My Spring Adventure/Parts Run

Bill & Tim needed some parts picked up at Heartland Ag in Boone so Bill sent me knowing I wanted to go on a road trip in the new SUV.

I'm wanting a new table with leaves to replace the used round one I bought for $50 when I was 20, and I knew that there was a nice furniture store in Boone called Redecker's (click on the name to go to their web site). I will have to look no further! Wow, they have lots of nice tables made by the Amish. You can choose the wood, stain color, pedestal or legs, shape, size, edge, number of leaves and mix and match the chairs. I'll be going back there later this summer. Hope to have a new table by Thanksgiving.


Next stop was Heartland Ag for the parts - the reason for the trip! Then on to Amana. I got there about lunch time and had planned to eat at one of the restaurants there that I had read about on the Amana Colonies' web site, The Ox Yoke Inn. When I travel, I like to eat in non-chain restaurants, something "local". So I had their bratwurst and knackwurst plate but passed on the things they brought to show me on their dessert tray! (I had seen a fudge shop and Chocolate Haus)

After lunch, it was on to The Kitchen Sink store where I knew from the web site that it was the last day they would be dying their special Easter eggs that I had seen at my P.E.O. meeting a couple of weeks ago. (see the April 13th blog post).

This is Marie, one of the two German ladies that were in the back room dyeing dozens of eggs! She has demonstrated this tradition for 30 years! She said that when she was growing up, there was always a bowl of boiled eggs sitting on the table to eat - colored - all year round! They never refrigerated them like we do today. She says her son always says the colored ones taste better than plain white ones.

They said it's not worth the trouble unless you're doing about 30 dozen eggs!





They use a glue called Leim Eier. I haven't found anything about it on the Internet yet. They had jars of the "crystals" of it for sale in the store. The directions say to add water and cook for 40 min. to an hour. Then they pour it into cups (see pictures) and add paste food coloring. Let sit to jell overnight.









Then they boil the eggs for only 7 min. Then remove them to a pie tin with a paper towel in it to keep the eggs hot but dry. They then take a hot egg and roll it in the dye, then shake it in their hand. They are put on a foil lined jelly roll pan to dry. The foil is sprayed with Pam. They dry pretty quick.










I ended up sitting there for a few hours watching and helping them! It was so fun to see how each color would turn out. I especially loved watching Marie do the multi colored ones. This is the neatest thing I've seen in years! Be sure to watch the video at the bottom.


After watching this for so long, I didn't have much time to look in all the Amana shops. There are about 5 different Amana Colonies, or towns, in a 17 mile loop. And I still had to stop in Walmart and Hy-Vee in nearby Iowa City. I decided to ask in one of the shops about the local Bed & Breakfasts thinking maybe staying overnight would be a good idea and fun since I'd never stayed in a B & B before. They recommended Rose's Place in Middle Amana so I went and looked at a room. It was beautiful with a tall queen size bed and everything was so tidy and clean. After heading to Walmart at about 6:00, with a 4 hour drive home after that, I decided to call Betty back and ask if she still had her last, beautiful room available - and she did. Now I could get up in the morning, hit the rest of the shops and head home in the daylight.

I'll post pictures of Rose's Place and my peaceful night(s) there tomorrow!