had a perfectly perfect weekend here (after our little bit of snow melted).  Ike was complaining that I haven't been spending enough time with him lately....so Sunday was an Ike Day.  We set out a picnic blanket, read books, watched clouds, had snacks, tried to fly a kite (not enough wind) and lazed about.  In five years time I will remind him of how 'he used to want to spend time with me'.

This morning he's back off to school after a nice little breakfast of eggs in a basket.....(Cooking with Daisy's recipe from Meet Me at Mikes)  They were quick and easy, tasty and cute to boot!  While lurking about Meet Me at Mike's, I followed a link over to here and ordered a little something for me....any guesses??  After the Ginger Beer success......I've been checking out Mike's other recipes and have liked what I've seen.......you might too!   

Ike has a little surprise in his lunch box this morning:)   We haven't made these little octopi in quite a while. I hope that your day will be perfectly perfect as well.......or at the very least, deliciously delicious:)

Congratulations Schmidty:).......We have a winnner!

This morning after a LONG sleep in with the kitty.........I finally hauled my lazy behind out of bed to find this on the ground outside. 

Oh well...it'll soon be gone, and besides the house is going to be hot today from making today's bakers challenge soon enough.  Check back in a few hours to see it.  But for now......I just wanted to let you know that using the random.org number generator this morning.......a winner (#11) was selected.  If you count down the comments you can see that this is Schmidty (following as Rusthawk) who loves to eat cheese grits and homemade biscuits and sausage for breakfast.  Now that's not something you see around here for breakfast!  But while down in the US on vacation I've had these 'grits' several times now......and I love them......so I do believe that does sound like a splendid breakfast idea.  Unfortunately you cannot even buy the cornmeal to make grits here:(  This summer when we take our trip down the Oregon coast.......hopefully I can find some to bring back:)  Thanks to everyone who stopped in and entered.  Back later with a very interesting Baker's Challenge! A big thanks to CSN for providing such an awesome prize!

A Knit Along and What's Going On

All sorts of things have been going on around here lately:) Busy, busy, busy!  I've finally got a package ready for the mail that I've been procrastinating on for so long.  Everything I thought about putting in it didn't seem good enough...you know how it goes.....Well finally....it's done and this little baby will be out in the mail in the morning and one more monkey will be off my back.  I really like the way the glaze broke on this one....I tried to repeat this outcome quite a few times......but never could repeat it:(  It's actually not that little.....it was about 2 pounds of clay....which given my abilities is quite a lot to throw.   I really should practice more:(

Also, I've been working on a little knit along project.  It's for a knitted dish cloth and several lines of knitting are posted on Rachel's Knitting Corner blog each day.......so I won't know what it is until it's all done:)  It's a perfectly sized project for my attention span.  I  have purchased a pattern from this lady before and it was cute as a button. (even though I screwed up one line....oops) Well only two days have come out so far so it's not too late to knit along yourself.......if your up to it......check it out here.  The project started on April 19th....so look for that date for the cast on instructions.  Hope you try it....it's quick and fun, and her patterns are usually quite cute!  I'm excited to see what it is:)

Coming up in the kitchen.....the next batch of Ginger Beer (the first one is officially gone), a trial with lacto fermented Ginger Beer, pao de queijo, and experiments with Kefir.......So stay tuned.....and if you haven't yet entered the giveaway for two super beautiful Calphalon Pans courtesy of CSN stores.......there is still time:)

Ike's Little Brewery Experiment- Product Sampling

Well, I'm happy to report for those of you who might be interested, that the Gingerbeer experiment was indeed a success!  It passed Ike's quality control inspections for appearance, taste and fizzyness.  The flavour of it has a mild ginger bite and it is not super sweet........just sweet enough in fact.  And as the recipe promised....it delivers a lot of fizz!  I was actually a little surprised that Ike liked it as it does have a very slight smell from the yeast no doubt.......that smells like spilled beer after a night  of partying.  Good to know that this odor is not offensive to Ike......he should have no problem with University then!  We've passed a dozen on to a few neighbours now and will await further feedback from some impartial victims taste panelists.  I think it will be quite a refreshing drink ice cold with a slice of lemon or lime on a hot summer day......don't you think???  It was a very fun little project for Ike and I'm sure we'll try it again:)  The amount of head space to leave in the bottles was a bit of a mystery.  From what we've experienced to date....the bottle on the left will probably fizz over a bit when opened.....and the other two will probably be  just right.  Now....I open them all very slowly.....and over the sink just in case:)  Ike has been telling his friends that we squeezed our cat (Ginger) to get the juice to make this with........(really we didn't...... that's just a joke!)  I wonder if I should make up some labels with her picture on it???  What a super easy and delicious project for kids to make!  Wanna make some too????  Look here for the instructions....you really should!

It's a Gorgeous Cook Ware Giveaway....Yeah:)

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks to all who participated:)

Guess what? I've had a lovely offer from CSN (a collection of online stores with everything from speaker stands, to gorgeous kitchen wares........you name it, they probably can hook you up) to giveaway a set of two beautiful Calphalon omelet pans to anyone in the US or Canada.  (These are two nonstick pans....a 10 inch and a 12 inch.) They can only be shipped to a Canadian or US address, so anyone can enter if they can provide any US or Canadian address for delivery.   Please feel free to enter if you live in or even have a super nice friend or relative who lives in the US or Canada who would love a surprise.  So, that means that some wonderfully nice visitor....perhaps you!......will get to own these lovely pans.  How cool it that?  Thanks so much to CSN for such a lovely offer! I've spent a lot of time now checking out the items over at CSN and I fell in love with this totally cute tea or coffee set......so if anyone wants to know what to get me for Christmas (mom)........I'm just say'n.   Now in order to enter the draw for this prize, all you need to do is.......

1. Leave a comment on this post stating your favourite kitchen colours for one entry.
2. Because I so appreciate everyone who takes the time to follow my blog, those who follow can please leave a second comment on this post telling me your favourite breakfast food for a second chance to win.
3. If you would be so helpful as to mention this giveaway on your blog (or twitter) with a link back to this post, please leave another comment on this post letting me know this for another chance to win. (One or the other or both...but only once please)

So that's a total of 4 comment entries allowed per person.  Comment entries can be left from now until Friday April 23rd at midnight.  The winner will be  selected by the random number generator at random.org, posted and contacted the following Saturday morning.  Please make sure I have a way to contact you.  If the winning comment cannot be contacted or does not respond to my message within 5 days after being contacted, a new winning comment will be selected.  Good luck to everyone!  I think these are simply gorgeous pans and I'm excited to see where they will end up:)   I'm still working of a little something for an International Giveaway......so stay tuned my far away friends:)  And thanks everyone....... for stopping by!

A Daring Brunswick Stew

The 2010 April Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Wolf of Wolf’s Den. She chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make Brunswick Stew. Wolf chose recipes for her challenge from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, and from the Callaway, Virginia Ruritan Club.

Brunswick Stew was an interesting challenge for me since it is something that I have never even heard of.  I chose to make the quick recipe since I had left over cooked ham and turkey meat from some very large dinners earlier in the month and some chicken stock from a previous challenge.    It was thick and hearty , and along with garlic toast or fresh rolls is a well rounded meal.  It was well received here by everyone (including my 8 yr old son) and following the suggestion of others I thickened the leftovers with a roux, and baked it up as a pot pie with a puff pastry crust......even better, I'd say. I will most likely be making this again as it is the perfect way to use up a combination of left over ham and turkey for me.  So if you are looking to try a nice 'comfort food' recipe to warm your insides.....give this a try.

Brunswick Stew

The Short Way-
This version goes on the assumption that you already have cooked your meats and have broth on hand. This was also my first experience with eating Brunswick stew. It’s got more of a tomato base, has larger, chunkier vegetables, but is just as wonderful as recipe one. However, it is a lot quicker to make than the first recipe.

Brunswick Stew recipe from the Callaway, Va Ruritan Club, served yearly at the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival in Ferrum, Va.

Serves about 10
2 ½ lb TOTAL diced stewed chicken, turkey, and ham, with broth - yes, all three meats
3 medium diced potatoes
2 medium ripe crushed tomatoes
2 medium diced onions
3 cups/ 689.76 grams / 24.228oz frozen corn
1 ½ cups / 344.88 grams / 12.114oz frozen lima beans
4-5 strips crumbled bacon
½ stick / 4 tablespoons / ¼ cup / 56.94 grams / 2oz of butter
1 Tablespoon / 14.235 grams / .5 oz sugar
1 Tablespoon / 14.235 grams / .5 oz ‘Poultry Seasoning’
Dash of red pepper
2 diced carrots (optional)
Tomato juice
Directions-
In large stock pot or Dutch Oven, mix all ingredients, heat until bubbly and hot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add tomato juice as desired. Cook until all vegetables are tender. Serve hot. 

Antique Fair Goodness

This past weekend, an antique fair was held for a local charity fund raiser.  It is one of two that happen here each year and I always plan to attend.  This year I managed to find a few interesting things.  Not like I need another cup and saucer set.......but this one was very different......and different is good....isn't it?  Also the fact that it was only marked at $9 made it hard to pass up.....honestly, I didn't try very hard....so I bring you........my latest cup and saucer purchase.  TADA!!!!!!  Yes it is very GAZONGA........but it's also pretty unique, I think, as well.

Then not a few steps away at another table I spotted a cream and sugar set from a Royal Winton breakfast set (for only $10) that caught my eye.  You see, I bought this breakfast set in a pattern that my gramma K had dishes  in........(it's just one of those china patterns that I feel nostalgic about) and the set was incomplete.  Well after a few years I've come to the conclusion that I'm never going to find proper replacements for it as the pattern is just not common enough.  So I have been on the lookout for a toast rack and creamer that would blend in without too much conflict.  The shade of yellow in the set is quite pale so it's not going to be easy, but it will be possible.  Well, the job just got a little easier, as I think that this new (for me) little creamer will do the trick......and I think that the creamer (since it has more decorated area on it) was the tougher task to replace.  I do believe it is the best I'll be able to do anyway......and I don't think it's too distracting.......do you???

So, now the search continues for a suitable toast rack to finish the set..........and then........I can use it:)  If you see a little toast rack from a Winton breakfast set....let me know.....see how lonely the set is without one:(

Happy Spring:)

Slow Progress

I am making some progress......slow as it may be.  After two years of searching out vintage sheets to have enough variety to do something with.........I finally started cutting.  It is clear to me now if it wasn't before.....that I am a planner.......sometimes not so big on the execution.  That's why I like craft swaps....it's those sending dates.....I need them!  Without a promise or obligation to complete a given project at any particular time.......the project might lay uncompleted for years.  This vintage sheet quilt project has been on my mind for a long while now and hopefully since I have no completion date......it will get done.

I've got over 150 (6 1/2 inch) squares cut now from over 20 different sheets, (thank goodness for rotary cutters) and I'm getting anxious to arrange them in a pleasing layout and to choose a binding colour.  I had a really fun time accumulating these totally groovy sheets........the pattern that I had on my bed when I was little is even among these.....can you guess which one??  Do you see any that you recognize??  Tomorrow I start sewing......hopefully.  Sewing the quilt top will be OK, I'm not worried about that....but I am stressing....yes stressing about free motion quilting.  Never tried it before and I am getting very nervous about it!  So if you never see the finished project from this neat little pile up on the blog.......please bug me about it, so I finish it:)

I Love Sticky Pudding....Do You??

 Last night we had an unexpected visitor which prompted the preparation of dessert which we do not normally have.  My quick standby, make it in a hurry dessert is Chocolate Sauce N Cake especially when I have a container of ice cream in the freezer like I do now.  But since we have already served that particular dessert to this particular boy.......I decided that I wanted to try the butterscotch version.....another Sauce N Cake that a friend had given me the recipe for.  Due to my sad lack of organization.......this recipe could not be found in time and a quick change of plans was in needed.  I decided to make a recipe I'd tried from epicurious a few years back, that we had liked.  The recipe is for sticky date pudding and I happened to have a package of dates kicking around that needed some serious using up.  Perfect! My DH found the recipe a little lacking in the spice department for his taste so we have increased the amounts ever so slightly from the original.  Do make sure to use very hot water for the water bath or you will find extra baking time is needed.  Either way...bake just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  In the event that you under cook it.......as I did the first time I made it....all is not lost as you can finish the cooking of each individual serving dish in the microwave.  We serve it warm, with my MIL's Christmas pudding sauce.  It is very rich, very sticky, and very delicious.  If you like things sweet....pour on lots of the sauce:)

Sticky Date Pudding
1 3/4 cups packaged pitted dates (about 10 ounces by weight)
2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, very soft
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, large
Preheat oven to 374F.  Butter and flour an 8 inch square baking pan. Knock out excess flour.
Coarsely chop dates and put them and the 2 cups water in a 2 liter sauce pan to simmer, uncovered for 5 minute.  Remove from heat and add the baking soda which will foam up.  Let mixture stand for 20 minutes while you carry on with the rest of the recipe.
Into a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt.  In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add the flour in three batches, beating after each addition. The batter at this point is quite thick.  Add a quarter of the date mixture and beat it into the batter to thin it out.  Add the remaining date mixture and mix just until combined. (In the batch above, I poured the date mixture in all at once and was left with a few lumps of batter not properly mixed in....they look like white spots in the pudding....oops) Pour batter into the prepared pan and set this pan into a larger pan of water so that the water comes up the sides of the cake pan about 1/2 the way up.  (I used a big lasagna pan for the water bath) Put all (carefully so it doesn't spill) into the middle rack of the oven and bake to 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove pan from water bath and set on a rack to cool a little bit before serving.  Slice or scoop a serving into a shallow bowl and top with sauce.  Best served warm.

Pudding Sauce
1 cup sugar
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup cream (whipping cream)
1/4 cup butter
Heat butter, cream and sugar in a double boiler.  Once scalded add a few tbsp of the sauce into the beaten eggs and mix.  Then pour the egg mixture into the double boiler while whisking.  You do not want to have strands of cooked egg in this so stir very well.  If you do need to you can strain this mixture when it's all finished.  Cook stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture coats the back of a spoon.  Left over sauce can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator or for longer periods in the freezer....it will never get hard in the freezer.  If you have Christmas cake to use up........try a few spoons of this sauce over a slice of warmed Christmas Cake and it will make it much more edible.

A Blustery Day and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today has been damp and rainy.  This is weather that can get you down if you encounter too much of it.  For me, that has never happened.  I love the rain.  I love long handled umbrellas with pretty patterns and rain boots to match.  I like to walk in the rain, run in it (if it's a light rain), and I like to sit and watch it through my drippy window while I drink some tea or flip through a book.  (We're drinking Stash's Vanilla Nut Cream Decaf today...yummy) Despite the dampness, I managed to run into town to run a few errands and stop in at a thrift shop I like to support.  I also managed to find a few interesting or useful things.............. and I am supporting a very worthy charity to boot.

I have a few round pudding basins made by Green in my cupboard so this large oval pie dish caught my eye.  After a few moments of deciding if I really needed it........I decided that I didn't really NEED it, but I sure wanted it and it was only $2.50.....so now it is mine.  Now I just have to find out what type of recipe it is meant for.  Feel free to enlighten me if you know.  I'm imagining a pork pie or a shepard's pie???  It is quite large and deep and will hold about 1 liter in volume (4 cups).  I also found some size 3 crochet thread to make some more pot holders, and these vintage needle gauges.......all good stuff. Well I'm off a bit later to a PAC meeting at the school and need to get on with the baking of these yummy chocolate chip cookies.  

They are our favourite recipe as they are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, and jam packed with chocolate chips.  You can find the recipe for them below if you'd like to try them.  Happy Spring or Fall as the case may be:)
Our Favourite Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp molasses
1 egg, large
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cup flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar. Add molasses, egg, vanilla, salt and baking soda. Mix in well.  Stir in flour until incorporated, then mix in the chocolate chips until they are distributed evenly.  Chill dough 30 minutes.  Drop by teaspoonful onto a nonstick cookie sheet.  Bake 375F just until edged begin to be golden brown.  This should take about 7 minutes.  To make chocolate chocolate chippers......add 1/3 cup cocoa powder and decrease the flour by 1/4 cup.

A Slow Paced Easter Weekend

I hope your Easter weekend was warm and relaxing.  Ours is slowly coming to a close as we lazily begin day four by sleeping in (thank you Ike).  So far we've had some nice long walks, baked some more air buns, made some quiche  (to use up some crab Pollock, asparagus, and Monterey Jack), started reading a new book (Eragon), bottled up our Ginger Beer experiment, and of coarse had loads of fun with our Easter Egg Hunting!  Today, on the agenda, is finishing up some work on some Ukrainian Easter Eggs (Pysanky).  I had a few casualties that needed replacing and this is the only time of the year that I think about doing it.  Do you love the little egg cups??  They are from my gramma K's china cupboard.  I remember very well staring many hours through the glass at all her treasures of her china cabinet. They were stacked up and packed in there like so many little treasures.  I'd imagine that staring in there was just about as exciting as staring into the tomb of Tutankhamen.  Now these quiet little hens sit in my china cupboard with much less grandeur than in their former home, but they still bring me back to sitting in gramma's rocking chair staring in at all of her delightful treasures.  I thought they looked content sitting on this vintage pillow case.  It is also impatiently waiting for me to get on to starting my vintage sheet quilt......Maybe next week:)

We now need to wait one more week before we can sample the results of our Ginger Beer Experiment.  I hope it all works out well......after three weeks of waiting.......I REALLY HOPE it works out well.   However, we have never even tasted homemade ginger beer before so we probably won't be able to tell if it all worked out properly.  In any event, we'll have 24 of these 500mL bottles to use up......one way or the other:)  I'll let you know in a week if this worked out well (or at least tasty) for us!  Here's hoping for lots of fizz and no exploding bottles.  I think I just might keep this batch in the bath tub.......I hope I left the right amount of head room???  What do you think?

A Cool Spring and Comfort Food

We have been inundated with days off school here......three Fridays in a row now.  To keep Ike entertained on one such day off we took a little excursion to 'Forests for the World' which is kind of like a park land area with fire pits by a little lake, a few picnic tables, plenty of trails to walk.....and at this time of year......lots of mud.  It sounded perfect for Ike and his friend Eric.  So last Friday, we packed a small picnic of hot chocolate, hot dogs and smores fixings and set out on our little adventure.  The weather was fairly cooperative with small amounts of snow still along the trails.....but best of all, lots of puddles and trickling streams to splash about in.  While the kids entertained themselves with playing in the water....I (and Eric's mom) started about making a fire.  No easy task with everything so very very damp.....but eventually after a lot of mothering (20 minutes of it)...it seemed pretty stable, and we called in the hoard and began roasting while the roasting was good.  After a delicious campfire lunch we doused our fire and began to head back to the parking area to head home....only to be distracted for a further 20 minutes by the discovery of a truly ripe (dead for who knows how long) trout.  Who knew a dead fish could be so much fun. 

What is it about rain boots that while they are specifically made to keep water out......a soaker is simply inevitable??   After such a fun afternoon of rough housing outdoors........and with Easter upon us as well....what could be more perfect than a delicious ham dinner?  This recipe turns out the best ham time after time, and is a recipe from an old family friend who I think of whenever I have this recipe. (My mom makes it a lot)  Since I had a few hams sitting in my freezer....I decided to use one up.   I've made this recipe three times now and it has been very moist and tasty each time.  I think the simmering removes any excess salt and the sugar and spices in the pot make for a very tasty ham......and makes your kitchen smell positively edible........and the whole process is dead easy......now you've got to love that:)

Mrs C's Tender Ham
1 ham (the kind with the mesh cloth covering it and bone in) mine was 7 lbs
3/4 cups white sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 onion cut in half
5 cloves garlic, peeled and cup in half
6-7 whole cloves
4-5 whole allspice
1 stalk of celery, cut in 1/2

Remove the plastic wrap from the ham, but leave on the mesh cheese cloth covering it.  Put all in a large stock pot with enough water to just cover the ham.  Make sure to leave the water level a few inches above the top of the ham, add all remaining ingredients, then top up with the last few inches of water.  Simmer1- 1 1/2 hours. (I put my ham into the water straight from the freezer so once it began to simmer....I timed it for 1 1/2 hours)  Remove ham from water, and remove the mesh cheese cloth.   Slice away the rind (skin) on the side of the ham leaving a good amount of fat behind on the ham.  Score the fat with a diamond pattern, and place the ham in a large enough roast pan to fit it with a few inches around.  Set oven to 400 F, and spread spice paste listed below over the scored fat.

Spice Paste
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp dry mustard powder
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soft butter

Juice for Basting
400 mL (that 2 small juice boxes) of pineapple, orange or mango juice

Once ham is covered with spice paste, pour 400mL (two small juice boxes) of pineapple or orange juice into the bottom of the pan. Slide your roast pan into the oven and let it roast for about 15 minutes.  Now you can baste the ham with the pan juices every 10 minutes.  You want to wait to baste with the juices until they thicken up a bit so they don't just run right off the ham.  Continue basting and roasting until pan juices are syrupy.  This whole process in the oven should take about 30 minutes.