Aryn Henning Nichols

One of the true signs of summer in the Midwest is Fair Season – and the 2015 Winneshiek County Fair is, literally, right around the corner from our house…right now through July 11! Grandstand shows, livestock judging, competitions, exhibits, demolition derbies, races, rides, auctions, dances, and the inevitable fair food – it’s enough to not only get the kids excited, but the kid-at-heart folks too. We go pretty much every day!

We’ve put together a list of 7 of our favorite things at our hometown (neighborhood, really) fair to get you started:

1. Animals! Right now (like as of yesterday, opening day of the fair), Roxie is enjoying the cow barns the best – other favorites: the sheep and goats, pigs, and, of course, the bunnies!

2. 4-H Projects Building! Aryn was in 4-H growing up, and loves seeing the sewing, craft, and photography projects that bring back memories of childhood summer fun.

3. Food! We usually head straight to the Luren Booth for pie, but surprisingly, haven’t gotten any pie yet (which is our favorite thing of this favorite thing), but yesterday we did grab a couple breakfast specials. Pancakes, eggs, yummy sausage, and coffee (or milk or juice if that’s your thing). Lunch at the Green Clover Cafe 4-H stand around the corner is a great spot too – Roxie is excited they have Gogurts (maybe your toddler will be too)! And don’t forget about ALL THE OTHER FOOD options (so many). Pork chop on a stick, hot beef sandwiches, the Moo Mobile…oh, and funnel cakes, nachos, pizza…better go with an empty stomach! (More food pics inevitably coming…)

4. Rides! Who doesn’t love a Ferris wheel ride? Well…we’ll see if our kid does (first-timer), but even if she doesn’t, there are lots of fun mild-to-wild rides to check out. $20 for 20 tickets! Wristband Days are Wednesday & Friday 6-10 pm, Saturday 2-6 pm.

5. Grandstand Events! Buying a button gets you in to all the events. Check out the schedule here.

6. Kids Activities! We hit up the petting zoo yesterday – entrance is free, and you can buy some food for $1. Be careful, though…those goats can get pretty excited when you’ve got food in hand (see below…sorry, Rox)! There’s also magic shows and bean bag contests!

7. Great Free Music! Although it’s great to buy a button and check out the larger entertainment acts, there are other fun options too – from the Buck Hollow barn dance to the Jim Busta Band, you’ll be happy you wore your dancin’ shoes.

Here in the tri-state area there are tons of county fairs that offer up great family entertainment at affordable prices. Here’s a list of a few of them you can still catch! Did we miss one you love? Let us know!

NE Iowa:

Winneshiek County Fair: July 7-11, 2015

Allamakee County Fair: July 15-19, 2015

Dubuque County Fair: July 28-August 2, 2015

Fayette County Fair: August 5-9, 2015

Clayton County Fair: August 5-10, 2015

SE Minnesota:

Winona County Fair: July 8-12, 2015

Wabasha County Fair: July 15-18, 2015

Fillmore County Fair: July 21-25, 2015

Olmsted County Fair: July 27-August 2, 2015

Houston County Fair: August 19-23, 2015

SW Wisconsin:

Trempeleau County Fair: July 23-26, 2015

Grant County Fair: August 16-23, 2015

Crawford County Fair: August 26-30, 2015

Vernon County Fair: September 16-20, 2015

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P.S. Don’t forget to make your plans to attend the Iowa State Fair August 13-23 in Des Moines! Since 1854 Iowans have enjoyed what has been rated one of the top summer attraction in the US by publications such as USA Weekend, Midwest Living, and the New York Times.

The Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines feature an incredible park-like 400-acres (the Fair’s home since 1886) and also adjoin 160 acres of Campgrounds – both parcels that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The fair has provided a place through history that has educated, informed, and entertained people from every walk of life. It is also host to “one of the world’s largest livestock shows,” as well as the largest art show in the state.

Entertainment is also high on the list at the Iowa State Fair with over $400,000 / year spent on bringing in top-notch acts. This year’s grandstand line-up includes performances by Casting Crowns, Justin Moore, Def Leppard (yes!), Reba, Carrie Underwood, YES & Toto, Alabama, The Fray, Meghan Trainor, Rock-A-Thon, and of course the excitement of the Grand Outlaw National tractor & truck pull, and more.

And as if that weren’t enough, don’t forget about the butter cow – hand crafted out of over 600lbs of butter by Norwalk sculptor and expert cake decorator Sarah Pratt. Not to mention the 50+ foods available… on a stick.

Fair time is fun time! See you there!

Some days (days like today, when you get 10 inches of snow in the middle of an early spring), it’s hard to feel upbeat about everything. Or anything. Life can feel overwhelming, unlucky, and, honestly, kinda crappy.

BUT! But! There’s always a sunny side waiting for you, and always a way to realize “hey, I’m more fortunate than I think!”

Enter Happy Lists. This is something I started doing in college when I felt a little down or (shhh, don’t tell my parents) homesick. I would take a piece of paper – it can be big or little – and absolutely cram it with things that made me happy. From coffee to best friends to fancy sheets to scarves to the first tulips to chocolate to, yes, even fresh snow. Usually by the end I was feeling…gasp…happy! It’s a great habit I continue to this day (I just made the above list this morning, ‘cause I gotta admit, I wasn’t happy about all that pretty snow out there. I love a March spring.)

Sometimes I will also tuck the lists away in a drawer or folder or coat pocket. It’s fun to happen upon them randomly later – (almost) as good as finding a long-forgotten $20 in a spring jacket!

Anyway, we thought a happy list might be a good activity on this snow day! Put together your list, get happy, and then gear up and head out for a little frolic, because, c’mon: This has gotta be about it for winter, right?!?

Bonus: If any of the things on your list are things you can actually DO, go on and do some. This greatly increases the happiness factor. I’m going to make my tikka masala right now!

Happy happifying!

XO,
Aryn

P.S. Excuse my terrible handwriting! I don’t write with a pen these days nearly as often as I did in college!

P.P.S. “Do Something Awesome” paper by Iowa letterpress designer Meg Gleason of Moglea.

One of the things on my “30 Before 30” list was to perfect the chocolate chip cookie. I was a bit naïve when I wrote that – there are many different types of chocolate chips cookies, and I’ve now decided one shouldn’t necessarily discriminate – but this one is my go-to, and pretty darn good.

It all started with my mother-in-law, Bev’s, recipe. It’s a winner on its own, but I wanted to cut some butter and add some oats. Then I had the GENIUS (pure genius, I tell you) idea to start making double batches and freezing dough balls.

Simply put a reusable baking liner or parchment paper on a large cookie sheet, scoop out dough balls (I use a tablespoon), and put in the freezer. (Usually they’re balanced on some frozen vegetables, a pack of bacon, and frozen ravioli in ours!)

When they’re frozen solid, you can move them to a container for easier storage (we use yogurt containers). Then, when you feel like a chocolate chip cookie, you can just pop a few on a cookie sheet and bake – no need to thaw. Viola! Fresh cookies in 10 minutes! Because no matter how perfect a recipe, a fresh chocolate chip cookie is better than a day-old one. For sure. (I would pin that sh*t if I were you…)

So, without further ado: the chocolate chip cookie recipe!

Preheat oven to 375

Cream together:
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 C butter

Add 1 egg and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla. Mix.

Mix together dry ingredients (I just add them to the top of the wet dough, but stir up the dry stuff on top before I mix it all into the wet stuff):
1/2 tsp salt
1 C flour
1 C rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda

Stir in semi-sweet chocolate chips. I always eyeball them, but if I’m making a double batch, I add nearly a bag! I like chocolate. You decide what’s best for you, but I will tell you that these cookies hold up well to lots of chips.

FYI.

‘Cause these things are important to know.

Optional: Roughly chop 1/2 C cranberries and add to dough when you add chocolate chips (I stopped adding cranberries after Roxie was born because the extra step – cutting board and knife, etc – seemed to be too much work, but they do add a nice element if you’re into that sort of thing!)

Scoop balls onto cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes. Usually I bake about a dozen and let them rest on the pan a couple of minutes before transferring to the cooling rack. The rest, I freeze!

Enjoy!

XO,
Aryn