A brunch dish? Maybe.

I used to buy a cookbook from every place I visited. To be honest, I still think it's fun and I'm pretty likely to do it even now, when I have over 200 cookbooks and should know better. I like to go for those regional, "church" kind of cookbooks, where everyone makes their favorite and most sought after dish. Their signature dish, if you will, the one they want to show off with. My trouble is, that I've pretty much stayed on the west coast--except a few trips to Virginia, Connecticut, and New York--so, I've accumulated many more "west coast" cookbooks than I need.



This particular cookbook, Peanut Butter Sticks to the Roof of Your Mouth, by Joan Howard, isn't a stand out, for it's great recipes, but it has an inscription written by me:
3 great friends
4 great days
Wallow Lake, July 199
Tomi, Dink and Debbie


How could I ever get rid of it? They really were 4 great days! Myself and 2 friends on a Mom's getaway weekend.


Right under the title on this cookbook, it says: Light-hearted reflections and recipes with a Northwest flavor.
It was big on the reflections, which I loved, but very light on the recipes. I thought I'd try "Patty's Ham with Asparagus".
I have something similar to this in one of my cookbook notebooks, and it seemed like it would be a good brunch recipe and decided to test it.
We ate it, the Handyman, myself and my son. We did not love it.
The sauce did not set up too well, so it was a bit runny, and in looking at my notebook, the other recipe uses cream of mushroom soup and not a white sauce. I think that might be better. So, I might go ahead and try it again using the soup instead of the white sauce. It might make for a thicker consistency.
And hopefully, better photographs!

Patty's Ham with Asparagus

3 pounds cleaned asparagus

5 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons flour

2 1/4 cups milk

Dash each: salt, pepper and nutmeg

6 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

12 thin slices ham

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese

paprika (which I just realized I forgot to sprinkle on)

Steam asparagus until barely tender. Drain juice and add to measured milk. Melt butter in pan, add the flour and stir until thickened. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. In a 9x13 pan, layer half the asparagus, ham, eggs and 1/2 cup of the sauce. Repeat layers ending with sauce. spread cheese over all, sprinkle with paprika and dot with additional butter if you'd like.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I'm linking this to Cookbook Sundays, My Own Personal Cookbook Countdown and Weekend Cooking.

 Before I leave I have to tell you a funny "regional" story. As you know I live in Winnemucca, Nevada.


All of us, anywhere we live, take pride in our towns, counties, states.... and we want people to pronounce things correctly. I work at the Chamber of Commerce and I never know if I should correct people's pronunciations about our town or not... I mean, who can really pronounce Winnemucca? (it's Winn-a-muck-a ....after a Paiute Indian Chief) But Nevada... I think I really should help people out. But I had help! My friend Massey, has a four year old daughter Hayden. Hayden went to Texas with her parents.
While there, a kindly lady asked Hayden.... So you live in Ne-vah-da?


Hayden said, WHAT?
The lady said, "Ne-vahhh-da, you live in Ne-vahh-da?"
Hayden, just as cute as can be, says "NO I DON'T. I live in Nevada. (the middle 'va' is pronounced as in 'at'). The Lady thought it was hilarious!
But really....Hayden is right...it's Nevada not Nevahhda. I'm just saying....