T Bird’s Nest gift shop and honey baked ham

This past July I had the distinct privilege of meeting Teri Fortner and Jordan Long at a Friday morning Movers and Shakers’ breakfast meeting at Sundance Grill in Hiawassee. This was about the same time when this aunt-niece duo held their grand opening of their gift shop, T Bird’s Nest, located at 249 Big Sky Drive in Hiawassee — next door to Blimpie’s Sub Shop. This home decor gift shop carries custom-made wreaths and floral arrangements, throw blankets, miscellaneous gifts and seasonal decor. Store hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

In addition to this new home decor gift shop, Teri and Jordan will be offering Honey Baked Hams to purchase. Place your order by 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21 by going to this web site: www.honeybaked-ham-hiawassee.square.site or go into T Bird’s Nest and either Teri or Jordan will assist you in ordering your honey baked ham for your Thanksgiving. You can also call (706) 400-1992 with your order. You will then pick up your Honey Baked Hams from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23 as a drive through at the end of Daniel’s Steakhouse parking lot in Hiawassee. Signs will direct you to a big tent and a refrigerated truck. 

In 1924, Harry Hoenselaar created a bone-in spiral-slicer that smoked and cooked a ham. He said the idea for the spiral ham slicer “came to him in a dream.” Hoenselaar built his prototype spiral slicer using “a tire jack, a pie tin, a washing machine motor, and a knife.” The Honey Baked Ham Company is a food retailer which sells hams, turkey breasts and other pre-cooked entrées, side dishes, and desserts. It was founded in 1957 in Detroit, Mich. and its headquarters in Alpharetta, Ga., over 500 outlets.

Teri and her husband, Bobby, have been affiliated with Honey Baked Ham stores for 20 years; they own three stores in Georgia. Teri’s family and friends have always called her “T Bird,” so adding nest to the end of that sounded like the perfect name for a gifts’ and home goods’ store. Jordan was born and raised in Hayesville.

Here are Teri and Jordan’s favorite recipes:

Ham salad

1 pound finely-chopped Honey Baked Ham

3 tablespoons pickled relish

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons Duke’s honey mustard

Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined. Place in refrigerator until chilled. Serve with crackers or use to make ham salad sandwiches

Yield: 6 servings.

Sweet potato soufflé

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/3 stick of butter, softened

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Water

Topping

1/3 stick of butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add sweet potatoes. Cook until tender. Drain then add all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Blend until combined. Batter will have some lumps of butter and potatoes.

For topping, cut butter into brown sugar until course and crumbly. Add flour and pecans.

Lightly coat a rectangle 9” x 13” casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour mixture into dish. Sprinkle toping over soufflé. Bake for approximately 1 hour.

Maple bourbon pecan pie

1 refrigerated pie crush

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 large eggs

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1-1/2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extra

1 ½ cups pecan halves

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place crust in a 9” pie pan and crimp edges.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, 4 eggs, corn syrup, maple syrup, bourbon and vanilla. Fold in half of the pecans. Pour filling into pie shell; arrange remaining pecan halves on top of the pie.

Chill the pie for 30 minutes.

Mix egg yolk and heavy cream together. Brush the mixture over the crust and transfer pie to the oven.

Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce heat to 350. Bake until a knife tip comes out clean, approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Check on the pie crust frequently. When the crust becomes a golden brown, cover with strips of foil or a pie crust protector.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

– Winston Churchill

“Harry J. Hoenselaar was the father of spiral-cut ham.”

– Kim Severson with The New York Times in 2019

Share your favorite recipes along with a photo to: nancy.recipes@outlook.com. Let me know if you become aware of a new business in our community. I look forward to hearing from you.