Raise your hand if you grew up riding in the back of a station wagon!
1970 Pontiac Executive
Angie's hand.
Yup! Our car in the 70s looked similar to this one,
if I can remember correctly...
Not sure of make or model.
Station wagons rode a huge popularity wave from the 50s to the mid 70s.
They were the ultimate vacation vehicle.
Remember the back seat,
the way way back seat, I mean???
the way way back seat, I mean???
Raise your hand if you ever threw up in the back seat!
Angie's hand AGAIN. I am raising my hand in solidarity with millions of other 60s and 70s kids who upchucked their Hamburger Helper in those backward facing seats.
And remember the tailgate could either be
swing-out or fold-down style....
The interiors were as big as
some living rooms.
Heck, no wonder so many toddlers fell out of cars back then and had a lifetime scar on their lip....*cough, cough, choke, cough*
Now this is my Ma and my baby sister and brother in front of our Pontiac Executive.
Not sure what year but they only made them '67-'70. This maybe was a '70?
My mom, brother and sister hanging out by our Pontiac Executive. Not sure of vehicle year.
And this is Ma a couple years earlier, scurrying out of a Pontiac on
Iowa Avenue in Muscatine, but I can't tell what model.
If Mom was smart, she would be scurrying out of that car with a big ol' bottle of wine. She was 24 here and had 4 kids already.
Now Tim's family had four station wagons over the years, including a 1968 Ford Country Squire with wood trim like
this advertisement.
1968 Ford Country Squire.
In fact, here they are
with their 1968 Ford Country Squire while visiting Tim's grandparents in Albuquerque.
1968 Ford Country Squire.
A couple years earlier, they had traveled to Albuquerque in this 1966 Ford Galaxy station wagon.
There was no air conditioning.
Tim and his sister.
On their return home, they traveled through Wichita, KS.
With no air conditioning.
It was the hottest spot in the country that day....114 degrees.
With no air conditioning.
Did I mention Tim still needs therapy for this?
With no air conditioning.
It was the hottest spot in the country that day....114 degrees.
With no air conditioning.
Did I mention Tim still needs therapy for this?
Tim's family's last station wagon was a metallic green 1973 Ford Country Squire. IT had air conditioning.
1973 Ford Country Squire.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to find their family picture with this station wagon...yet. :)
I don't have a picture....yet....of Tim's parent's very first station wagon either....yet. It was a 1961 Chevy Impala Nomad, similar to this this, only white with a red stripe.
1961 Chevy Impala Nomad. Source: stationwagonfinder.com
So the popularity of station wagons were 1950s through the early 70s.
The decline in sales started in the the mid 70s, mainly due to the 1973 oil crisis.
Remember, most of these station wagons had V8 engines.
1985 Caprice Classic.
Current picture of a 1-Owner 1971 Dodge Coronet that is still being driven today. Source: Hemmings.com Matthew Litwin, writer.
So what shift took place in
the 80s that replaced most station wagons, you ask?
Uhhhhhhh.
Yeah.
The.
mini.
van.
Groovy.
Huh.
Sighhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Yeah.
The.
mini.
van.
Groovy.
Huh.
Sighhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Well, it certainly seems like there is always an end to an era of all good and cool things...
Tim always did take the road less traveled, even as a kid.
Okay, anyhoo, enough reminiscing! We have a deeeeeelicious Country Sausage Hash to talk about!!
Tasty and Easy Breakfast Hash!
This is straight outta Reluctant Entertainer's website.
Her recipes are AWESOME! Check her website out!
Hello you lovely Yukon potatoes and savory breakfast sausage!
The Breakfast Sausage is quite exceptional,
I must say.
Look again! Perfectly cooked egg on top!
This Breakfast Hash is so easy and yet a bit addictive.
All the ingredients are perfect!
All the ingredients are perfect!
Here's the fixins!!
COUNTRY SAUSAGE HASH WITH STEAMED EGGS
Straight outta www.reluctantentertainer.com
YIELD: 6
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes
Hearty, crisp potato hash with country sausage, peppers, and onions, served with a steamed egg on top!
INGREDIENTS:
- Olive oil, for pans
- 2 shallots
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1 lb. ground country sausage
- 4 medium golden Yukon potatoes, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 6 eggs
- Green onion
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook until browned, 4-5 minutes. Remove the sausage mixture onto paper towels to soak up the grease; set aside.
- In the same pan, add more oil and cook the potatoes. Add 2 Tbsp. of water and cover with a lid and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the red pepper and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, until the potatoes and peppers begin to brown.
- Add the meat mixture to the potatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.
- In a smaller pan, steam the eggs and serve on top of the plate of hash. Garnish with green onions.
- Serve with ketchup and/or hot sauce on the side.
So chop up the Yukon potatoes, peppers, shallots and garlic.
OH WAIT, very important!!!! I did what Sandy at
Reluctant Entertainer suggested and microwaved the Yukon potatoes a few minutes first. I microwaved them FOUR minutes and it was perfect.
I did not just chop the potatoes raw. By microwaving (or you could put them in a 350 oven for 20 minutes), they have softened a bit which makes for easier cooking and they get this perfect crunch on the outside. But don't pre-cook more than a few minutes or you will have Breakfast MUSH instead of Breakfast HASH.
Moving along...saute the shallots and garlic.
Source: De-Groot-inc.com OH AGAIN!!!! FYI:
When a recipe calls for a shallot, they mean the WHOLE bulb, not just the
one half.
When a recipe calls for a shallot, they mean the WHOLE bulb, not just the
one half.
Now add the sausage. I used pork breakfast sausage...
and cook until browned.
 Throw that sausage in... |  and set out to drain. |
| Now throw those potatoes in the skillet...  Bring on that yummy red pepper and cook a couple more minutes...  | and cook until they are done, but not too done because you will add water, cover and simmer a few minutes.  until everything is all nice and slightly crispy and brown.  |
Delicious! It smells fantastic!
I started eating it right out of the pan.
Wait!
You still have an egg you have to throw on top!
Bingo.
You can do scrambled or poached or steamed or over hard or over easy, the possibilities are endless.
Actually the possibilities probably end there, don't they?
Huh.
Here's the deal.
Don't forget those chopped green onions.
They are NOT just for garnish, they add another depth of flavor too.
Don't forget those chopped green onions.
They are NOT just for garnish, they add another depth of flavor too.
Now if you'll excuse me, Ima go chow this tasty, savory breakfast hash down!!!
Okay, that's all I have for today.
I hope you make this wonderful hash.
OH crap, almost forgot!!
To print Sandy's recipe, here's the link to the Reluctant Entertainer website and scroll down and print off her page!
Just click here.
While you're there, check out her other recipes. They're clean eating, fresh and always tasty.
Gotta go, gotta get back to doing exciting things like watering the back lawn. I think we'll have grass someday. I think we will, I think we will, I think we will, I think we will, there's no place like home, click click, Toto!
While I was out there,
I see the lilacs are in full bloom.
My goodness, they smell amazing!!
And if you look close enough in this picture, you'll see my organic farmer neighbor's guard llama.
Okay, really gotta go now...have a great week, try to stay out of trouble and
we'll talk at ya soon!
