The Great Iowa State Fair

One of my favorite late summer activities is attending the Iowa State Fair! This is something I literally grew up doing ... my parents worked at the fair every night at the society horse show in the livestock pavilion and I had somewhat the run of the grounds in those years. I have for the most part always enjoyed going to the fair!

This year was no different! Lynn and I got to attend twice this year. I'm not a "midway" guy, I never have been. I guess they call it the "Thrill Park" these days ... but I'm old enough to remember the old midway.

I have always been a fan of the livestock barns, the agriculture building, the Iowa DNR building, the Mountain Man camp, Pioneer Hall and of course the Varied Industries building. the key to all of those places is that they are all free!!! Free is one of my favorite things! 

However, food at the State Fair is a whole different story! There are places we go on the grounds that are can't miss, every year must haves! In no particular order here are Lynn and I top fav's ... turkey tenderloin, smoked turkey drumstick, honey lemonade, salt water taffy, pork chop on a stick, Italian sausage grinder, a lamb burger, root beer, "shake-up" lemonade, once in a while a corn dog and a foot-long hotdog. This year Lynn tried the "Hot Beef Sundae" at the Cattlemen' s Beef Headquarters ... it consists of roast beef on a bowl with mashed potatoes on top and covered in gravy with a cheery tomato on top. She thought is was just OK. One of the local restaurants in Des Moines had a wrap (that was really good) the past few years but they were not at the Fair this year, 

Over all, this was a stellar year especially considering the weather. One of the best years for State Fair weather. We had a great time at the Fair and I'll have a couple more posts coming soon!

What are your favorite Iowa State Fair memories? Feel free to share them, I would love to read them!

Pastor Steve

 

(All Photo's Are Stock)

 

                                 

Northwestern Steakhouse Dinner Mason City, Iowa (Copycat Recipe)

So living in the Mason City area for 18 years, we have eaten at the Northwest Steakhouse a number of times ... Having moved a bit south I was very pleased to find this recipe and have tried to with incredible results!

Once you've tried it let me know what you think!

ENJOY!

Pastor Steve

 
Northwestern Steakhouse Dinner (Copycat)

**This recipe makes enough for 4 small cuts of steak or 2 large cuts.  We’ve always used it for 2 larger cuts and used the extra seasoned juice for our spaghetti on the side, however, I would guess if you used 4 small cuts you would still have plenty of juice to use for your pasta**

2 Large or 4 Small cuts of Steak (I prefer Rib-eye)
1 Stick Butter
1 tsp Greek Seasoning
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Lawry’s Salt
1 tsp Chicken Bouillon Granules

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and sear both sides of each cut of steak over Medium-High heat (about 2 min per side).  Place steak in baking dish.

3. Mix the last four ingredients together in a small saucepan and heat until butter is melted and ingredients are combined.

4. Pour sauce over steaks and bake for 25 minutes or longer, depending on how you like your steak.  For you experienced steak people out there, like Mike, you can probably just tell how done the steak is by firmness, however, I would need to go by temperature.  Here is the internal readings on a meat thermometer to tell how done your steak is (this is when you should remove it from the oven because it will cook a little more as you let it rest on your plate): Medium Rare – 140 degrees, Medium – 155 degrees, Well Done – 165 degrees.

5. We enjoy spaghetti, like they serve at the restaurant for our side.  Just pour the juices from the baking dish the steaks baked in over the pasta and top with Parmesan.  Delicious!

Enjoy!  This really is a no fuss recipe and one you’re sure to love!!!!

Crispy Orange Chicken ... Yum!

I came across a recipe for orange chicken and it was good! But, as I'm want to do, I began to tweak the recipe just a bit, adding a bite of heat. 

Here is MY updated recipe:    

 

Orange Chicken Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/3 Cup BBQ Sauce (Famous Dave's Sweet & Zesty)
• 1/3 Cup House of Tsang Szechuan Spicy Stir-Fry Sauce (@Hy-Vee)
• 1/3 Cup Hy-Vee Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (@Hy-Vee)
• 1 Cup Sweet Orange Marmalade 12 to 16 oz.
• 1 tsp Ground Hot Red Pepper (Or More To Taste)
• 2 TBSP Soy Sauce

Crispy Chicken Ingredients:

• 3-4 Chicken Breasts (We used 3)
• 1 Cup Flour/1 Cup Cornstarch (You can use both or either/or)
• 2 Eggs
• Oil (We used vegetable oil)
  
• 
  
  Cooking Directions:
  
  
• In a sauce pan, add the 3 sauces, marmalade, red pepper and soy sauce. Turn the heat on low and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring a few times.
• Meanwhile, cut up your chicken breasts into cubes. In one bowl beat 2 eggs, while the other bowl should mix the dry ingredients.
• Dip pieces of chicken in the egg and then cover in flour/cornstarch. Set on an extra plate.
• Add a thin layer of oil to a frying pan and turn your stove on medium/high heat. Once it sizzles, add the chicken to the pan. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes each side until it’s brown and cooked on the inside.
• Set the oily pieces on a paper towel and let drain.
• Add the chicken to the sauce and toss!
• Eat it on top of white rice and enjoy. I think veggies would be good with it such as green peppers or broccoli.