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Mark This Date Down in History! It’s little Indiana’s Special Day!

Jessica Nunemaker — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:25:28 +0000

Heidy ho neighbor – and welcome! Today is a very special day! It’s little Indiana’s SITs Day! For those of you who don’t know, SITs, or The Secret is in the Sauce, is a blog recognition and comment support site. It’s a great way to network – and discover awesome blogs!

Whomever says a small town is boring just doesn’t know where to go! Check out these posts about everything small town – and enjoy the best of little. Indiana is the crossroads of America – maybe some day you’ll find yourself driving through – and you’ll need to know where to stop along the way!

You can dig into actual Indiana towns, mom and pop restaurants, family owned bed and breakfasts – even recipes — by using the categories down the sidebar, but for this one? I’m keeping it simple.

Plain and Simple: Old Order Amish in Nappanee, Indiana

Small Towns: What to Know Before You Go!

Nourish Your Inner Goddess Yoplait Giveaway: Hoosier Style!

Spring into Spring with Soft Lemon Ginger Cookies

Jessica Nunemaker — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:30:55 +0000

Spring is in the air – and what says “Spring” better than lemon ginger cookies! These are so easy to throw together and really, really soft. This is from an old hand-written index card that I bought from a (now closed) antique shop in Rensselaer, Indiana once upon a time – as well as a few variations of my own.

These are so fast to whip up even if you get the idea to try them out at 9:00 at night you would still get to enjoy them by 9:30 — while the kids are in bed asleep, of course!

Lemon-Ginger Cookies
makes 3 dozen

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
granulated sugar

1. Preheat 350* oven.
2. Cream shortening and brown sugar until fluffy.
3. Add egg, lemon extract, and lemon juice.
4. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.
5. Mix together just until combined.
6. I use a 2 teaspoon cookie dough scoop, plop ‘em in the bowl with granulated sugar, and roll ‘em around.
7. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet (I always use parchment paper) 2” apart.
8. Bake at 350* for 12 to 15 minutes until cookies are golden.
9. Remove from sheet after a few minutes to cool.
10. Enjoy!

Guest Post: Lime Cream Cookies

Jessica Nunemaker — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:30:54 +0000

Today is another special day in little Indiana! It’s my very first guest blogger! After browsing through nummy recipes on Hoosier Homemade, I just had to beg, plead, whine until she relented to have her share.

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up. Do you make special “green” food to celebrate? I usually do a few fun treats for my family, this year I also decorated our Mantle.

Today, I’m sharing these little Lime Cream Cookies with you, they would be a sweet treat for St. Patrick’s Day or as a Springtime celebration.

Ingredients for Cookies:
1/2 cup Butter, softened (real butter, not margarine)
1/4 cup Sugar
1 Egg Yolk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/4 cup Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Ingredients for Filling:
1/3 cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Lime Peel, freshly grated
2 Egg Yolks
1 drop Green Food Coloring, if desired
Powered Sugar, for dusting

Directions for Cookies:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine butter, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla in large bowl, beat until well mixed. Add flour and salt, beat well.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place on greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Make indentation in center of each cookie with thumb or back of spoon.

Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from cookie sheets and let cool.

Directions for Filling:
Combine all ingredients except food coloring in saucepan, mix well. Cook over medium-low heat stirring constantly until mixture turns glossy and thickens, about 6-9 minutes. Do Not Boil. Remove from heat, stir in food coloring, cool slightly, fill each cookie with about 1/4 teaspoon warm filling (I put a little extra on mine) Dust with powdered sugar.

These little cookies were just melt in your mouth — I couldn’t stop eating them. If you bake at all, you must bake these, the dough was really easy to work with.

You know how when you mix dough and you can just feel how good it is? This is that kind of dough. I also like that there are not many ingredients. I found the recipe from Land O’ Lakes.

.Liz is a SAHM of 3 teenage boys and happily married for 20+ years and lives in LaPorte, Indiana (about 15 minutes from Lake Michigan). Liz shares her love for baking, cooking and decorating on Hoosier Homemade – and hosting Cupcake Tuesday blog carnival with lots of cupcake creations.

Photos are the property of Hoosier Homemade and cannot be used without permission.

Caramel Cream Sandwich Cookies

Jessica Nunemaker — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:30:13 +0000

From the rich and delicious flavor of homemade caramel sauce or the subtle, buttery goodness hiding in a cookie, I love caramel in all forms. In the spirit of The Eat Christmas Cookies Event going on at Food Blogga’s, I’m adding Caramel Cream Sandwich Cookies to the Holiday Cookie line-up.

Caramel Cream Sandwich Cookies
From Pillsbury’s Best Cookies Cookbook
makes 30 sandwich cookies
Cookies:
3/4 c brown sugar, packed
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg yolk
2 cups flour

Frosting:
2 Tablespoons butter (NO SUBS)
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 to 5 teaspoons milk

1. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar and 1 cup butter: beat until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and blend well. Add flour: mix well. If needed, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes for ease in handling.

2. Preheat oven to 325*. Shape dough into 1″ balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With fork dipped in flour, flatted each to a 1 1/2″ round.

3. Bake at 325* for 10 to 14 minutes or until cookies are a light golden brown. Cool for one minute. Remove from cookie sheets and cool for 15 minutes or until completely cooled.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, beat 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat until light golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining frosting ingredients, adding only enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency. Blend until smooth. Spread scant 1 teaspoon frosting between two cooled cookies (make sure they are cooled or frosting will melt!). Repeat with remaining frosting and cookies.

Milk Chocolate Bundt Cake

Jessica Nunemaker — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:30:26 +0000

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! I thought that might just get your attention. I’m a big fan of Bundt cakes. They just scream “homemade” and “small town.” Plus, Bundt Cakes provide plenty of servings so they are great to cut in half, keep some on hand for immediate use, and freeze the other half for later! This one is my favorite.

Milk Chocolate Bundt Cake
serves 12 – 14

1 (7 oz) milk chocolate candy bar
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk (I used whole milk)
confectioner’s sugar for dusting, optional

In a saucepan, heat the candy bar and chocolate syrup over low heat until melted; set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk (or whole milk).

Pour into a greased and floured 10” Bundt pan. Bake 350* for 65 – 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Fresh Picked Apples + Homemade Caramel Sauce = Yum!

Jessica Nunemaker — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:30:12 +0000

Who doesn’t love Indiana in the Fall? The air smells so good, the leaves are brilliantly hued, and it’s apple pickin’ time! October is National Apple Month and National Caramel Month, so I’m going to share my favorite seasonal treat (which was also popular with the kid’s preschool class last year): homemade caramel sauce!

Forget that pricey junk at the store…this is 100 times better and so easy! Best of all? No unwrapping those tiny little plastic-wrapped squares!

Caramel Sauce
makes about 4 cups caramel sauce

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 (14 oz can) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt

Combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and condensed milk in a saucepan. Stir, over low, until brown sugar is fully incorporated (trust me, you have to taste it – it may look dissolved but taste gritty). Stir for approximately 15 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.

Add in vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to mix.

Keep refrigerated.

Not only does this sauce taste great with apples (or right out of the jar with a spoon – awesome!), I have used it in place of store-bought caramel sauce in many a recipe without a hitch.

Plymouth, Indiana: Picture Perfect

Jessica Nunemaker — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:30:41 +0000

By now, it’s probably pretty obvious that I love Victorian era homes and shops (and if it isn’t, just wait a couple of weeks!). I love the bright colors and unexpected flourishes…and I especially adore historic downtowns, particularly when they include a courthouse! Enter: Plymouth, Indiana.

A long main drag, Michigan Street, is lined with amazing home after amazing home, surrounding an awesomely preserved downtown. Park the car and walk around not only the downtown, but a chunk of Michigan Street as well. Really great homes here!

Plymouth, Indiana has a rather large number of shops in its downtown section and a neat old-fashioned movie theater. Clothing, antiques, and one of a kinds interrupted by the occasional café, restaurant, pub, or office.

Once the shopping is out of the way, reward the kiddies with a trip to Centennial Park. There are a mess of paved running/biking/roller blading trails and a huge wooden playground that can’t be beat. It has lots of creative nooks, crannies, and bridges for kids to climb up and crawl through — there’s even a jail! I love it! I mean, the kid loves it! I just suffer through.

Anyway, Plymouth, Indiana is also home to the world-famous Blueberry Festival (ok, maybe not world famous, but you would think so to hear my husband talk about it!).

Well, The Blueberry Festival just so happens to be the largest three day festival in the Midwest, with the biggest craft section I have ever, ever seen! There are also carnival games, a marathon, hot air balloon launches, kids rides, and a bunch of those nausea inducing, gravity defying rides for brave souls (yeah, NO).

Otherwise, the summer brings a nice farmers’ market on River and East Garro. Choose from locally grown and mostly inexpensive farm fresh produce as well as a smattering of other locally made wares and crafts. You never know what you are going to find. Tip: do a walk-through first THEN buy after you have a chance to compare prices!

It’s a really nice looking town and I am hoping to get back there one of these days and stay in one of the super cute bed and breakfasts. When I do…you’ll be the first to know!

Plymouth, Indiana; Marshall County

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Bed and Breakfast: Country Victorian Inn, Middlebury, Indiana

Jessica Nunemaker — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:30:47 +0000

Ever wanted to wake up to the peaceful sound of horse hooves clip-clopping down Main Street? Then you really won’t want to miss out on Middlebury, Indiana, or, more specifically, The Country Victorian Inn. Easy to find and close to everything!

Check out that fabulous front porch! The whole street is just full of great homes. Ring the bell (you won’t be able to hear it from the outside, but trust me, it works!), give the innkeepers a minute, and soon you will be warmly greeted and ushered into a cozy living room with comfortable seating and stunning woodwork.

Hospitable and quick to laugh, Lori gave us the lowdown on Middlebury, Indiana and her charming Victorian home (it really is the cutest thing!). We checked out our room, the Victorian Suite (very clean and comfortable), that came with lots of yummy smelling soaps and extras (free!) before taking Lori’s dinner recommendation and heading to the nearby Culinary Treasures.

Back at the Bed and Breakfast, we couldn’t decide between borrowing a movie, a book, or a board game, but in the end we made a beeline for the nicely stocked game cabinet, grabbed a game, and headed to the dining room.

Seated at the table, surrounded by antiques and a lovely built in cabinet original to the house, we snacked on yummy chocolate chip cookies the size of our hands while I annihilated the hubby at Yahtzee yet again (whatever he says is a lie! A lie!). Lots of drink options: plenty of coffee (ew), hot chocolate, and tea from various brands (I chose the pumpkin spice) as well: I love having choices! There was also a large basket of fresh fruit, though, when there are ginormous cookies, who wants fruit?

The next morning we shared breakfast with four other couples of varying age. Great meal (I really couldn’t ask for anything better) and good conversation: just one of the perks of the bed and breakfast! In fact, Arnie and Lori have been kind enough to share their recipe for Cherry and Pear Crisp with all of you.

The Country Victorian Inn Bed and Breakfast has so much to offer right in the heart of Amish country — you won‘t be disappointed!

The Country Victorian Inn Bed and Breakfast
435 South Main Street
Middlebury, IN 46540
574.825.2568

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Fingerhut Bakery: Small Town Bakery, Super Selection

Jessica Nunemaker — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:30:14 +0000

What’s better than a butter cookie? A bakery butter cookie with rainbow sprinkles! As you can see from the photo below, Fingerhut Bakery in downtown North Judson, Indiana has more than a few. that yummy bakery smell just hits you when you open the door. I do believe it made me slightly giddy.

There was a very steady stream of folks passing in and out buying an assortment of bakery items which tells me one thing: it’s all good! But, then again, I don’t think I’ve ever met a bakery I didn’t like. The bakery itself is small, with a really neat old wood display case along the back wall, and cases filled with cookies, cakes, pastries, breads, and bagels.

They’ve been in business for sixty-three years, and with the number of people who came and went while we were there, it‘s obvious they will be around for many, many more!

Apparently Fingerhut Bakery specializes in something called “Chocolate Delight Cake” but I didn’t notice that until after we had left with a ginormous cream puff (for me), a bunny train cookie (for the kid), a ½ pound of butter cookies (for me though I did share with the kid absolutely and completely against my will), and a pumpkin roll (for hubby, who doesn‘t want to share with anyone) for $12 and change. Now that is money I consider well spent!

If you are in the North Judson area, stop by for something sweet. Fingerhut Bakery is right downtown on the corner. You can’t miss it (I couldn’t even miss it and I have a knack for getting lost and turned around). They really do have the largest assortment I have ever seen in a small town…so far.

So I missed out on the Chocolate Delight Cake. How high on the list of priorities should that one be?

Fingerhut Bakery
119 Lane Street
North Judson, IN 46366
574.896.5937

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