Baptism dinner recipes

On Tuesday, I posted about my son's baptism.  Afterward we had a wonderful dinner for our family and friends.  Today I wanted to share some of those recipes!

Appetizers

Since people were coming from the church, and I still had last minute dinner prep, I had some ready-to-serve appetizers that I was able to set out quickly. This kept the crowd happy until dinner was ready.

Fruit Salad with Cinnamon Chips by Double Dipped Life

I've made this before, but this time I used Strawberries, Blueberries, Kiwi, and Pineapple. I sprinkled sugar and lime juice, and served with Cinnamon Chips. I did not make the chips this time; I got lucky and found a brand at Costco. This dish was probably the most raved about dish the entire night! I love it when the easy dishes are so good!

The Best Cheeseball by MelsKitchenCafe

This recipe makes 4 cheeseballs, but I only needed 2. So, I cut the cream cheese and cheddar cheese in half. I then forgot that I was halving it, and added the full strength spices and seasonings. But, you know what? It was divine!  The first ball was eaten quickly, and I ate the 2nd one over the course of the next week! I will make it this way from now on!

With these, we served a veggie tray from Smith's, Stacey brand Pita chips (my new favorite), and crackers.

Dinner

For the main course, I served a Ham from Costo, Crockpot Mashed Potatoes, and a Salad.  The salad was a simple version of my Spinach Salad with Spiced Pecans, Apples, Feta, and Cranberries. I bought a Spring Salad mix, added cranberries, and pre-made toffee almonds (made for salads), feta, and used White Balsamic dressing. It was a hit!  I'm going to hold off on the recipe for the potatoes for another post! They were so good, they deserve their own spotlight! 

Dessert

Dessert was a cheesecake, also purchased from Costco, with an assortment of toppings. I also made Snickerdoodles for Tanner since they are his favorite! That recipe will be coming soon as well. I originally made the Graham Cracker Snickerdoodles, but discovered that recipe can NOT be doubled! 

What a great night! I enjoyed everyone's company, and loved having a party to cook for. Thanks to all of you who came!

A Baptism and Bean and Ham Soup

McKenzie, Mark (dad), Tanner- the special boy of the night, and Michael.

 Last week my oldest was Baptized. In my church, we are baptized when we turn 8. We are so proud of Tanner for making this decision. It was an amazing night. I was blown away by the number of family and friends that came to witness this special event.  My younger brothers were able to be "witnesses". My youngest brother is leaving on a mission in February, and so he had the authority to stand in the Priesthood circle to ordain Tanner a member of the church.  

I made the mistake of saying the opening prayer. I could barely get the words out, I was so overcome with emotion. My BABY is now old enough for this! I cried that he was old enough, and I cried because this is an amazing act in his young life. Later, as I listened to those around me singing Hymns, I was overcome by the LOVE that filled the room. These people were here for MY family. To celebrate with us, and to support us. It is an overwhelming feeling.

Thank you to those who came. It was a night that we will never forget. 

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After the baptism, we held a dinner to thank those that came, and to celebrate. We had a variety of appetizers, ham, potatoes, salad, and cheesecake for dessert. Everyone enjoyed the dinner, and some recipes will be shared here in the next few days.

As I was cleaning up, I asked my Father-In-Law if he wanted the ham bones to make soup with. He didn't, and I just couldn't throw them away. I decided to try my hand at it! After cruising a few recipes, I tweaked them into my own. Everyone I shared it with (it makes a TON) loved it. I served it with Homemade Cornbread from Mels Kitchen Cafe. This is seriously the best cornbread ever! 

I made the soup in the crockpot, but it can also be made in a large soup pan. You can also do this without a ham bone- just add more chopped ham.

The Best Bean and Ham Soup

Recipe by The Double Dipped Life

1 (20oz) package of dried beans, soaked overnight (I used Great Northern White, but you can use any kind you like!)

1 ham bone

2 1/2 cups cubed ham (or more if you don't have a ham bone)

1 large onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

5 large carrots, peeled and chopped 

1 (14.5oz) can of diced tomatoes, with liquid

10 cups low sodium chicken broth (I used 10 cups water and 10 teas. chicken granules)

2 TB Worchestershire Sauce

1 TB Chili Powder (I had to use Cayenne, and it turned out great!)

3 Bay Leaves

1 teas. ground black pepper

1 Tb dried parsley

3 Tb lemon juice

1 teas kosher salt

1. Take the beans you have soaked overnight, and drain. Place them in a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and then simmer on low for at least 20 minutes, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.  

2. Chop the veggies, and add everything to the crockpot.  Add in the beans.  The liquid should cover the ingredients. (I have a large crockpot, and it was full! I had to siphon off about 1/2 cup of liquid, and add it back in later) 

3. Set your crockpot on high for 6-8 hours. Stir every few hours- quickly.  The more time the lid is off, the longer it takes to cook! 

4. Remove the ham bone and the bay leaves.  

5. Optional step: Take a hand or immersion blender, and blend 1/4 - 1/2 of the soup. It ended up giving it a grainy-looking texture, but the taste was a lot smoother.  

Serve warm with Cornbread! 

Enjoy!