Our parents’ neighborhood grocery store was Payless, in Prairie Village, back in the baby boomer days of suburban sprawl, back when Jesse Clyde Nichols ferociously defended his acres of postwar tract houses from strip malls and pop-up commercial zones, back when all the stores were limited to pre-planned mini-plazas along the main roads, and the boomers’ parents congregated at the new, nice and neat little centers. Payless’ manager, Frank Bardwell, used to babysit kids (including Jan) behind the service counter while mothers shopped; we came to know the cashiers’ names and became friends with most of them. Rosie was our favorite – we traded recipes with her regularly, and this is one of her best.

• 1 egg
• 1 cup rolled oats
• ½ cup onion, diced
• 1 ½ pounds hamburger
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 small can evaporated milk (whole milk is OK)
• 1 teaspoon Williams chili seasoning

Sauce:

• 1 cup ketchup
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke seasoning
• ½ cup onion, diced
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mix egg, oats, ½ cup onion, hamburger, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, milk and chili seasoning and form into balls; put into baking pan. Mix sauce ingredients and pour over meatballs, turning to coat. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve hot.