Saddle up the Oven we are Baking Ham Loaf

My grandmother is hysterical. She never fails to make me laugh. She is 82 and doesn't look a day over 72. She lives in NW PA. Grandma-ma calls me on the phone yesterday laughing her keester off. Says she had a dream the night before that our oldest son took a girl out on a date. Well apparently this girls mother showed up at our house stating she wanted to talk to us. This woman would not leave. I then apparently called my grandmother on the phone saying "oh my gosh, what do I do, this swamp-ass won't leave (I apparently was calling this woman swamp ass)". Grandma then tells me to go and load the rifle up and put a new part in swamp ass's hair and that should do the trick. GO GRANDMA!!! Apparently grandma-ma dreams in the technicolor dreamcoat.

Anyway......for years when I was growing up our tradition at Christmas was to go to grandma-ma's house on Christmas Eve for Ham Loaf and snacks and presents. Hmmmm Ham Loaf you say. Yes, I know, the next question is What is Ham Loaf???? Well I am not really sure. I assume it is ham ground up like hamburger. There is a small grocery store in Hydetown, PA called Hawk's Grocery and they always had ham loaf there. I have never encountered it anywhere else I have ever lived. I have never heard anyone else talk of it. She would form it into a loaf and heat it with a sweet glaze on the outside and then slice it like a meatloaf. It was actually pretty tasty......salty but tasty. It was great in a sandwhich with mustard and rye bread. It was also really good cold the next day. I looked forward to ham loaf. So if anyone finds themselves in Hydetown, PA stop by Hawk's grocery and saddle up for some Ham Loaf. You won't be disappointed. I had to dedicate a post to "Ham Loaf".