Slow Cook Thursday, or Merry Blogger Christmas!

In honor of Mrs. G, I am sharing my own Slow Cook Thursday recipe. Yesterday I planned my Christmas menu, and I really wanted to have at least part of it made in the trusty ol' crock pot to reduce the amount of prep work I have to do that day.

I'm starting the day with a tasty-sounding appetizer, Pesto Torta, courtesy of Sozzled (she posted it when she was chosen to be the Slow Cook Thursday Chef at Derfwad) (and if anyone reading this has her very own homemade pesto in her freezer that she promised she would someday share with me, well, now might be a good time to let me know!) Then, we will have a soup course to start our dinner using a Cream of Broccoli Soup recipe I found on someone's blog - I am hoping someone can help me here, I am so embarrassed that I can't find it again to give credit to its owner. I think her name is Nora, and I am certain I found it by following links on peoples' blogs that I regularly read, so if anyone can tell me her URL, I would appreciate it.

For the main course I am roasting fresh asparagus, making Mrs. G's ONE Amazing Recipe - Maria's Butternut Squash (though on my menu it's Mrs. G's Maria's Butternut Squash. Kind of like Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.) My SIL is bringing a salad and bread. And the protein (I have been watching a lot of Top Chef lately) (and did anyone else think this week's episode was a bit lame? The judges need to get in the holiday spirit a bit more.) is ham - cooked all day long in the slow cooker. Here's the recipe, and I will report in on the 26th as to how mine went.

Slow Cooker Ham
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 (8 pound) cured, bone-in picnic ham

Spread about 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar on the bottom of the slow cooker crock. Place the ham flat side down into the slow cooker - you might have to trim it a little to make it fit. Use your hands to rub the remaining brown sugar onto the ham. Cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours.