December 2021 - Dutch Country General Store

Reflecting on 2021 at Dutch Country General Store

While reflecting on 2021 at Dutch Country General Store, we realize that it's been a great year. Join us as we look back at some of our favorite memories and events!

Thank You

We've had our challenges, as most small businesses had in this economy. We want to thank you for supporting our small business. We take pride in employing a host of people who live and work in Iowa and Missouri.

Thank you for being understanding when we come up short on a product you are looking for. Our team is truly amazing and they have worked really hard all year long and we will continue to do so!

We look forward to what 2022 will bring and we can't wait to share the fun with all of our customers.

Making Memories

The kids, and my lovely wife Erica, had so much fun participating in Hannibal's Living Windows this Christmas season! There were even some serious Chess games going on as the girls decorated the tree with popcorn and read stories. Straight from the Victorian era was our theme, and it was lovely to spend time with the family in beautiful historic downtown Hannibal!

Oh the Fun We've Had

To kick off Spring, we thought we'd bring you Levi's Crazy Days. This was the first year for Hannibal and the 9th anniversary for our Bloomfield location.

With the many fun activities, it was nothing short of a fun-filled weekend that we thoroughly enjoyed. It was a perfect way to ring in the beautiful weather, and celebrate the old-fashioned, family-friendly atmosphere we here at Dutch Country General Store strive for.

Both locations enjoyed caricature artists and as well as live music! Our Bloomfield store also opened its gates to Miller's Petting Zoo. There were ducklings, rabbits, goats, and many more! We are ready to do it all over again in 2022!

Giving Back to our Communities

At Dutch Country General Store, we are privileged to be able to give back to our communities in both the Hannibal and Bloomfield areas. It would not be possible without our wonderful customers who continue to stop by our stores each year.

We love to see some of the same faces and new ones too! Whether you're traveling through the rolling hills of Iowa to somewhere new or coming to the historic downtown Hannibal, we believe we all thrive when we work together. Here are some of the great organizations we were able to partner with in 2021.

Thanks for reflecting on 2021 at Dutch Country General Store with us! We hope to see ya real soon in 2022. Happy New Year and God Bless!

December 30, 2021

By Levi GoodBlogA Year in Review, A Year of Memories, Dutch Country General Store, End of the Year, Thank you

Holiday Gingerbread House Fun

At Dutch Country General Store, we love the holiday season and all the fun activities that come with it. One of our favorites is making holiday gingerbread houses. It's a fun activity that's perfect for all ages! Whether your gingerbread house is simple or complex, we encourage you to try making one with your family this holiday season!

Join us as we hear from one of our lovely customers, Abbie, as she builds a beautiful gingerbread house from scratch with her grandma. She shares her grandma's recipe and process with us and tells us which Dutch Country General Store candies she chooses to decorate her masterpiece. Follow along with us for some holiday gingerbread house fun!

Shopping at Dutch Country General Store

My family has a lot of fun holiday traditions! One of my favorites is making a gingerbread house with my grandma. We build one together every year along with numerous other family members.

This year I wanted to get a lot of my decorating candy at Dutch Country General Store. They always have a lot of fun, unique candy, especially for Christmas! Some of the things I chose were:

Reindeer Food (peanuts and Christmas-colored candy corns) - I was able to use the peanuts for my walkway and the candy corns for the roof of my shed.
Frosty’s Favorite Mix (kind of like Puppy Chow) - I used this for the roof of the gingerbread house and as an ornate window on the front. I love how it looks like snow!
Christmas Fruit Snacks - I used the little white snowmen and red and green trees by the front door to make it look welcoming.
Mini M&Ms - These were perfect for creating a wreath for the front door.
Gum Drops - I knew I had to use this traditional decorating candy! I chose to only use the Christmas-colored ones all around the gingerbread house and roof.
Cinnamon Hard Candy - I used these to create a fence and wrapped it around my whole gingerbread yard.
Old-fashioned Hershey Bar - I used this for the shutters on my windows.
Shredded Coconut - I used it to add a soft snowy texture all over my little gingerbread scene.

Family Traditions with Grandma

My grandma bakes the gingerbread from scratch and uses patterns to create the correct shapes - we love to eat the scrap pieces! Then together, we frost the edges of each piece and place them together. To support each side of our house while the frosting dries, we use soup cans. Once our gingerbread house is built, the fun part begins!

Decorating my house is my favorite part because I get to be creative. Mixing and matching all the candies I chose is fun! As I decorate, my family helps me think of ways I can use the various candies. I love how my house looked when it was finished!

Decorative Candy and Sweet Treats

Products found at Dutch Country General Store used in Gingerbread House

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Candy & Sweet Treats, Classic and Novelty Candy, Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter Monkey Munch

0 out of 5

$8.99 – $43.99

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Candy & Sweet Treats, Chewy Candy, Classic and Novelty Candy, Gummi and Licorice
Australian Licorice, Black

0 out of 5

$8.99 – $43.99

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Out of stock

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All Chewy Candy, Candy & Sweet Treats, Chewy Candy, Classic and Novelty Candy, Fruit, Gummi and Licorice
Assorted Giant Gum Drops

0 out of 5

$5.99 – $28.99

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Out of stock

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Candy & Sweet Treats, Classic and Novelty Candy, Hard Candy, Sugar-Free / No Sugar Added
Sugar Free Starlight Mint Hard Candies

0 out of 5

$12.99 – $41.99

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Candy & Sweet Treats, Classic and Novelty Candy, Hard Candy
Sanded Cinnamon Drops

0 out of 5

$5.99 – $28.99

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Out of stock

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Candy & Sweet Treats, Chocolate, Peanut Butter
Mini Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes

0 out of 5

$7.99 – $38.99

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Out of stock

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All Chewy Candy, Candy & Sweet Treats, Chewy Candy, Gummi and Licorice
JuJu Cinnamon Bears

0 out of 5

$5.99 – $28.99

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Out of stock

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Candy & Sweet Treats, Chocolate, Nuts, Sugar-Free / No Sugar Added
Milk Chocolate Peanuts, No Sugar Added

0 out of 5

$9.99 – $48.99

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As Seen on Dutch Country Kitchen, Baking Needs, Bulk Candy, Classic and Novelty Candy, Classic and Novelty Candy, Food
Cinnamon Imperials

0 out of 5

$4.99 – $23.99

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Food, Old Fashioned Candy
Hersheys Nostalgia Bar Milk Chocolate

0 out of 5

$4.99

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Food, Nuts, Snacks & Popcorn
Cinnamon Pecans

0 out of 5

$16.99 – $81.99

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Out of stock

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Food, Snacks & Popcorn
Sweet Temptation Snack Mix

0 out of 5

$11.99 – $52.99

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Gingerbread & Icing Supplies

Products found at Dutch Country General Store used in Gingerbread House

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As Seen on Dutch Country Kitchen, Baking, Baking Needs, Food, Sauces & Spices
Ground Cinnamon

0 out of 5

$11.99 – $57.99

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As Seen on Dutch Country Kitchen, Baking Needs, Food, Sauces & Spices
Danncy Pure Vanilla Dark 12oz

0 out of 5

$9.99

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Out of stock

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As Seen on Dutch Country Kitchen, Baking Needs, Food
Domino 10X Powdered Sugar

0 out of 5

$6.99 – $32.99

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As Seen on Dutch Country Kitchen, Baking Needs, Food, Sauces & Spices
Crisco Shortening 6lb

0 out of 5

$20.99

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Out of stock

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As Seen on Dutch Country Kitchen, Baking Needs, Food, Sauces & Spices
Morton Table Salt

0 out of 5

$2.99 – $13.99

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Out of stock

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As Seen on Dutch Country Kitchen, Baking Needs, Crackers & Cookies, Food
Baking Soda

0 out of 5

$6.99 – $32.99

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Out of stock

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As Seen on Dutch Country Kitchen, Baking Needs, Food, Sauces & Spices
Raw Sugar

0 out of 5

$4.99 – $18.99

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Out of stock

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As Seen on Dutch Country Kitchen, Baking Needs, Food
Baking Flour All Purpose

0 out of 5

$5.99

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Start Your Own Holiday Fun Today!

From all of us here at Dutch Country General Store, we hope you have a fantastic holiday season. We encourage you to participate in your own holiday gingerbread house fun this Christmas and create new memories with your family.

Stop by and see us and pick up your gingerbread house supplies today or order from our website!

December 16, 2021

By Dutch Country General StoreBlogChristmas Traditions, Dutch Country General Store, Dutch Country General Store Blog, Family Fun, Gingerbread House Making

Christmas Memories with the Goods

Christmas in Iowa. Christmas in the United States of America. Christmas around the world. There are many unique traditions and recipes. But what do we have in common? Memories. Good memories.

Childhood Memories

One of my cherished childhood memories began with disappointment. An anticipated out-of-state visit to my Dad’s family was canceled on Christmas Eve due to a sudden heavy snowstorm. We woke up Christmas morning with no presents (we’d opened them earlier in preparation for the trip), no Christmas dinner, and no plans. So, my Dad took all six of us children traipsing through the snowy countryside. It was a wonderland of glitter, snow, and ice. Back home, we tumbled in the door; cold, laughing, and ravenous. Somehow, in the few hours we were gone, my mom had the dining room table decorated with Christmas cheer and piled with aromatic food. I was speechless. The magic of Christmas.

Now, twenty years later, I am privileged to see the wonder of Christmas in my children’s eyes. This week I asked them for their favorite Christmas events. Here they are: “opening presents”, “going to Grandma’s”, “watching everyone else open presents - especially the ones I gave them”, "reading the Christmas story together in front of the fire", “making Christmas cookies”, “school break”, “decorating for Christmas”.

Here are two activities, leading up to the holidays, that our family loves to do - baking and games.

Baking

I often take a whole day off just to make Christmas cookies and candy with my children. Here’s a favorite recipe: Cut-out Sugar Cookies

Need cookie cutters, baking tools, or baking ingredients? Find them at Dutch Country General Store, in person, or online.

Games

Levi and I love to play games with our 5 children, ages 9,8,6,3, and 7 months. The older ones love chess, Dominoes, Suspend, Monopoly, Boggle, and puzzles. The younger ones love Old Maid, Memory, simple puzzles, Uno, and Buildzi.

Don’t tell the kids, but on Christmas Day I want to introduce them to another classic, marbles.