Week 25 - 54.52

Chugging right along, skirting the Wisconsin/Minnesota border.   While not crossing into Minnesota quite yet, I can see the Frontenac STate Park in Minnesota.  From the Minnesota state parks Website, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/frontenac/index.html, 

Located on the Mississippi River, Frontenac is a birdwatcher's paradise. It's one of the best spots in the country to view birds migrating in the spring and fall. More than 260 species of birds have been recorded here. No wonder: Lake Pepin's diverse habitats -- bluffland, prairie, floodplain forest and upland hardwood forest -- attract numerous warblers, hawks, waterfowl and shorebirds. Hikers and skiers enjoy spectacular views of this beautifully wooded river valley. Fishing, swimming and boat tours are all available nearby.

Best time to contact the park:

Summer: Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Friday - Saturday, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sundays, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Fall & Winter: Saturday - Sunday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Monday - Friday, office hours will vary. Please leave a message.

Snazzy Lemonade

For those of you waiting on the creamed corn recipe, I apologize, but it will have to wait as I am traveling and did not bring it along.  That is also the reason I have been lax in posting these last two days.  In honor of summer, here is a jazzed up, citrusy lemonade.  I guarantee this did not come from my mothers recipe stash.

    2 Ounce Whiskey    5 Ounce Lemonade

    1 Ounce Triple Sec    

Mix in a shaker, shake and pour over ice.

Baked Corn - Dorothy Thomas

The last family Father's Day recipe is a baked corn casserole.  Made with creamed corn, butter, eggs and other agreements, it bakes to sweet corn goodness.  The recipe calls for a large can of  cream corn.  However, if you have a freezer full of home frozen corn, as I do, you can make your own.  That recipe will follow.  I used large eggs and 1% milk.

1 large can of cream corn

2 tbl sugar

1 tbl corn starch

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup milk

1/4 stick butter, melted

3 eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 350!degrees.  Mix all ingredients, adding stiffly beaten egg whites last.  Place buttered dish in a pan of warm water and bake for 40 to 60 minutes.  Stir once while baking, about 25 minutes after placing in oven as whites tend to brown too fast.  Casserole should firm up to a custard like consistency.  

PA Dutch Potato Filling - Dorothy Thomas

Although I have never before put egg into filling, it worked quite well.  Due to an allergy, I made this without the onion and it was still quite good.  I used a large egg, panel bread crumbs and Herbs de Provence (instead of the poultry seasoning).  I baked a 350 for 20  - 30 minutes.

10 medium potatoes

2 tbl butter

2 eggs

1 cup bread crumbs (about 3 slices - not too dry)

1 large onion, chopped fine

4 stalks celery, chopped fine

A few sprigs of parsley, chopped fine

1 tbl light brown sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp poultry seasoning 

Cook the potatoes unto soft.  Add butter and eggs and mash.  Add other ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Put in a buttered dish and brown in a moderate oven.  Can also be used to stuff a bird.

Ham Loaf - Dorothy Thomas

My mother-in-law was nice enough to share her mother's recipes,  so I made three of them and invited my in-laws to dinner.  The first one, ham loaf, reminds me of my niece as it is similar to the ham balls we have ordered the last few times we had dinner together.  This is the recipe that will require you to have access to a way to bring meat.  For the smoked ham, I purchased 3 Hatfield Smoked ham steaks.  For the pork, I purchased stew meat.  I did to want the ground sausage from the meat case as it was not just pork - it also has salt and pepper.  I used Panko bread crumbs, 1% milk and a large egg.  I was okay using a lower fat milk as I was using the higher fat stew meat.  Even though the recipe calls for soft, the panko bread crumbs worked well.  You may use any vinegar of your choice.  Apple cider vinegar is traditional, I used red wine vinegar.

1 1/2 lb smoked ham      SAUCE

1/2 lb ground pork            1/4 cup vinegar

1 cup soft bread crumbs                1/2 cup water

1 cup milk             1 cup brown sugar

1 egg          1 tsp prepared mustard

Mix ground ham, ground pork, bread crumbs, milk and egg.  Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours.  Combine sauce ingredients and baste every 15 minutes.

The recipe does not list a pan size.  I used a loaf pan and pressed the mixture firmly into the pan.  For this size pan, 350 was required for the time given. If using this size pan, you can halve the sauce mix.  This would also do nicely in a small cake pan.

Week 24 - 44.65

This week puts me about 8 miles from the Minnesota border, which I will be paralleling for some time.  I have found Eureka Maple Woods State Natural Area in Monroe County, Wisconsin.  No camping is available at this site, but you can hike, fish and cross country ski.  Pets are allowed, but you should review the rules at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/sna/pets.htm.  A pdf map of this natural area can be found at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/sna/PDF_topo/map222.pd and is found below.

Meat prep - grinding

As I look through old recipes and start making them, I am finding references to ground meats that are not always found in today's markets. For example, my grandmother-in law's ham loaf calls for ground smoked ham and ground pork (not sausage - pork). You can find bulk sausage - ground pork with, many times, just salt and pepper added, but that isn't what was called for - you will be adding your own salt and pepper. So, what to do? The way I see it, you have 4 options:

1. Don't make the recipe - but that defeats our purpose of keeping them alive, doesn't it?

2. Find a butcher who will grind for you. I called my local grocer and they can only grind beef in their grinders.

3. Find a friend who has a grinder and ask to use it.

4. Purchase a grinder. I went with option 4 a several times.

Hubby hunts and, when he is successful, we process the meat. We purchased a small grinder/stuffer and it worked, but SLOWLY.  It died, it was replaced with a similar model, then hubby was VERY successful and I didn't want to get half way through the process just to have it die, so I went to Bass Pro Shops and sought professional help (no comments from the peanut gallery - you know who you are!). I came home with this:

This grinds, stuffs multiple sizes, can run for extended periods of time and has convenient options, such as a foot pedal. It processed ground venison, made bologna and even stuffed small breakfast sausage casings like a champion. I highly recommend it. The did have two smaller and one larger, as well, depending on your needs. Bass Pro had exceptional customer service, as well. Not only are they dog friendly, when I had everything unpacked, there was no knife. Instead of making me return the entire thing, they pulled a replacement blade off the shelf and sent me on my way.