Windy, blowing sleet and a great recipe for Ho Cakes

Good Morning Augusta

We’re getting hammered out there, Stay home!

This morning we have wind-blown sleet and clouds with a wintry mix in the morning. The wintry mix will change to freezing rain in the afternoon. High 32 ºF. Winds NNE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of precip 100%. 3 to 5 inches of snow and ice expected. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. 

Tonight we’ll have a likely amount of rain. Some mixed winter precipitation is possible. Low will be 31 ºF with winds N at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a half an inch. 

The readings from my weather instruments in the North field are:

Humidity is 81%, the dew point is 20ºF, outside it’s -4.0ºC and 24.8ºF.

The wind direction is Northeast between 10.7 MPH and 17.9 MPH, generating a wind chill of 8.5ºF.

The Barometric pressure is 29.84 / HPA 1010.4 and falling with a weather graphic indicating rain/snow.

The UV rating is 0 out of 16, Sunrise is at 7:05 a.m. Sunset is 4:37 P.M. Moon rise is at 4:10 p.m., Moon set is 1:55     p.m. and the moon phase is waning crescent.   

The RAW METAR reading from the airport in Augusta, Maine is:

SPECI KAUG 241217Z AUTO 04012G25KT 1 3/4SM UP FEW010 OVC019 M04/M07 A2979 RMK AO2 P0003 T10391067

Visibility is 1.8 miles / 2.8 Kilometers with  clouds 1,000 ft / 304 m and overcast 1,900 ft / 579 m.

We’ve received a thick coating of snow and sleet so far overnight and the worst is yet to come. 

Space Weather for this morning is:

Today’s Solar flux is 83, the solar wind speed is 508 Kilometers per second and the chance of a solar storm is 1%.

The following recipe isn’t a quick one, but is one of my all time favorites.  The history of this recipe dates back to the days of the anti-belam South when farm workers carried some water and a sack of dry cornmeal with them into the fields to make their mid-day meal over an open fire, and cooked the cakes on the blade of a ho.  Hence the name. IF you research the origin of “hush puppies” you’ll find a similar explanation (one of many I might add) for its origin being from the same as that for Ho cakes.  Dogs that accompanied farm workers into the fields each day would whine, bark and beg for food at mealtime, so the workers would break off a piece of their Ho cake and toss it to the dogs saying: “Hush puppy, hush.” Whether that tale is true or not is simply lost to time, but it’s a good story nonetheless.  

Hoecakes

From Paula H. Deen's cookbook "The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook"

Ingredients

            1 Cup self-rising flour (or 1 cup flour + 1¼ tsp baking powder)

            1 Cup self-rising cornmeal (or 1 cup cornmeal + 1¼ tsp baking

powder)

            2 Eggs

            1 Tablespoon sugar

            3/4 Cup buttermilk

            1/3 Cup plus 1 tablespoon water

            1/4 Cup vegetable oil or bacon grease

            Oil or clarified margarine or butter for frying

Directions

Mix all ingredients well except for frying oil.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls into

hot skillet. Use approximately 2 tablespoons batter per hoecake. Brown until

crisp; turn and brown on other side. Drain on paper towels.

Leftover batter will keep in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

NOTE: Served with apple sauce and sausage links makes for a very tasty meal.

Recipe Yields approximately 17 cakes