I didn't write this letter to Cook's Country:

Many years ago, when I was throwing my first dinner party,
I wanted to serve ham. I had forgotten the brand of ham
my mother usually bought, and I didn't really have a clue
how to make her candied ham, but I decided to improvise.
I took the large ham out of the can, scraped off the jelly,
spread mustard and brown sugar on the top, and then
covered the top with pineapple rings. After baking it for a
few hours, I took the ham out to serve to my hungry guests.
It looked a little strange because all the toppings had fallen
off the ham and into the pan. My husband soon found out
why when he went to carve the ham. The ham was still
encased in plastic!

Ahem.

nancy