Holidays cooking is okay -- I mean Thanksgiving has turkey and ham and sixty other things that get cooked in a large amounts and hang around forever.

Some of it however is cherished stuff and does not last very long at all.  And some of it is raw material for other almost immediate things that are very popular such as turkey salad.

Leftover veggies along with the leftover sliced ham get diced up and put in a big pot and turned into vegetable soup.

But today we give homage to the slowest of the leftovers, that great big ham bone with all the tatters of the circle sliced ham on it.

Frozen, it has waited faithfully in the freezer until the mood was right for a big pot of navy beans.

My wife is positive that the height of culinary artistry is a big bone left over from Thanksgiving or Christmas that has been faithfully stewed for 6 hours in a big well spiced pot of navy beans.

She carefully slivers every bit of meat off of that bone and enjoys it immensely while the beans are cooking and then when the beans are finally done and the whole thing cools down to an edible level the dog sits there and patiently whines and cries until mama digs the bone out and gives it to him.

It is a family tradition.   Her father did her ham hock for her since she was a little bitty thing .... and now I do it.

So, what are your traditional holiday foods (and favorite leftovers).

I can gnaw on a leg or a thigh. I'm THRILLED that the girls only want breast meat.. well, not dark,
I don't care if juice is dripping out, white meat just feels sandy, gakk!
Tater salad, cranberry sauce, uh Huhh.

Navy beans? Ugh, you have my sympathy. My wife use the ham bone and some ham to make a terrific split pea soup. Thick, filling, and tasty. The turkey carcass turns into turkey soup, boiling of the remaining meat and adding tomatoes, spices, and some other stuff.

Wife had me do stuffing a different way this year. Blend up the heart and gizzards, roughly chop fresh toast, add some herbs and bake it in a separate casserole dish. Turned out well.  I've never been one for gizzards, but this really worked.  Quite a contrast from the stuffing I received growing up, which my mother affectionately (and correctly) called glue.

On a side note: if the ham bone is done right, the mat shouldn't have to be sliced off. It ought to fall right of the bone. Also, be very mindful giving your dog that cooked bone. Cooked bones will sooner and can easily cause blockage and internal damage.

EDIT: Oh yeah, the holidays mean my in-law will be making pastries! Pizelles, biscotta, and the mother makes kahlua fudge with Mexican vanilla. Mmm... Gotta love Italian family - or at least their cooking.  

Over the years, our celebratory parties have lessened in population.
As a military member loving to cook, we always invited the airmen who could not go home over for our thanksgiving and Christmas dinners (which were usually from 2pm til' closing (some times a stay over was needed by a few imbibers).
But now days, it has dwindled to just us two and maybe one friend or family member. (we don't tolerate malcontents any longer, bad apples are not invited, no matter who's family they are)
This year it is the bipolar sister-in-law, and my wife and I, no others...(lol her sons are the malcontents I speak of).
For Thanksgiving we went to the local Golden Corral Buffet, this Christmas we are going to cook a small meal for three.... hoping we can find one of those small turkey breasts (we have been told bird flu is why there are fewer choices this year).
We won't have much left over, unless we have to buy a small turkey... and I love turkey sammmiches with mayo~