The Hobby Wife

Easy Onion Rings Recipe

March 21, 2019

Although I have been eating very healthy lately, I allowed myself to completely give in to a craving for Onion Rings. I tell myself if it’s homemade it’s somehow not as bad and to be completely honest, I kinda believe that. It’s not like I swung through a drive-thru and picked up an entire greasy meal, I just made my own easy Onion Rings Recipe.

Plus it’s not like I can even think of a place in the Cedar Rapids area that has a decent onion ring. They don’t even have hot dog vendors on the street corners here, in their defense, I haven’t seen them since I lived in New Jersey but there are very few places to get a hotdog around here and don’t even get me started on sauerkraut. As much as I like going out to eat, since moving to Iowa, I have done a lot of the cooking for myself. It turns out that is best anyway because it really is way healthier to make your own foods at home and since adopting a healthier lifestyle, the hard work has started to pay off.

When I weighed myself in the morning, I was down twenty-five pounds since I began taking my weight loss seriously, that’s quite an accomplishment and I knew I deserved a treat. So I looked in my cabinets and pulled out a bunch of ingredients that I thought would make delicious onion rings, and it turns out that I was right.

I started out with a couple of small onions, cutting off the ends and then slicing rings with the larger center portion of the onion. This is the best way to have the standard size and look of traditional onion rings. I wanted to use up the bag of onions that have been forgotten about in my cabinet so I wasn’t worried about wasting.

If you want to avoid throwing away all of the small rings, go ahead and use them, other than appearance I don’t think there is anything wrong with using the entire onion. Keep in mind I planned on taking pictures of mine so of course, I had to make them as perfect looking as possible which meant wasting at least a quarter of each onion.

After I sliced the onions into perfectly shaped onion rings, I then dipped them in a powdery mixture made up of flour and seasonings.

The next step is to dip the powder coated onion ring in a liquid mixture consisting of milk and egg, then placing it on a rack to allow all of the excess liquid drip off of the onion rings.

Once all of the rings are drained, dredge the onion rings in breadcrumbs. This part gets kinda sticky and the breadcrumbs tend to clump up so keep the container nearby in case you need to add a little more. The amount needed will depend on how many onion rings you were able to get out of your onion.

Fry the coated onion rings in a deep fryer preheated to 375 degrees for about 2 minutes or until they reach the desired texture, this should not take more than two to three minutes.

Drain the onion rings on a paper towel and serve immediately.

Did you try this onion rings recipe? Do you eat them plain or with a side of ketchup? Tell me all about it in the comments and don’t forget to share this post on social media!

Easy Onion Rings Recipe

Ingredients

2 small onions
1 Cup of All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon of Salt
1 Cup of Milk
1 1/2 Cups of Italian Breadcrumbs
1 Large Egg
1/8 Teaspoon of Paprika
Dash of Pepper
1 Teaspoon of Garlic
Dash of Italian Seasoning

Instructions

Preheat a deep fryer to 375 degrees
Beat and egg and add a cup of milk to a bowl.
In another bowl combine Flour, Paprika, Baking Powder, Italian seasoning, Pepper, Salt, and Garlic Powder.
In last bowl pour about a cup and a half of Italian Breadcrumbs.
Slice the onions into onion rings shapes, tossing the smaller portions of the onion.
Roll the onion slices in flour, trying to coat as best as you can.
Then soak each onion in the egg bath, then place on a rack to drip.
Once onion rings have dripped excess liquid, dredge in breadcrumbs then fry for about 2-3 minutes.
Drain on paper towel and then serve immediately.

https://thehobbywife.com/onion-rings-recipe/

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Easy Caramel Popcorn Recipe

March 11, 2019

This Easy Caramel Popcorn Recipe contains affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I make a small portion of the sale at no additional cost to you.

I love caramel popcorn! It is such a perfect combination of two delicious flavors, savory and sweet. Plus popcorn is a great snack choice due to its fiber and antioxidant content. So I like to think that adding in a little sugar isn’t such a bad thing in this case. Plus it’s so easy to do and this recipe makes a bunch of caramel corn so there will be plenty of caramel corn for everyone.

When making this Easy Caramel Popcorn Recipe, I like to start by popping Popcorn Kernels on the stove in a Large Pot or Stock Pot.

You can make your own popcorn on the stove by adding Vegetable Oil to a Large Pot or Stock Pot. I then place a few Popcorn Kernels in the oil, cover the pot, and wait to see the kernels pop.

Once that happens, I like to put in a good heaping half a cup of Popcorn Kernels, this is helpful if some of the kernels don’t pop. Make sure that you are shaking the pot and moving it in circles to keep the kernels moving throughout the popping process, otherwise, you will burn the bottom layer.

You can also pop a few bags of popcorn to make about 5 quarts total, I have made it this way in the past when I didn’t have popcorn kernels on hand.

Once your popcorn is popped, pour it into a nonstick roasting pan. My absolute favorite roasting pan to use for this easy caramel popcorn recipe is the Copper Chef Wonder Cooker. It makes everything perfectly and is always an easy clean when done baking, no matter what I cook in it.

The next step is to make the caramel part of this easy caramel popcorn recipe.

Start by preheating your oven to 200 degrees. Melt butter in a medium to large saucepan, you will want to leave extra room above the ingredient line because once it starts to heat up, the contents will expand to more than double their size at one point or another during the process. Stir in Brown Sugar , Corn Syrup, and Salt, then bring to a boil.

This is where the larger pot comes in handy, I know this from experience, a very very messy experience.

Boil for five minutes while stirring to make sure it doesn’t stick then remove from heat. Stir in the baking soda and vanilla, then pour over the popcorn already placed into the roasting pan, stirring to ensure the mixture is coating all of the popcorn.

Bake in the oven for a total of one hour, removing the caramel popcorn to stir every fifteen minutes or so until done.

Be sure to share this recipe on your favorite social media and leave a comment below to let me know if this is your new go-to easy recipe for caramel corn.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter so you never miss a delicious recipe again. I love to share simple recipes, like this easy caramel popcorn recipe and I always send them out to my subscribers.

Easy Caramel Popcorn Recipe

Ingredients

2 Sticks of Butter
2 Cups of Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Corn Syrup
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
5 Quarts of Popped Popcorn

Instructions

Pop your popcorn on stove or in bags, totaling about 5 quarts of popped popcorn.
Pour it into a nonstick roasting pan.
The next step is to make the caramel part of this easy caramel popcorn recipe.
Start by preheating your oven to 200 degrees. Melt butter in a medium to large saucepan, you will want to leave extra room above the ingredient line because once it starts to heat up, the contents will expand to more than double their size at one point or another during the process. Stir in Brown Sugar , Corn Syrup, and Salt, then bring to a boil.
Boil for five minutes while stirring to make sure it doesn't stick then remove from heat. Stir in the baking soda and vanilla, then pour over the popcorn already placed into the roasting pan, stirring to ensure the mixture is coating all of the popcorn.
Bake in the oven for a total of one hour, removing the caramel popcorn to stir every fifteen minutes or so until done.

https://thehobbywife.com/easy-caramel-popcorn-recipe/

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Oatmeal Cookies with Instant Oatmeal Packets

February 28, 2019

When life gives you extra instant oatmeal packets, make oatmeal cookies. So chewy and delicious you will prefer this way of making this family favorite from now on.

To be completely honest, I was kind of surprised by how much I enjoyed this cookie. I was really just experimenting in the kitchen with whatever I found in the cabinet that had been clearly abandoned by my family who insisted I buy it in the first place.

I swear grocery shopping is at least 25% cheaper if I go at it alone because I tend to stick to the things on that well thought out list that takes a good chunk of my time to prepare each week.

That Instant Oatmeal looks good on the shelf with its promises of a quick meal with a homemade taste but once those sad little packets take up residence in my home, they somehow lose their appeal. Eventually, I get sick of looking at them, they get sick of looking at me, and I decide to experiment. That’s how these Oatmeal Cookies made from Instant Oatmeal packets were created, now being known as the “Best Freaking Oatmeal Cookies” my husband has ever had, I love when he says things like that!

He really enjoys his food and he makes it really fun to try out new recipes on him. His reactions are always the best, even when they aren’t so positive. He wears his heart on his sleeve and keeps it real, sometimes letting his emotions get the best of him which may lead to some offensive words on occasion.

I have been thinking a lot about free speech lately and although it has been going on for some time now I just realized how real the idea of being censored is for this country, it isn’t a passing phase or a few extreme cases that don’t reflect the majority. This is the new normal for us, we aren’t allowed to speak from the heart, off the cuff, or just riff a few jokes off. If you don’t like a joke, don’t laugh at it, if you don’t like a word, don’t say it, it really is that simple. I don’t mind that you don’t like my jokes or my speech and you have that right, much like I have mine.

It boggles my mind how many people are offended by words. They are just words, they disappear immediately after being spoken, well they used to. Even worse is that because of those words, people can report you to a boss or college you want to attend, or the entire world in seconds on the internet, saying words that have become unacceptable.

Then you can lose your job, your chance at a job, or any hopes of you living a normal life, all because you said some words that have already disappeared. That is a scary thought but hopefully, these oatmeal cookies will make you feel better, after all, they have been said to be the best oatmeal cookie ever by a man that says what is really on his mind.

Get your pantry organized and put those instant oatmeal packets to good use by making these deliciously chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Oatmeal Cookies with Instant Oatmeal Packets

Ingredients

Instant Oatmeal Packets of any variety (mine are mixed)
3 Teaspoons of Maple Syrup Extract
1/4 Cup of Sugar
1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 Stick of Butter
3 Tablespoons of Milk
1 Egg
3/4 Cup of All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup of Raisins

Instructions

Cream together the butter and sugars, add in the extracts, milk and egg, mix. Add in the rest of the ingredients slowly while mixing until well combined.
Shape into cookies and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated oven set to 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes.

https://thehobbywife.com/oatmeal-cookies-instant/

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How to Start Working Out, No Matter How Lazy You Feel

February 13, 2019

There have been many times in my life when I have decided to start working out, getting into shape, only to eventually give up and go back to my normal routine that does not include regular exercise. I can also recall many times that I have thought about getting back to it and working out but I somehow convinced myself that I was just too lazy or not capable of regularly working out.

I would tell myself that working out didn’t fit into my schedule or that I was just not the working out type of person.

I was taking the easy way out, keeping myself on the steady path of least resistance. I was self-sabotaging by giving myself excuses to give up and at times, convincing myself that the outcome I wanted was not possible for me. That was until I have decided to actually do things differently rather than think about what it could be like if I did. I have decided to stop doing the same old thing and switch things up for once, changing the way I did things for most of my life. I finally accepted the fact that you can’t expect different results unless you actually do things differently.

I stopped letting myself take the easy way out. I stopped giving in to the laziness and you can too.

Get Up Early

This part really sucks for some of us. Getting up early has never been my thing, trust me if my body would just stay the way it was when I got married, perfectly toned and tight, I would stay in bed until the sun rose. Every day being greeted by the sun, bathing me in its warm glow like a perfume commercial or that lady in The Notebook. You know the scene where the old-timey girl woke up, well rested, makeup perfect, and about to uncover a beautiful art studio made just for her.

That would be nice, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, mornings are more like the movie The Hangover, waking up feeling so tired that you almost don’t even notice the tiger in your bathroom, except it feels like you have already gone a couple of rounds with him the night before. Waking up sucks but you have to learn to do it anyway. Push through the hard parts, don’t allow yourself to hit the snooze button or sleep in, do things differently.

Take the Stairs

People say this all of the time so it can become a meaningless phrase that doesn’t sink in but it is true nonetheless. Whenever you have the option, take the stairs instead of an elevator, park further away from your destination than your first impulse tells you to. Do things differently.

Eat Healthier

Eating healthy isn’t just about a slimmer waistline and helping you to burn more calories than you take in. It is also a way to fuel your body, setting you up to wake up early, get in a workout, go harder and longer than you could have on running on garbage foods. Eating isn’t always about making your taste buds happy, it is meant to feed your system what it needs to run at its best. Find a healthy meal plan that works for you and stick to it, you will feel the difference and see for yourself once you decide to actually do things differently.

Start Small

Something I struggle with is starting small, I am the kind of person who goes for it hard and makes sure I give everything my best. When it comes to working out, our bodies need time to work up to a higher stander, with each workout you will get stronger but you have to know your limits. You don’t need to climb a mountain today but you can set it as a goal for the future, in the meantime concentrate on something you can achieve today, tomorrow and by the end of the week. If you can run a mile in twenty minutes, try to get that down to eighteen by the next week or fifteen by the end of the month.

Don’t allow yourself to give up when things get hard. Do things differently.

Set Reachable Goals

While running up a mountain sounds like a fun way to prove your fitness capabilities it isn’t easily attainable, especially for a beginner. Set small goals that are reachable to prevent setting yourself up for failure and when you reach them, set harder goals. Always allow yourself room to grow but make sure you are being realistic.

I have already said this and I am going to say it again because it is easy to forget when things do get hard when your muscles are burning, your eyes are stinging with sweat, and your mind wants you to settle for less than you are capable of with each passing moment.

Don’t allow yourself to give up when things get hard. Do things differently.

Make It Fun

One of the easiest ways to get in a workout is to make it fun. Remember when you were a kid and spent the whole day outside playing sports, riding bikes and really being active? It never felt like working out or burning calories, it was just plain fun so why not make your workouts fun, too? Do something you enjoy that gets your heart rate up, burns calories, and builds muscle. Some of my favorites are dance workouts, hitting the punching bag, jumping rope, and playing sports like frisbee golf or tennis.

It may sound crazy when beginning but you will eventually enjoy working out and even looking forward to it. I didn’t believe it either but ask anyone who works out regularly, we can’t all be lying! It makes perfect sense that once you start feeling good, you begin craving more of the thing that made you feel that way. How will you ever know until you commit, don’t give yourself excuses to quit, and actually start to do things differently?

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Easy & Delicious Soft Pretzel Recipe

February 4, 2019

I have always loved soft pretzels, they are one of my favorite snacks but I never really enjoyed the homemade kind, until now. This Soft Pretzel Recipe is the perfect way to make your own soft pretzels in your very own kitchen without compromising flavor.

Whenever I would find myself at a place that served soft pretzels I just couldn’t pass them up. Every baseball game, mall, or movie theatre that served them has made a couple of bucks off of me. A few years back, I spent a couple of months in the hospital and at times I would smell soft pretzels in the hallways. Spending that kind of time in a hospital without eating, the smell was enough to make me dream about making my own soft pretzel recipe.

Now that I have perfected my dream soft pretzel recipe, I am so excited to share it. I love being able to make homemade soft pretzels anytime I want, simple and delicious.

A nice bonus of making this soft pretzel recipe is while baking, these soft pretzels fill your home with a wonderful aroma that draws you in, much like the pretzel places in the mall.

The first step in making this soft pretzel recipe is to add yeast to a bowl of warm water, stirring to dissolve. Let the yeast sit for a couple of minutes then add in the sugar and salt, stir.

Add in flour and knead dough until it becomes elastic. This can be done easily with a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Once the dough has formed an elastic ball, allow to sit and rise for about a half hour.

While the dough rises, line a baking sheet with baking mats and begin preparing the baking soda solution for dunking the pretzels in. Warm about 2 cups of water in the microwave and then add in baking soda, stirring until it dissolves.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees while forming the pretzels.

Grab a chunk of pretzel dough and roll into a long rope, about 12 – 14 inches long will be plenty to shape into a pretzel form. I like to make the pretzels as thin as I can without the rope breaking, it would mean the rope would be about the same diameter of a standard pretzel rod. You can shape them into any shape you would like, you can even use this soft pretzel recipe to create pretzel rods or nuggets.

Before placing the pretzels onto the cookie sheet, dunk them into the solution then sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the shade of brown you prefer your pretzels to be and then brush with butter before sprinkling with more salt.

Serve them while still hot and store any remaining soft pretzels in an airtight container for up to one week. When serving a stored soft pretzel, pop them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds if you like your pretzels warm.

Don’t forget to share this soft pretzel recipe and leave me a comment below to tell me what you think of these tasty treats.

Easy & Delicious Soft Pretzel Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups of Water
1 Package of Yeast
2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Salt
1 Cup of Bread Flour
3 Cups of All Purpose Flour
2-4 Tablespoons of Butter
2 Cups of Water
2 Tablespoons of Baking Soda
Coarse Salt

Instructions

The first step in making this soft pretzel recipe is to add yeast to a bowl of warm water, stirring to dissolve. Let the yeast sit for a couple of minutes then add in the sugar and salt, stir.
Add in flour and knead dough until it becomes elastic. This can be done easily with a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Once the dough has formed an elastic ball, allow to sit and rise for about a half hour.
While the dough rises, line a baking sheet with baking mats and begin preparing the baking soda solution for dunking the pretzels in. Warm about 2 cups of water in the microwave and then add in baking soda, stirring until it dissolves.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees while forming the pretzels.
Grab a chunk of pretzel dough and roll into a long rope, about 12 - 14 inches long will be plenty to shape into a pretzel form. I like to make the pretzels as thin as I can without the rope breaking, it would mean the rope would be about the same diameter of a standard pretzel rod. You can shape them into any shape you would like, you can even use this soft pretzel recipe to create pretzel rods or nuggets.
Before placing the pretzels onto the cookie sheet, dunk them into the solution then sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the shade of brown you prefer your pretzels to be and then brush with butter before sprinkling with more salt.

https://thehobbywife.com/soft-pretzel-recipe/

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A Visit to the Amish Community of Delaware County, Iowa

January 23, 2019

My husband and I took a road trip to the Amish community of Delaware County, Iowa. While there we checked out some stores and soaked in the sights this beautiful area has to offer. We stumbled upon this community while on a business trip to a nearby town.

Whenever we head in a new direction, I always search for local Amish communities to visit, I just love checking them out. I have always been interested in the Amish way of life, plain living that has not changed drastically with the times like every other community seems to have been forced to do.

This particular Amish community really excited me because I did a little reading before heading in and it turns out this community was formed in the last ten years. According to statistics provided by the Young Center, the Delhi community is the 23rd Amish settlement in Iowa, which ranks ninth among the states in Amish population.

Apparently, the families here have had religious differences with their former home which ultimately brought them to a new area looking for more traditional ways of making money. Which works for people like me wanting to mingle with the local Amish folk.

I enjoy all of the scenery, it seems there is a beautiful picturesque view around every corner. I find it kind of ironic that the people who live here aren’t exactly what you would call budding photographers.

I could spend the whole day just taking pictures of all of the things we came across in the small section of Delaware County, Iowa that we visited. I am sure I haven’t even scraped the surface when seeing what this area has to offer but I did stumble upon some cool Amish stores.

Whoever says the Amish live a boring life has never visited the local discount stores that can be found in almost every Amish community. In Delaware County, we visited a discount grocery store called Double E Discount which sells expired food, talk about living on the edge.

We also stumbled upon a hardware store, some bakeries, a couple of greenhouses, and an Amish schoolhouse.

These local Amish families may have just arrived in the area but after seeing this swingset, I get the impression that they plan on staying a while because it seemed as if it was built to last forever.

Right after stumbling upon the biggest swingset I had ever seen, I spotted the biggest horse I had ever seen. Apparently, things aren’t just bigger in Texas, the Amish don’t even need SUV’s, they have horses bigger than most of them anyway.

This fella was parked outside of Hartwick General Store while his owner shopped.

It can be hard to tell from a picture just how large this horse is but let me assure you that he is towering over those trucks in the background, it’s not an optical illusion.

We had some fun shopping, picked up a few trinkets and then headed back out to take in the sights as the sun set on our day.

Have you ever been to Delaware County, Iowa? Tell me what else I need to see in the area or suggest another Amish community to visit by leaving a comment below, I would love to hear about it.

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Peanut Butter Cup Recipe

January 3, 2019

If you are looking for an easy yet delicious dessert, this peanut butter cup recipe is the perfect treat. So easy to make and it tastes like the popular candy that we all love except there are no unnecessary artificial ingredients in this peanut butter cup recipe like you may find in the store bought candy.

Ever since I was a little kid, I have loved peanut butter cups. I even tried to make my own peanut butter cup recipe when I was so little, I had no business even being in the kitchen. Needless to say, that peanut butter cup recipe didn’t turn out so good.

It was no surprise looking back because they consisted of nothing more than a dollop of peanut butter covered in chocolate syrup, then baked to get a crunchy texture that came from the burnt chocolate. My dad threw down a couple of them and admitted that they weren’t that bad, but I knew that I should work on my peanut butter cup recipe before making another attempt at making my own candy.

As a kid interested in cooking and baking for the first time, it wasn’t so easy to get my hands on ingredients. My mom never really enjoyed cooking or baking so it was not a bonding experience for us, I was alone in the kitchen without the internet to consult when I got confused. I wish we had Pinterest in those days, it would have made my life so much easier.

These days I don’t sweat a failed attempt at a new recipe much so I am always messing around with ingredients, trying to create the next thing my husband will love. There is nothing more enjoyable to me than giving my husband something that he enjoys, I love his reactions.

When I made this peanut butter cup recipe and handed him one to try for the first time, he gave me the best feedback. It took him a good two minutes to speak because he was thoroughly enjoying every bit of it then had to eat another and another, you get the idea.

It was a success, and I am excited to hear your feedback on this peanut butter cup recipe as well. Make them for Valentine’s Day, Easter, or just a special treat anytime. Please leave a comment below and share on social media, everyone should know about this peanut butter cup recipe, it’s that good.

Peanut Butter Cup Recipe

Ingredients

1 Cup of Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup of Butter
4-6 squares of Chocolate Almond Bark
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla
1 1/8 Cup of Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar

Instructions

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. On low heat mix together the peanut butter and both sugars a little bit at a time, until well combined, it takes about 3-5 minutes. Add in vanilla and remove from heat. Melt the almond bark and pour half into the bottom of the liners. Add in the peanut butter mixture than pour the rest of chocolate on top. Allow to cool in freezer for about an hour before serving and store in freezer any leftovers for best results.

https://thehobbywife.com/peanut-butter-cup-recipe/

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Road Trip to the Amish town of Kalona, Iowa

December 20, 2018

One of my favorite road trips to take with the family is to an Amish town in Iowa named Kalona. It takes us about an hour to get there and the trip never disappoints me. In fact, we have taken this road trip many times since we have moved here to Iowa.

Kalona is one of my favorite places to visit for a few different reasons but I would have to say the biggest draw for me is the high Amish population.

Everything I love about Kalona is because of the Amish people who live there. The scenery is so beautiful in my opinion because of the plain lifestyle that the Amish live.

The low crime rate is due to the Amish way of life, a lifestyle strong in religion, honesty, and hard work.

I also love to shop at the local Amish stores, the ones that are actually run by the Amish are full of great deals, the ones that aren’t run by the Amish are mostly full of overpriced items that make a buck off of the Amish lifestyle.

It’s still fun to check these stores out and maybe pick up some scrapple that they may tell you is made locally but is actually made in Ohio, as it says on the package.

There is also a really good Mexican restaurant in Kalona that my family loves to visit, we have made the trip just for the food several times. It is really hard to find the type of Mexican food we enjoy here in Iowa so when we find a place we like, we go there whenever we get a chance.

It was quite a shock to find it in an Amish town but that is another great thing about visiting Kalona, Iowa, you never know what you will see.

I could drive there just for the views and the possibility that I will get to interact with some local Amish folks or pet a farm animal or two.

I love the open country where there is at least one cornfield between each house and a horse and buggy on every street.

Windmills aplenty and a healthy amount of Amish people looking away from your camera.

It can be really easy to joke about their lifestyle but I really do have a lot of respect for their way of life. I wanted to learn more about so when we headed out to Kalona for the first time I asked so many questions that I had in my mind for what seemed like my entire life.

After visiting the area, I learned nothing about the Amish lifestyle that I hadn’t already known although I have read a lot of information about the Kalona, Iowa Amish online since heading out there. I may be able to get some more info about the Amish lifestyle if I actually approach a local but I haven’t had the nerve to do that just yet, I feel like it would be rude.

I guess if I had something to offer them in exchange for their time and information I may feel better about the interaction. One fun fact about Kalona, Iowa that you probably won’t hear from anywhere else is that those fellas like to race their horse and buggies. I know a guy who knows a guy who witnessed these races for himself, he says the local Amish all head to the racing grounds once a week for a day full of horse and buggy races.

Maybe I will challenge a local Amish guy to a race and once my car beats his horse I will get some answers.

That is another reason why I love to take road trips to Kalona, Iowa there is so much to learn and see, no matter how many times you have visited.

Have you ever visited an Amish town? I want to hear all about it!

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Super Easy Apple Cinnamon Pastry Dessert

December 15, 2018

I have always been a big fan of using apples in my recipes, from desserts to dinners, they seem to be a common staple in my diet. I don’t know if it is the old saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away or if they are just a very versatile food but I find that most of my favorite recipes include an apple in some way.

Apples are also really easy to come by, we know someone with an apple tree that yields quite a bit of fruit each year and the grocery store sells them pretty cheap this time of year.

This recipe for an Apple Cinnamon Pastry Dessert is perfect for Fall or if you love apples as much as me, it is the perfect dessert to serve all year long.

This recipe comes together in a couple different steps and the first step is making the pastry. Once you have combined all of the ingredients and created a dough ball, you will need to roll it out.

To make sure that the dough doesn’t stick to your work surface you can lay out some parchment paper, this makes for a cleaner work area and allows you to wrap the dough up to refrigerate it for later if you aren’t planning on baking your Apple Cinnamon Pastry Dessert right away.

Sometimes I like to make pastry early in the morning so that when dinner is done I can pull it out and already have the labor-intensive part of our dessert ready to go.

Plus refrigerating this pastry dough is a good way to make it easier to work with because it tends to get melty when worked with heavily.

The next step is to create the filling for this apple cinnamon pastry dessert. Dice your favorite type of apple and add it into a mixing bowl. Mix in the seasonings, sugar, lemon juice, and salt, tossing until well combined.

Add this mixture into a rolled out pastry that resembles the shape of a rectangle. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just make the pastry a shape that will allow you to cover all of the fillings.

Wrap the apple filling inside of the pastry dough from both sides, making sure you cover all of the apple filling.

The next step is cut slices across the top of the pastry. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture on top before baking at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Mix confectioners sugar, milk, and cinnamon for topping, set aside until the apple cinnamon pastry is done baking.

Drizzle the topping on the Apple Cinnamon Pastry when done and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top for an extra special treat.

Don’t forget to share this Apple Cinnamon Pastry Dessert on social media so your friends can enjoy it too!

Super Easy Apple Cinnamon Pastry Dessert

Ingredients

2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
1 Cup of Butter
1 Teaspoon of Lemon Juice
4 Apples
1 Cup of Sugar
2 Teaspoons of Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup of Powdered Sugar
2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon of Milk

Instructions

Mix the flour, sugar, butter and one teaspoon of lemon juice in a bowl until a dough forms. Use a dough hook to mix it and then roll it out.
To make the filling, mix diced apples, sugar, and lemon juice as well as salt to make the filling.
Place filling into center of dough, rolled out into a rectangle shape.
Fold up sides over the filling and slice cuts in center before baking in a 400 degree preheated oven for about 30 minutes.
Make filling using powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk. Drizzle on top of baked apple cinnamon pastry.

https://thehobbywife.com/apple-cinnamon-pastry/

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Flaky & Chewy Deep Dish Pizza Crust Recipe

December 4, 2018

This Deep Dish Pizza Crust Recipe is the perfect pizza crust when you want a Chicago Style Pizza that has the winning combination of both chewy and flaky textures. Now you can enjoy a pizza night with the family by making your own deep dish pizza crust without having to head into the city to pick it up.

I usually start making my deep dish pizza crust dough in the early afternoon to allow it plenty of time to rise before baking it in the evening. Once you make this deep dish pizza crust, you will see how easy it is as well as how delicious it is and it will become a part of your regular dinner rotation.

I love pizza night, it is the night I look forward to all week long. Pizza night is Friday night at our house so we are also looking forward to the weekend and a break from the workweek, which makes pizza night even more important around here.

I begin making this deep dish pizza crust in the early afternoon using my mixer and dough hook attachment. You can make this without a stand mixer if you want but it will take a lot of muscle so I prefer this method.

Start this deep dish pizza dough recipe by dissolving yeast in warm water inside of a mixing bowl. Let it dissolve for about 5 minutes and then using the paddle attachment, mix the yeast and water together. Add the oil and salt then mix everything together. Then you will add flour in and beat for about five minutes. The flour will thicken the dough a lot but it will be really sticky so keep that in mind.

Next, remove the paddle attachment and add the dough hook. Add melted butter to the deep dish pizza dough.
Let the dough hook knead the pizza dough for another five minutes. Add dough to an oiled bowl and allow to rise for about three hours.

Press the dough into an oiled springform pan and then pile your sauce, cheese, and toppings on top. Bake this deep dish pizza at 500 degrees until the edges are golden brown, which will take about 20-25 minutes.

Do you enjoy pizza night with your family? If so, this deep dish pizza crust should be next on your list of recipes to try out.

Just look at that deep dish pizza crust…yum! Don’t forget to save this for later and share on your favorite social media then after trying it, let me know your thoughts on this Deep Dish Pizza Crust Recipe by commenting below.

If you are looking for a deep dish pizza crust recipe for someone with a gluten sensitivity or you just want a lower carb version of this delicious deep dish pizza, this gluten-free deep dish pizza recipe is the next best thing!

Flaky & Chewy Deep Dish Pizza Crust Recipe

Ingredients

1/4 ounce of yeast/ 1 envelope
1 cup of warm water
1/8 cup of oil plus a drizzle for cooking the deep dish pizza dough & letting it rise
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of melted butter

Instructions

Dissolve yeast in the warm water inside of a mixing bowl. Let dissolve for about 5 minutes and then using the paddle attachment, mix the yeast and water together. Add the oil and salt then mix everything together.
Add flour in and beat for about five minutes.
The flour will thicken the dough but it will be sticky.
Next, remove the paddle attachment and add the dough hook.
Add melted butter to the deep dish pizza dough.
Let the dough hook knead the pizza dough for another five minutes.
Add dough to an oiled bowl and allow to rise for about three hours.
Press the dough into an oiled spring form pan and bake at 500 degrees until the edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

https://thehobbywife.com/deep-dish-pizza-crust/

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