Do you ever just crave a corn dog? The fair only comes once a year and the mall variety only satisfies the craving a little bit. Before we got our fryer, we resorted to the frozen/microwave variety. Those just do not compare to the fresh from the fryer ones! Here's how I make them.
First remove the hot dogs from the package and stick popsicle/craft sticks in them. These ended up being really flimsy despite how small the hot dogs are. Next time I would use disposable chopsticks.
Here, I used Hebrew National Beef Franks, not the bun length! The bun length variety are skinnier and you get less meat per frank. Mister is only a fan of the all beef variety, so I chose this brand. They turned out pretty tasty!
After you make the batter, pour it into a tall cup. This makes it infinitely easier to coat the dogs.
Slow pour picture.
This is a 2-cup container/glass. As you can see it is a lumpy batter. Like pancakes, the more you mix the batter the smoother it will be, but it will also become a denser batter. Stop mixing just after the dry ingredients are no longer dry and you will have a nice and fluffy corn dog!
Sprinkle on some flour or corn meal.
Make sure it is dusted on evenly. This step is crucial if you don't like that gap between the breading and dog.
Heat the oil to 355°F. The corn dogs will be frying at 350°F but since the temperature drops after the dogs go in, I heated the oil just a tad hotter to compensate. My fryer doesn't take too long to heat up, so I do this step just before I dip in the dogs. If your fryer takes longer or you are using a stove/thermometer configuration, then heat your oil earlier. I like to have the dogs cooking right after I dip them, that way the batter doesn't pull away.
Dip the corn dogs in. (See how you don't have to fiddle with the batter to coat it evenly?)
Just give it a little twirl and you are good to go!
Pull out and finger off the excess batter.
Slowly dip it into the oil. I start by just lightly dipping it in and getting the outside batter cooking. Then very slowly dipping in the rest of the dog. Mister did not like this method so off he went to make a contraption.. more on that later.
It took about 5 minutes to cook, but I just based that on the color of the batter. Since most hot dogs come cooked, I was just cooking the batter. (Did you know you can just eat the hot dogs straight from the package?)
You see that little hole? That's because I didn't lower them in slow enough to cook the outside and it got stuck to the basket. Patience!
Drain and cool. Then we are ready for some mustard! I like draining them in the basket rather than paper towels. They always end up steaming the bottom crust bit and I just worked real hard to get that crispy.
Here is Mister's contraption. He used galvanized wire, but I think a paper clip would have been just as unhelpful.
To get the most amount of room, he took out the baskets and cooked them while holding it. I don't think it was worth making the contraption,
Leftover batter? I made some corn bread muffins! I just added a lot of shredded cheese, but I really should have added a fat of sorts as these turned out dry and dense. (Baked at 350
°F, 25 minutes)
I compensated by really smothering on the butter when they came out.
Corn Dog Recipe
makes about 6-8 corn dogs
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cup yellow cornmeal
- ¾ cup all purpose flour (plus a spoonful for coating)
- 1½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup milk
- peanut oil for frying
- hot dogs
- chopsticks or craft sticks
Directions
- Mix together dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and pepper).
- Slowly stir in eggs and milk. Stop mixing after the dry ingredients are no longer dry. It will be a lumpy batter. Pour into a tall glass.
- Heat oil to 355°F in fryer or large heavy pot. (A pot large enough to fit the corn dogs) Add enough oil for the corn dogs to be submerged.
- While the oil is heating, pat the hot dogs dry and skewer a stick in. Coat the hot dogs in flour or cornmeal.
- When the oil is at temperature, dip the hot dogs into the batter. Twirl until the batter is completely coating the hot dog. Let the remaining batter drip off or wipe it away. Then slowly lower the corn dog into the fryer.
- Cook corn dogs for 5-7 minutes or until desired coloring has achieved. Allow corn dogs to be drained.
I use.
How can you resist a giant unicorn lamp? After months of waiting (kickstarter campaign shipping issues), I finally got my unicorn lamp. This may be an extravagant, unnecessary purchase, but I think the joy it brings me was well worth it. In the picture above, you can see how bright it is compared to the humidifier behind it. I would not recommend it as a night light but as a daytime decoration piece. The humidifier
on the other hand would be perfect for that. The dim green glow right behind the unicorn is the humidifier. Until I learn how to GIF, you'll only be able to see this one color, but trust me, the cool part of this gift to myself is that it changes colors.
Excuse my scowl, I was really happy in this moment. It just wasn't captured in this picture. This is the giant box my new obsession came in. Also this is the outer no-hiding-what-is-inside packaging. There is no surprising anyone with what is inside. (Beware of nosy neighbors or postwomen.)
Inside, you can see it was fairly well packaged. There is styrofoam blocks on the bottom and top that keep the lamp from moving. The plastic bag on the bottom right is the power source. It's a fairly short cord, about 3 feet. Plan accordingly.
Finally it's mine! Now you can see my joy. This picture it probably the best depiction to show you the size. It is a GIANT unicorn light. It would take up a small side table, as long as it is right next to an outlet.
Styrofoam packaging, or new hat. Maybe possibly Halloween cheese-head costume?
All the lights off and only the unicorn light on. As you can see the horn part of the light isn't really lit up. This was an issue that the makers were aware of but didn't fix. It is really such a shame, the horn is quite integral to the this light.
The Kickstarter campaign has ended now, however you can purchase your own at their website. Last time I looked, they were still shipping out the rest of the rewards from the campaign, so if you buy one now it would be a preorder. They have distribution centers in US, Europe, and Asia. I would still be wary of those custom fees. Keep in mind that these are big items, so they will take awhile to ship. Even though the campaign has ended, you can buy these lamps at a better deal now. I suggest waiting for a sale to buy it. After calculating the latest sale (20% off and free shipping over $100+), it would have been better for me to wait until the campaign ended to buy it. It ended it up cheaper and the shipping date was earlier than the kickstarter shipping date. I would have received it even earlier. Also you can return the item on their website, but you can't return it on kickstarter.
The right picture shows me holding the tiny very of the light. This tiny one is much brighter than its big brother and runs on batteries. I use it when I have to bumble around at the middle of the night. It also bumped around in the packaging since it appeared they just dropped it inside.
Purchase here.
With the start of the new year and the very first Tutorial Tuesdays, why not start with a new way of laundering? One of my favorite feelings is crawling into freshly washed sheets. That would explain why I change out my sheets at least once a week. The problem with washing my sheets is that I have to dry them in a fairly old dryer. The dryer at our place is so old that prior to my new little discovery, I would have to dry sheets for at least two cycles. With each cycle lasting about an hour, washing the sheets was a three plus hour affair. So what are these balls and how are they going to help me speed up the laundry process?
These are yarn balls! And besides being cat toys, they help dry laundry faster and fluffier! So really, these are dryer balls as Oswald has no interest in them. When these balls are thrown into the dryer, they help tumble the clothes/sheets/towels and also absorb some the the wetness. The ones above are not finished, as they still need to be felted. That way they won't unravel in the dryer. Save yourself from that tangled mess!
Start with skins of wool. I've got some Patons wool from Michael's in both the roving (blue label) and worsted (red label). The roving wool looks fluffier and the worsted almost looks like it is woven. I think the worsted type ends with a smaller ball. Either type will work as dryer balls.
The key thing is to make sure it is 100% wool and not a blend. You aren't wearing this, so don't be attracted to the other softer yarns at the store. Likewise if you have an old, itchy sweater, you can also use that. The wool needed for this project doesn't have to be new wool. As if you need excuse to unravel a sweater..
Find the start and get comfy. This would be a great activity to do while binge watching.
Wrap between two or three fingers. (Two fingers with a gap or three fingers without the gap.)
After 15 or so wraps, switch to wrapping the middle of your little packet.
Wrap tightly until it becomes a solid, non-squishy middle. I stopped at the size of an M&M Peanut. When you fluff out the sides and you get a cute bow!
After fluffing the sides, squish tightly and just start wrapping the rest of the yarn around.
At this stage I wouldn't worry about it being pretty or neat. That's why you see me wrapping over the same section several (5-8 times) before I switch. The important thing is to keep it tight. This is the core of the ball and you want it to be solid core.
After a few minutes of wrapping it won't seem like you get very far, but just keep going and slowly it'll grow. (Special appearance by Popcorn, he also had no interest in yarn or the finished yarn balls.)
When I get to a gumball size shape, I switch to a two wraparounds before switching positions.
If your fingers get sore or you just need a break, make a little well at the end of the wool-yarn-skin-thing. (I'm not much of a knitter,but maybe one day. My limited knowledge of knitting comes from the knitting episode of Gilmore Girls. Counting down the days until it comes back!)
Plop it inside! Safe and secure.
At the one-half to two-thirds mark (judging by the amount of yarn you have left), I start wrapping it more prettily. Mind you, you won't see as much detail once you felt it, but I would like to think it still makes a difference. (I've switched to this grey striped one so the detail can be shown better.)
So you finally finished wrapping! Now how to finish it..
With a paper clip!
First go secure the unfinished ball inside another yarn skin or tuck it in between some pillows. You will need both your hands for this part. (That is unless you planned ahead, cookie for you!)
Using a straightened out paper clip, make a little hook. (It's as if you are making your own crochet needle, or if you have a thinner crochet needle use that.)
Hook the end piece to the makeshift pokey-finishing-tool.
Stick the other side to through the ball and pull!
Voila!
Almost, but not quite. Learn from my mistakes. Make a smaller hook (fold in at about half an inch) and poke through a smaller section. It should be no more than two inches from the start of your poke to where it peeks out. You do not need to go through the center of the ball. Remember you made it super tight and solid, so it'll be pretty difficult to get through. If it still does not feel secure, make another poke through. We are going to be felting the ball, so it doesn't need to be super tight, just as long as it doesn't unravel on it's own. Basically:
- Fold a paper clip half an inch
- Hook the yarn
- Poke into the ball at an angle (aim for a point about two inches from the starting point, and not directly into the the core of the ball)
- Pull the paper clip through the ball (try twisting and turning if the hook gets caught in the ball)
- Yarn should be secured and should not unravel
Felting the ball: Stick the balls into some nylons.
One ball for each nylon.
Twist and tie.
I make a basic slip knot. (Make it easier to untie later.)
Then fold over the rest of the nylon over the ball. The ball would be covered twice with the nylon. (If you have smaller nylons, you can skip this step. It doesn't need to be covered twice. Actually it made the felting process longer, so don't felt it twice. I thought it would keep the balls inside better, but there's no need to worry about that.)
Ta-da! All you need to do now it toss them into a load of towels or any hot water load of laundry. Wash them in the washing machine and dry them in the dryer (or any high heat cycle). I didn't have a hot water cycle so I just went through ten or so loads of warm laundry (drying in between each time in the dryer) and that seemed to have eventually felted them. If you machines tend to tangle your clothes/towels, cut off the remaining tails left of the nylons.
To check if your balls are felted run your nail across the yarn strands. If the strands stay down, your dryer balls are done! If you can pick out a specific strand, do another cycle and another until the strands stay down.
*Check back for the post on how to create designs, like that narwhal!
(Oswald's new toys, not really. He lost interest after a few minutes. )
