Christmas 2015 (at The Bear Den)

[Bearcarver]

Christmas 2015  (at The Bear Den)


We just had our usual Christmas Day.

Christmas morning Mrs Bear & I open our presents. Then Smokey opens his presents.

Then later, Bear Jr & his Wife come up the driveway to our house & we all exchange gifts.

Then it’s time for Christmas Dinner.
This year again I bought a Double Smoked Ham because I can’t trust the weather to be nice enough to be out Double Smoking my own. I can only do my own when there is no set time it has to be done, so if I have to I can smoke it on the following day. I can’t do that on Christmas Day.

So I put the Pineapple Rings on this 16.9 pound Double Smoked Ham, and heated it up in the kitchen oven, using the 240° oven temp. It took 6 1/4 hours to get to 145° IT, including adding my glaze at about 1 hour before completion. Then I took the top off & sliced more than enough for the 4 of us for Dinner.
Mrs Bear made the the sides & the Raspberry Chiffon Pie shown below.

I can tell you I was stuffed when this day came to an end!!!


Thanks for Looking,

Bear



Christmas Eve & All is Ready:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2175.jpg.html




Smokey has his Stocking:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2211.jpg.html




Smokey got some of his favorite toys——“Fingers” (Mrs Bear makes them out of white glove fingers & he loves them):
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2209.jpg.html




Smokey also likes to hide in the wrapping paper:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2212.jpg.html




One Store-Bought Toy for Smokey———A Tunnel to crawl through:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2213.jpg.html




Time to put the Ham in:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2215.jpg.html




Top of the Ham removed for Christmas Dinner:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2218.jpg.html




This is plenty for Dinner——I can slice the rest later:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2219.jpg.html




Bear’s Christmas Dinner——Ham, Mashed Taters with Ham Gravy, and Green Beans:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2221.jpg.html




Dessert was Raspberry Chiffon Pie (without the usual Rosettes):
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2222.jpg.html




One slice for the Bear:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN2223.jpg.html

 

[chef jimmyj]

Now that's a proper meal!...JJ

 

[gary s]

Nice Job Bear, Love the Pics, congrats on another year   

Gary

 

[kjolly]

Bear,

I now what you mean about the weather. This year for Christmas we took a Condo in Port Aransas.  This been a bad year with my wife losing her brother and I didn't want his empty seat at the table reminding her of his death so we spent the week on the coast. Also had Ham, green beans and mashed potatoes. froze most of the ham to have for New Years.

 

[sota d]

Glad you had a nice Christmas Bear! Great looking meal, and great pix of it-you got my mouth watering! Hope you have a great new year, David.

 

[mummel]

Nicely done!  Where did you buy the ham?  I've seen them in store but they are normally partially cooked/smoked, and require some oven time.

 

[dukeburger]

Looks like a great meal, looks like Smokey got spoiled as well! All the best in the new year, John.

 

[doubles shooter]

Darn it Bear, I'm trying to lose weight. Your pictures don't help.
It looks like you had a great Christmas. May 2016 be great for you and yours.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Now that's a proper meal!...JJ

Thank You Jimmy!!

Bear

 
Nice Job Bear, Love the Pics, congrats on another year   

Gary

Thank You Gary!!

And Thanks for the Point !

Bear

 

[bdskelly]

Looks like you had a wonderful Christmas buddy! b

 

[smokin monkey]

Looks a great meal, a bit differant from our Traditional Turkey Meal [emoji]128077[/emoji]

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Bear,

I now what you mean about the weather. This year for Christmas we took a Condo in Port Aransas.  This been a bad year with my wife losing her brother and I didn't want his empty seat at the table reminding her of his death so we spent the week on the coast. Also had Ham, green beans and mashed potatoes. froze most of the ham to have for New Years.

Thank You!!

We froze most of ours too, because we had so many various leftovers around here from all the different family parties.

Bear

 
Glad you had a nice Christmas Bear! Great looking meal, and great pix of it-you got my mouth watering! Hope you have a great new year, David.

Thank You David!!

And Best to you & yours also!!

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Nicely done!  Where did you buy the ham?  I've seen them in store but they are normally partially cooked/smoked, and require some oven time.

Thank You Mummel !!

These are what I used to buy every year, before I had a Smoker.

It's a Liedy's Ham, which is IMHO the best Hams in this area. Then a place called "Davis' Meats" (in the Quakertown Farmer's Market) takes that Liedy's Smoked Ham & smokes it again.

This one cost $58, but it's almost as good as the ones I Double Smoke myself.

Bear

 
Looks like a great meal, looks like Smokey got spoiled as well! All the best in the new year, John.

Thanks Duke!!

Smokey is Pretty Spoiled, but he's a good boy, and he thinks his soul purpose in life is to make me Laugh!!!

Best to you & yours also!!

Bear

Darn it Bear, I'm trying to lose weight. Your pictures don't help.
It looks like you had a great Christmas. May 2016 be great for you and yours.

Thank You Shooter!!

And Happy New Year to you also.

Bear

 

[xray]

These are what I used to buy every year, before I had a Smoker.
It's a Liedy's Ham, which is IMHO the best Hams in this area. Then a place called "Davis' Meats" (in the Quakertown Farmer's Market) takes that Liedy's Smoked Ham & smokes it again.
This one cost $58, but it's almost as good as the ones I Double Smoke myself.

Hey Bear! Just wanted to ask...are these hams available year round or just during the holidays? I ask because I frequent Quakertown a lot (inlaws) and will give a try.

 

[Bearcarver]

Hey Bear! Just wanted to ask...are these hams available year round or just during the holidays? I ask because I frequent Quakertown a lot (inlaws) and will give a try.

As far as we know you can get them anytime, however we always order one a week or two ahead of time.

You can also Double Smoke your own, which is actually better tasting, and costs about 1/3 as much.

Like these Step by Steps below:

One Ham:

Double Smoked Ham   

Four Hams:

Double Smoked Hams Times 4         

Two Hams:

Double Smoked Ham Twins

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Looks like you had a wonderful Christmas buddy! b

Thank You B!!

Bear

Looks a great meal, a bit differant from our Traditional Turkey Meal [emoji]128077[/emoji]

Thank You SM !!

Yup---Every year Bear Jr. makes something different.  I think last year was Lasagna.

Bear

 

[ak1]

Looks great John. Family & friends is what it's all about.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Looks great John. Family & friends is what it's all about.

Thank You AK !!!

You got that right !!  Great Times.

Bear

 

[kovaku]

Reading your post Bear reminds me that the holidays are about family.  The older I get, and especially now that I have kids of my own, I'm realizing that family is what it is all about.  I work overseas and I get Christmas every other year so that time is special.  Your post made me remember that.  Thanks for sharing. 

 

[SmokinAl]

That's one of the best looking, juiciest hams I've seen. Nice job Bear. How bout some Bear photos?