Lil bit O' Irish in Pa Dutch Country!

Attractions

AACA Museum - The museum is dedicated to the Celebration, Preservation, Education, and Display of American Motor Vehicle history. They have all kinds of cool cars and exhibits. It is a must see for car buffs and the like. And now in March they are featuring Herbie the Love Bug from the Disney movie. http://www.aacamuseum.org/

American Music Theatre - You name it, from Christmas shows, to comedians like Bill Cosby, to big names in the music industry like Randy Travis and LeAnne Rimes, they have it all! It is great fun and amusement for the whole family! March 23 they will be featuring The Man in Black Show, A Tribute to Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash’s music has spanned five decades and crossed-over many musical genres. The Man in Black Show is an outstanding tribute to this legend of modern American pop culture. If you’re a Johnny Cash fan, you won’t want to miss this heartfelt tribute to an American icon! AMT Theater Johhny Cash Tribute and More

Hershey Museum - A great place to visit anytime. Learn more about Milton Hershey and the Hershey Story. They have various exhibits throughout the year. Such as the one from now until June 19th called Pennsylvania German Time Machines. Elements that exemplify the Pennsylvania German style will be explored. http://www.hersheystory.org/

Events

March 12, 2011 -28th Annual York Saint Patrick's Day Parade, along Market Street in historic downtown York, PA (1pm step-off)

March 12, 2011 - The classic film a tree grows in Brooklyn will be shown at Hershey Theater A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

March 16th - 19th 2011 - Quilt Exhibits never offered in Lancaster before: See Vintage Revisited Quilt Exhibit... Collection of 117 quilts by 19 artists using 6 blocks.Quilters Treasure Challenge: A traveling exhibit of quilts and quilted clothing Gayle Bong's Quilt Collection: Gayle is a nationally known quilt artist from Wisconsin and author of many books.Stay at the Lancaster Host Resort & Conference Center as part of the show and get a free breakfast buffet. Lancaster Host Resort & Conference Center Make your reservations today!

March 17, 2011 - 7:00am - 10:00am Start off your St. Patrick's day at Brendee's Irish Pub. They will be opening for breakfast and staying open till the wee hours. Enjoy a breakfast buffet, made-to-order waffles and a great start to the day. Brendee's Irish Pub

March 19, 2011 - The trip wouldn't be complete without a trip to a mud sale. The sale got its name because in March the ground is all soggy and muddy. So please don't wear your best shoes. The There are two one is in Paradise Paradise Mud Sale details. The other is in Airville that is where I will be at. Here is the link to their facebook page Airvill Fire Company. Make sure you click on Events and that will give you more details.

March 26, 2011 - Locals Share Age-Old Traditions as Lancaster County Tours Explores the Amish Lifestyle.Discover why the land is so important to the Amish and their way of life. Amish tour

Fastnachts were developed as a way of using up the lard, butter, and sugar before lent.

Free fastnachts will be given out Tuesday at the Historical Society Museum, 250 E. Market St., courtesy of the York County Heritage Trust Auxiliary.

If you feel bold, or you just like making things from scratch, you can try your hand at making fastnachts with the recipe below.

Recipes

2 cups milk * 1 cup mashed potatoes (no salt, milk, or butter added) * 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 tsp. sugar * 1 stick margarine, softened * 1 packet rapid rise yeast * 1/4 cup lukewarm water * 6-1/2 cups flour (divided, 2 cups + 4 1/2 cups) * 1 egg, lightly beaten * 1-1/2 tsp. salt * 1 can (3 pounds) Crisco® or similar vegetable shortening for frying

Preparation - Scald the milk. In a large mixing bowl, combine the scalded milk with the mashed potatoes. Add 1/2 cup sugar plus the margarine. Mix with an electric mixer at low speed. If the mixture is still warm, cool to about room temperature before proceeding with next step. - Dissolve the yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in barely warm water. Add to the potato mixture and mix well. Add 2 cups flour and mix again. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 25 minutes.

Add the lightly beaten egg and salt to the mixture. Add 4-1/2 cups flour, stirring it into the mixture with a large spoon. Turn onto a well floured board and knead for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add a small amount of extra flour if necessary so the dough can be handled without sticking to your fingers. Grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the greased bowl. Cover with a thin towel, and let rise in a warm, draft free place for about 2 hours or until it is at least double in size.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough 3/4" thick. You can use a doughnut cutter to cut the dough or cut as typical Fastnachts - Cut the dough into 3" to 4" wide strips, then cut the strips into 3" to 4" pieces. To allow the center of Fastnacht to fry completely, cut a small slit in the center of each piece, using a sharp paring knife. Arrange the pieces of dough, about 1-1/2" to 2" apart, on large wax paper lined trays. Cover each tray with a thin towel. Place the trays in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the dough pieces have raised to about double in size.

Heat the shortening to 365º. Deep fry until both sides are golden brown, turning one time. Drain on white paper towels. Cool completely before serving. Store in a covered, airtight container.

Makes about 20 to 24 Fastnachts, depending on size. This recipe can be doubled with no change in preparation directions.

For powdered doughnuts: Shake slightly warm doughnuts in a bag with confectioners' sugar, or a combination of confectioners' sugar and cinnamon. Click here for more Pa Dutch recipes

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