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Ham, eggs and mini-candies from Easter celebrations may be turned into delicious salads and fun cookies. Remembering to refrigerate meal leftovers is important when planning for future menu items. Deluxe Ham and Potato Salad is a warm salad suitable for cold springtime meals.

Deluxe Ham

and Potato Salad

4 hard cooked eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, sliced thin

1 pound (2 medium) potatoes

3/4 pound cooked ham, cubed

3 medium tomatoes or 12 oun-ces halved cherry tomatoes

1/2 head lettuce, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp prepared mustard

Peel cooked eggs and set aside. Peel and cut potatoes into 3/4-1 inch cubes and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil and cook garlic until browned. Note: You may remove the garlic slices at this point if you want. Add potatoes and cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender and browned. Stir in cubed ham and continue cooking until heated through.

In a large salad bowl, combine potato and ham mixture with tomatoes and lettuce. Mix together mayonnaise and mustard, then add to salad ingredients, tossing gently to evenly distribute the dressing.

Note: Bottled dressings such as Thousand Island, Catalina or Ranch may be substituted for the mayonnaise.

Quarter peeled eggs and arrange on salad. Yield: 3-4 dinner servings.

This recipe came from the Best Foods mayonnaise jar around 1987. I have found it a great resource as a starting base for creating a salad from various leftover cooked meats. Grapes or oranges are excellent substitutes for the tomatoes when they are not in season or are too pricey for the budget.

Ham Salad Molokai has been in my recipe collection since 1977 and comes from an advertisement for Fresh Dole Pineapple in Woman’s Day Magazine. The original recipe just listed ingredients and left the amounts up to the maker. I’m listing here the amounts I use, but you may adjust to family taste and ingredients on hand. You may substitute canned pineapple when fresh is not available.

Ham Salad Molokai

1fresh Dole pineapple or 2 cans pineapple chunks, well drained

2 cups ham, cut in julienne strips

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

1 avocado diced or made into balls with a small melon baller

12 ounces cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin

1 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp dried dill weed or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped dill.

If you are using fresh pineapple, scrub the outside under running water using a vegetable brush. Leaving the leaves on, cut in half lengthwise to form boats. Using a grapefruit or curved knife, remove fruit from the shells. Core and cut fruit into bite size chunks,

Combine pineapple chunks with remaining ingredients and spoon into pineapple shells to serve. If using canned pineapple, present salad in a colorful salad bowl. Yield: 8-10 side servings or 4-5 main dish servings.

Note: Grapes, apple chunks or Anjou pear cubes are a nice substitute for the cherry tomatoes when they’re not in season.

Scalloped Potato Soup is a quick, easy way to use leftover ham and scalloped potatoes. This is about as close as it gets to heat and serve without opening a can.

Scalloped Potato Soup

Leftover scalloped potatoes

Equal amount whole milk

Leftover cooked ham, diced

Salt, pepper and onion powder to taste.

Run a sharp knife through leftover scalloped potatoes to cut into smaller pieces. Mix with milk in a large sauce pan. Heat, stirring gently, quite often, over medium heat until heated through and steamy, but not boiling. Add diced ham and season with salt, pepper and onion powder to taste. Yield depends upon how much leftover scalloped potatoes you start with. Usually a cup of potatoes yields a serving of soup.

Note: Other left over cooked vegetables such as peas, carrots or corn may be added.

Abundant Easter candy may be turned into some colorful cookies and the unbaked dough may be frozen to bake later, spreading out the sugar intake.

Free Range After Easter Cookies are crispy with a chewy center that keep well in the cookie jar. With a bit of nutrition from oatmeal, they make a great afternoon snack paired with a glass of milk.

Free Range

After Easter Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 cups oatmeal

3 cups assorted chopped Easter candies, such as jelly beans, Twix, Snickers, M&M’s and Milky Way.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine butter and sugar, mixing well. Beat in eggs. Stir in the flour mixture. Add oatmeal, vanilla and the chopped candy, mixing well. Dough will be crumbly.

Form dough into 1-inch balls and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 1 minute, and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: about 5 dozen.

To freeze and bake later, form dough into balls as directed. Place on parchment paper lined trays. Flatten dough slightly. Freeze until firm then store in zip closure bags until ready to bake as directed in the recipe.

Share your favorite spring recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159 or send an email to therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Now you can start tomato and pepper plants for setting out after Mother’s Day.