Ham Balls Revisited

 A friend of mine, Susan Van Howelling sent me her ham ball recipe and I think I favor it over mine. This one sounds easier and I am a big fan of pineapple so I think I might take this one on. The meat is all I would have to buy because I have the remainder of the items on hand most of the time. It strikes me as simpler too.

Thanks Susan!

 

Iowa Ham Balls

 Keri and I were talking about regional cooking; how some things are known in the area and only a few miles into another area no one has heard of it. An example is Ham Balls. Our Fareway grocery store makes a ham loaf/ball mixture and most modern cooks nowadays use that as a starter but there is an original recipe and older Iowans know how to make ham balls from scratch. So I went in search of it and found it. So if I wanted to make them in Texas I would approach the meat market in HEB and ask if I could buy the two ground types of meat I would need.

Here is the original recipe:

Iowa Ham Balls

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 1 hour

YIELD: about 15 servings.

This is a special recipe most everyone in Iowa loves. If you have out of State visitors and wish to impress them with something all Iowa, this will do it.

Ingredients

3-1/2 pounds ground ham

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

3 large eggs, beaten

2 cups whole milk

3 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) tomato soup, undiluted

3/4 cup vinegar

2-1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Using a 1/3 cup measure, shape the mixture into 2-in. balls. Place in two large shallow roasting pans. Combine all remaining ingredients; pour over balls. Bake at 325° for 1 hour, basting frequently with sauce.

Cold

 For over 20 years we have been going south in the winter. So any temps in the 40s seem quite cold to me. And that is where we are in Iowa these days. Last week (5 days ago) it was 97 degrees! What the hey! The natives are not acclimated to this and we most definitely are not.

Enough complaining! The sun is shining. We are both relatively healthy. What more is there to say. Don't worry, Be Happy!

Lincolnway Highway across the USA

 

If you read this article first the rest might make more sense.

https://www.greenecountyiowahistoricalsociety.org/event-articles/bob-joyce-ausberger-on-the-past-present-future-of-traveling-the-lincoln-highway-in-program-this-sunday/

Bob Ausberger, via Larry Jackson, asked if I would take some pictures of a project Bob has started and so Butch and I went to the site yesterday and shot some before photos. Lincoln Highway goes right through the heart of Jefferson and when you keep on following it out of town west, cross the Raccoon River, and start up 'Danger Hill' at the top, on your right, you can still see the site of the Hillcrest Motel. That is, what is left of it. Bob has some big ideas for refurbishing that particular spot on the map. As I walked around the place I too got excited about the prospects. It is a beautiful location.

Here are a few of the pictures I took.

Hillcrest Motel has 8 units.

This was the office

This is a two-story house behind the motel that could be refurbished. The location is ideal. If Butch and I were just starting out on our retirement adventure we would have been very tempted to take on this project.

 

When mother nature takes back a spot it can be pretty picture.

In the '40s there were mile markers to help locate accidents along this stretch of highway. It was called 'Danger Hill' for a reason. These markers were placed a tenth of a mile apart. Three of them remain and are visible on your right as you are headed back to town. This is the first one and is across the highway from the Hillcrest Motel. Once past the bridge two more can be seen.

No News is Good News

 That saying has never been more true. Well here is MY news.  https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/

You can thank me later...

Latest Photos

 Last week I took my camera with me a couple of times on my early morning walk. I am very grateful for the weather we have been having. No rain but very pleasant early morning temps.

Our Pool Hall

And this shot shows the relationship between the house and the Pool Hall. They are not connected.

This weeping willow tree has been in this location my whole life. I have always been an admirer. It is about a block south of our house and on the way to the bike trail.

This butterfly was very cooperative in letting me photograph him...or her.

Note the bee to the right of the butterfly...

Pampas grass and corn...again

On the bike trail

Grasshopper on the bike trail

There was a light coating of moisture on these leaves...

Thistle

 A hoarders house- I understand he owns several around town. He doesn't live here. The front entrance is completely overgrown. The lawn is kept mowed and that keeps the law at bay.

And that concludes my photo walk on the trail last week.

Good Grief!!

 I can not believe how long it has been since the blog slipped my mind! Yes, we have been busier than average but that should not be an excuse. 

We will soon be entering our last month of staying in our summer home, which has been a good part of the distraction. It will be our first trip south without the MoHo and that whole business takes up a fair amount of my thinking time. I have a 'future garage sale pile' and a 'going south pile' and they are both growing. However, there is still a bit more than a month of being in Iowa, and the interim gets tricky.

I have driven the new car a few times and it seems quite easy. I haven't even come close to what all of the gadgets and gizmos do and I doubt I ever will.

We are still playing pool an hour a day, 4 to 5 and I guess I am improving. Some days yes, and other days, NO. I have a neon sign in the window and when it is turned on it means that we are in the pool hall and ready for visitors. It seems our friends have the same busi-ness going on that we do. Thursday night Trivia is still going and one of the players, Glen, has given me a break so I could play. I enjoy that. There is a learning curve to making up the questions as Glen found out last week. It takes a while but I am willing to let him find his niche so I can play.

So long for now...Don't give up on me!!