Tag: hot dogs

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Icing

Gluten-free pumpkin cupcakes with maple cream cheese icing.

A Pumpkin Cupcake that doesn't taste gluten-free. Seriously.

But before I get to the recipe, I need to wander off a bit. Because it's who I am. A person who wanders. Ponders. Finds solace in books. I've been like this since girlhood. Curious. Serious. No good at catching balls. Or dressing dolls. I am beyond inept with hair. And eyeliner. Nail polish. I get anxious and non-verbal if I have to wear anything that isn't a pair of jeans.

I hold the opinion that there is more to life than collapsing in front of the television and microwaving hot dogs. I think that beauty- as Steve Jobs believed- is important, has value. That we are deeply interconnected. That life on Earth is precious- from the house sparrow to the living sea. That we are part of a vast and mysterious collective- not merely of our absurd egos (who natter inside our heads and squander our attention on drama, conflict, acquisition and the need to control)- but of a newly unfolding awareness of astonishing inner space and outer space. Infinity in every direction.

Which begs the question.

Who am I? Really. I know I am not the car I drive or the laundry detergent I use. I know I am not what I identify with. I am not what I embrace- or reject. Though for years I thought so. I believed my opinions created a self. Made me Me. Now that I am old enough to have lived through countless opinion reversals, I realize opinions are temporary. And not defining.

Just as I am not my baby teeth. Or my once lactating voluptuousness. Or my sprouting silver hair. Or what music I listen to. Or what jeans I outgrow. I am not even the woman baking pumpkin cupcakes for her readers. Or am I? Well, maybe I am. Just a little. But wait. Doesn't that make me the sum of what I do? I bake therefore I am?

I am trying lately not to be so much of a human doing. And more of a human being.

It's not as easy as one might think.

And therein lies the trouble. The whole thinking thing. Our brain. Our wired hardware. It disconnects us. It addicts us. It overrides the heart and soul of what is really going on. The being we really are. Beneath the seductive and glossy surface of things. The spark that burns from the greater whole.

I see that spark in you.

It's why I made you cupcakes.

RESTAURANT REVIEW: JDAWGS in UTAH COUNTY

Sooooo… I kept hearing about this “uhhhh-mazing” hot dog place in Provo called JDawgs. I’m not a big hot dog fan, and since we aren’t in Provo often, I hadn’t made it down. I kinda went, “Oh. Hot dogs. Mehhh, whatevs.”

Well… that is, until a few months ago when I went with my coworkers. And… maybe have dreamed about it ever since! When we were all back in Provo this past week, we made another stop.

And I’m spreading the word.

Not that the word needed spread, because apparently there are, like, followers or something?

It seems like I’m the last person to find out (shocker, I’m a little slow)…

but just in case you missed the memo, too?

JDawgs. In Provo & American Fork. Go!

(Oh, and if you feel like making your mouth water, hit up their website.)

^^ One of their two Provo locations.

^^ First, you pick Polish or beef. Then you pick your toppings- pickles, banana peppers, onion, sauerkraut, jalapeños, celery salt, mayo, & relish to choose from.

Now, you must not forget the special sauce.

The delish, sweet, tangy, sticky, special sauce!

(I go for beef w/ pickles [do you see the pickles? I mean, c’mon!!], banana peppers, and of course, special sauce.)

The first time we went, we were 4 women in a restaurant full of men.

Full.

Men.

Only men.

It’s apparently quite the guys-guy kind of place. But as a lady? A lady who doesn’t even like hot dogs? I’m a convert. A fan. A groupie apparently.

Make the drive to JDawgs.

Really. Do it.

Baked Whole Wheat Corn Dogs

With baseball and BBQs in full swing I thought it would be the perfect time to bake up some homemade corn dogs!

My little girl is a bit of a hot dog snob, so… I had to really hit it out of the park this time. With only 4 hot dogs left in the house, I didn’t have room for failure today.

It’s fun (and a bit challenging sometimes) to give her healthier alternatives to foods that all kids grow up with!

My mom and I have tried our hand a few times at making baked corn dogs. But we’ve always used more of a batter rather than a dough.

Looking back, I now know that was our first mistake.

While the corn dogs always tasted good, they were difficult to make/handle/deal with, had way too much breading around the hot dogs, and never looked appealing.

I basically used this recipe that I found as a base and made some minor adjustments for whole wheat and more spices.

If I hadn’t been making these for my daughter, I would have added more cayenne and/or chili powder. I like a little spice to my corn dog batter, personally.

This time around I went with more of a dough. A whole wheat dough at that! It’s thicker than a batter and was super easy to work with. Just wrap those dogs up in their blankets and tuck them in!

Of course, the usual hot dog is deep fried, so these don’t quite have the same taste or texture as your standard run of the mill corn dog.

No, these are actually better in my opinion.

Baked Whole Wheat Corn Dogs
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 10 • Size: 1 Corn Dog • Calories: 186.7 • Fat: 6.5 g • Carb: 28.8 g • Fiber: 3 g • Protein: 4.8 g • Sugar: 7.5 g • Sodium: 298.5 mg

Ingredients:
Dough:
1/2 C. Fat Free Milk, Hot
1/2 C. Hot Water
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 C. Corn Meal
1 1/2 C. Whole Wheat White Flour
1 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp. Paprika
1/8 Tsp. Cayenne
1/8 Tsp. Chili Powder
2 1/4 Tsp. Active Dry Yeast

Dogs:
10 Turkey Hot Dogs
2 Egg Whites, Lightly Beaten
1 Tbsp. Poppy Seeds

Directions:
Combine the hot milk and hot water with the yeast in a small bowl and set aside for about 5 minutes until the yeast as activated.

Once ready, mix in the oil, brown sugar, and corn meal. Then add in the flour, baking soda, and spices. Stir until the dough becomes sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, adding more flour if you need to. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oil bowl. Cover to allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.

Alternatively you could toss all of the dough ingredients into a bread machine (in the order listed) and run the dough cycle.

While you’re waiting for the dough to rise, prepare your hot dogs!

I skewered mine onto some thick wooden kabob sticks.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Note: I cooked mine at 450 degrees F. as the original recipe called for and I found that it was too hot. I ended up turning the oven down to 400 degrees F. after the first five minutes of baking, so I’ve made adjustments for how I would do it next time.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out thin pretty thing.

I left mine about 1/4″ thick.

Note: I only made a half batch of dough on this particular day, so you will have a great deal more if you use the full recipe as listed.

Cut the dough length wise into 10 equal (long and skinny) segments.

I trimmed the edges off for aesthetics annnnd because… I made a half batch of dough and only had 4 hot dogs on hand.

Roll the hot dogs up. One dog per segment of dough. You will want to roll at somewhat of an angle to spiral the dough downward from one end to the other.

Be sure to give enough room at each end of the hot dog to pinch the dough in to cover entirely.

Rinse and repeat for the remaining hot dogs.

Lightly brush each dog with the egg whites and top with an even sprinkling of poppy seeds on all sides.

Place each corn dog onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, flip each corn dog and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the dough is starting to brown and crisp slightly.

Serve warm with your choice of sides and enjoy!