FORT DODGE
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29
Small Business Saturday
10:00 am
Merry Money Giveaway
$25 to the first 40 shoppers at Green State Credit Union Must be 18 or older.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 1
Santa Family Fun Night
Free family event open to everyone in the community
5:00 pm
Shop all day Saturday to ll up your holiday shopping passport for a chance to win one of three Mega Merry Money certi cates: $100, $50, and $25.
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Visit with Santa create letters to Santa and crafts at the Wells Fargo/ISU Extension Building Hot Cocoa from Ardys Mae
Watch for more fun activities!
Watch Santa arrive at the City Square for the Gazebo Lighting then travel along Central Avenue to Veterans Triangle Park for the Tree Lighting
Scan for participating downtown businesses
FORT DODGE
DODGE
2 tablespoons
2
1⁄2
2 cinnamon sticks
Pour the maple syrup in a saucer and put the graham cracker crumbs in a separate saucer. Dip the rims of 2 chilled martini glasses first into the simple syrup, then into the graham cracker crumbs.
Fill a shaker with ice and add the pumpkin spice liqueur, Baileys, vodka, and vanilla extract. Shake for 15 seconds and strain between the prepared glasses. Garnish each with a cinnamon stick.
FORT DODGE
FORT DODGE
Sweet Potato Marshmallow Gratin
Makes 4 servings
1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1⁄2 cup orange juice
5 sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1⁄8-inch-thick slices
2 Russet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1⁄8-inch-thick slices
11⁄2 cups mini marshmallows, divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and orange juice in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine potatoes. Pour orange juice mixture over the potatoes; toss to coat well.
Spritz an 8” x 8” baking dish with cooking spray. Place potatoes, a handful at a time, in the dish and spread them so that the orange and white slices are evenly distributed. Sprinkle 10 to 12 minimarshmallows on top of this layer. Repeat process, creating five layers, until you almost reach the top of the baking dish.
Cover dish with aluminum foil and seal tightly to hold in moisture; bake for 1 hour.
Top with remaining marshmallows and brown sugar.
Re-cover with foil and bake 30 more minutes. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.
FORT DODGE Green Chile Breakfast Burritos
Makes 6 servings
6 eggs
3 egg whites
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced Dash cayenne pepper
4 breakfast turkey sausage links, casings removed
3⁄4 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained
6 whole wheat tortillas (8 inches), warmed
6 tablespoons salsa
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, egg whites, jalapeño and cayenne; set aside.
Crumble sausage into a large skillet; cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain. Push sausage to the sides of pan. Pour egg mixture into center of pan. Cook and stir until set. Sprinkle with cheese and chiles. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand until cheese is melted.
Place 1⁄3 cup mixture off center on each tortilla. Fold sides and end over filling; roll up. Top with salsa.
FORT DODGE
Dinner
Brush 18 standard muffin cups (one 12-cup pan and one 6-cup pan) with melted butter and dust with tapioca flour.
In a small bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of the sugar into the warm milk. Whisk in the yeast to dissolve. Set aside to proof. The mixture will get foamy. If your kitchen is warm, the mixture will foam quickly, so watch it to make sure it does not overflow the bowl.
In a medium bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium speed until foamy, about 3 minutes. Add the oil and beat for 2 more minutes. Reduce the speed to low, add the vinegar and beat to combine. Add the yeast mixture and beat to mix. Add the flour mixture and beat to combine, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes longer.
extra-large eggs
cup neutral-flavored oil such as canola
teaspoons vinegar, preferably apple cider
Melted unsalted butter for brushing
Tapioca flour for dusting
Distribute the dough equally among the prepared muffin cups and fill them about three-quarters full. With a sharp knife that has been dipped in tapioca flour, cut a deep slash in the top of each roll. Dip the knife in flour before each cut, and don’t worry if a little extra tapioca flour is left on top of the rolls.
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Let the dough stand in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.
Brush the top of each roll with melted butter. Bake until the tops are a nice golden brown, about 20 minutes. If they start to brown too quickly, loosely tent the rolls with aluminum foil. Remove the rolls to wire racks to cool. If you are serving them immediately, it’s nice to put them in a tea towel-lined blanket to keep warm. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
FORT DODGE
Chocolate Christmas Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes
For the cakes:
8 tablespoons butter
1⁄3 cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄3 cup cocoa powder
1⁄2 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips
For the chocolate topping:
2⁄3 cup heavy cream
1 cup chopped plain dark chocolate, 70 percent
To decorate: Icing sugar
8 ounces white sugarpaste
8 ounces green sugarpaste
4 ounces red sugarpaste
For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place 12 cupcake liners in a muffin tin.
Beat the butter in a mixing bowl until soft and light. Beat in both sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well blended. Sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa and fold in gently until incorporated. Stir in the milk and chocolate chips.
Spoon into the paper cases and bake for 25 minutes until firm to the touch. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
For the chocolate topping: Put the cream and chocolate in a pan over a low heat until melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool and thicken slightly.
Spoon onto the cupcakes and leave until almost set. Roll out the white sugarpaste on a surface dusted with icing sugar. Cut out shapes to resemble snow and place on the cakes.
Roll out the green sugarpaste on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. Cut out 2 holly leaves for each cake with a holly shaped cutter or card template. Brush lightly with water and attach to the white sugarpaste.
Roll pieces of red sugarpaste into small balls for the “berries” and place on the cakes, as in the photo, attaching with a little water.
AMES
BOONE
1 cup eggnog
1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg
1⁄8 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄8 teaspoon ground star anise
1⁄2 teaspoon demerara sugar
2 sticks cinnamon, for garnish
2 pods star anise, for garnish Shortbread cookies, for garnish and to serve (optional)
Mix the rum, brandy and eggnog in a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, ground star anise and sugar to a small plate. Wet the rim of a glass with rum. Roll the rim of the glass in the spices.
Strain the eggnog mixture between the two glasses. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, star anise pods and festive shortbread cookies if desired.
Indoor Shooting Range & Firearm Services
• Firearm Training, Instruction & Certification
• Firearm Sales, Rental & Service
• Gunsmith Services
• Custom Firearm Build Parts Available
• Accessories (Holsters, Optics, etc.)
• Ammunition
• Archery Services & Sales
• Self-Defense & Personal Protection Gift Certificates Available Make Great Stocking Stuffers
CARROLL
If you have a fireplace that burns wood, you know that it loses all of its heat up the chimney. Rick Titus has a wood burning insert that will burn with the efficiency of a wood stove and fit inside your fireplace so it keeps your fireplace look.
If you have a gas log in your fireplace it also sends all of its heat up the chimney. Rick has Vent Free gas logs that can burn as efficient as a gas cook stove and burn with the damper closed, thus keeping all the heat in the house.
If you have one of the newer gas fireplaces that vents out the side of the home or up a chimney, Rick can convert it over to a Vent Free log and keep all the heat in the home.
So no matter what kind of fireplace you may have, Rick has an efficient solution for it. Call Rick or email him at yahtitus@ gmail.com or go to his web site below. Rick even has new fireplaces and wood stoves that can heat your home even during a power outage.
- photo by Les Houser, Wright County Monitor
GILMORE CITY
FRESH & FLOCKED
Christmas Trees
• Outdoor Plants
Holiday Open House
• Spruce Tops • Greenery • Wreaths
Saturday Nov. 29 9am-5pm
Sunday Nov. 30
Noon-4pm
Hwy 3 East • Gilmore City, IA
515-375-6090
Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm • Sun Noon-4pm
Warm the honey with the mustard in a heavybased saucepan, stirring until smooth and starting to bubble at the edges of the pan. Set off the heat.
Arrange the apple quarters in a large roasting pan and place the ham on top. Score a diamond pattern on the outside fat; brush with some of the honey-mustard glaze, seasoning with salt and pepper at the same time.
Bake the ham until the thickest part of the
Roast Ham
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 apples, cored and quartered
1 8-pound cooked ham, trimmed Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
ham registers at least 160 F, about 1 hour 20 minutes; brush with more of the glaze from time to time.
Once the ham has reached 160 F, increase the oven temperature to 450 F and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes until the top is golden brown and starting to caramelize.
Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing and serving. Can also be chilled and served cold.
GOWRIE
Saturday 12/6:
Santa Trot - 9:30 AM registration, 10:00 start
Gowrie United Methodist Church Bazaar 8 to 11 AM
Gowrie Hometown Christmas Festival Craft with a Cop and Kid Zone 4 PM, Parade at 6 PM, followed by tree lighting and photo's with Santa. Please bring items to donate to the food pantry.
Holiday baking goes gluten-free Mint Slims
2 cups blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup maple sugar
1/4 cup light-colored raw honey
1/4 cup expeller-pressed coconut oil
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
Coating
10 ounces dairy-free and soy-free semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 teaspoon expeller-pressed coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, or using a food processor, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and maple sugar and mix thoroughly on medium speed.
In a saucepan, combine the honey, coconut oil, chocolate, and peppermint extract and cook over low heat, stirring until melted. Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until fully combined.
Using your hands, pack the dough firmly into two balls, then flatten each into a thick disk. Roll each disk into a 1/4-inch-thick circle on a piece of parchment paper. Stack the pieces (with parchment paper in between) on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days. (If chilling for more than 2 hours, cover the top piece of dough with another piece of parchment paper.)
When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 F and line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator. Use a 2-inch-round cookie cutter
to cut out circles and place them on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, rerolling and cutting circles until all the dough is used.
Bake one sheet at a time for 8 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the coating, melt the chocolate chips and oil together in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan filled with about 1 inch of boiling water. Stir the mixture frequently until the chocolate melts. Stir the peppermint extract into the melted chocolate. Turn off the heat and remove the bowl from the pan.
Dip each cookie completely into the melted chocolate and use a fork to lift it out. Tap the fork gently on the side of the bowl to allow any excess chocolate to drip off. Place the dipped cookies on the prepared baking sheets, then refrigerate the cookies for 1 hour to help the chocolate set. Serve chilled.
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
Crescent Holiday Tree
1 cont. (8 oz) chives-and-onion cream cheese spread
1 tablespoon milk
3/4 medium red bell pepper
1/4 medium yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh broccoli
2 tablespoons sliced ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots
1 tablespoon chopped cucumber
Heat oven to 375°F. Remove dough from can in 1 long roll; do not unroll or separate. Cut roll into 16 slices.
On ungreased cookie sheet, place slices cut side down to form tree. Start by placing 1 slice for top; arrange 2 slices just below, with sides touching. Continue arranging a row of 3 slices, then a row of 4 slices, ending with a row of 5 slices. Use remaining slice for tree trunk.
Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute; carefully loosen from cookie sheet with spatula, and slide onto cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
Place tree on serving platter or tray. In small bowl, mix cream cheese spread and milk until smooth. Spread mixture over baked tree. Cut strips from red bell pepper for garland; chop any remaining red pepper. With small star-shaped canapé cutter, cut star from yellow bell pepper; chop remaining yellow pepper. Decorate tree with bell peppers, broccoli, carrots and cucumber. Serve immediately, or cover loosely and refrigerate up to 24 hours before serving.
If desired, top baked tree trunk with cream cheese mixture and 1 tablespoon sliced almonds. Sprinkle tree with an additional 1 tablespoon almonds.
STORY CITY
Holiday Shopping
