Wednesday Review: Pick a Peck of Pretzels

Blogging is such a perilous endeavor sometimes, especially if you are blogging for income (which I am not). If you are attentive to how it is perceived (which I am), you find yourself scooting along the fine line between pigeon-holing your blog (even if it is temporary and the result of current events) and risking the abandonment of important topics at hand. Make no mistake, I am still engulfed by the flame of anger after yet another school shooting and feel myself burning even hotter after reading pieces by students like Emma Gonzalez. I have joined local chapters of Moms Demand Action and I'm sharing insightful articles from Parkland students, as well as teachers nationwide. But using my blog to voice the opinions I have formed regarding gun legislation would not only echo more well-written pieces already published, but is a little dangerous as I don't yet feel like I have all the information. And the last thing I want to be is a box fan, blowing misinformation around the room. I take pride in the fact that my blog is seen as an authentic, genuine and informed voice. I may have been quick to pass my assumptions along as fact in my younger days, but I hope that as I round the corner to 40, I'm outgrowing such carelessness. So, until I have something educated to say about gun regulation, military life, Supreme Court decisions, a woman's right to choose, sexual harassment or any other topic that floats to the top of a news cycle, I am reserving this space for discussing more mundane matters: book and travel reviews, going chemical-free and, of course, living more with less. I'm always happy to discuss the other with you on Facebook or email, but I will not use my platform for that until I feel like a fresh voice and not just another echo chamber.

The first time we drove through Lititz (pronounced LIT-its, not Le-TITS...the city is named after a castle in Bohemia after all, not a sticky, French night club with dancers named Dees Leeps), we were on our way to Target. We meant to go to the store in Harrisburg but Waze took me to the closest Target. Thirty minutes later we were barreling down Broad St., marveling at a town that must have been the basis for Mayberry. Six months later we joined a church in Lititz, stumbled upon the best consignment store and toured Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery. 

Julius Sturgis prides itself on being "America's first commercial pretzel bakery", founded in 1861.

And, as luck would have it, you can tour the original pretzel factory (although I need to manage your expectations here a bit - it's essentially one room and the pretzels are now made off-site). I've toured the factory three times (it's a popular place to bring our out-of-town guests) and I've had three different tour guides give three very different tours. They were all interesting and informative, although one was given by a college-aged gentleman whose delivery was a little rougher than the rest. It begins with some history about the family and how they shifted from making bread to making pretzels. It's followed by a hands-on demonstration using something resembling play-doh to roll out and shape a pretzel. (Someone once told me that when the ovens were still in use, visitors used actual dough and staff would bake the pretzels as the tour finished. Then guests could eat their creations. I'm not sure how true that is as I can't find anything online that corroborates that comment.)

The first time Blue rolled a pretzel, the dough clung to his sweaty little palms so badly that I ended up having to duck out of the tour so we could scrub his hands in the bathroom. I paid very little attention to the proper pretzel-making technique and thus ended up with a twisted wad, which in no way resembled children in prayer. Fortunately, I was able to redeem myself a couple of days later at the children's museum.

After everyone learns the trick behind twisting pretzels and what each twist signifies, guests are awarded an Official Pretzel Twister Certificate.

I made that pretzel. I am the World's Okayest Mom but I'm a pretty great pretzel twister. 

After the awards are handed out, the tour moves on to the heart of the bakery. The ovens are cold but visitors can get an idea of what it sounded like when the guide turns on the pretzel twisting machine that was in use for many years.

Suddenly Hansel and Gretel doesn't seem like such a leap of the imagination. 

The tour concludes with any questions visitors may have and a chance to purchase a fresh-out-of-the-oven soft pretzel in the gift shop. You can also pick up bags of Julius Sturgis or Tom Sturgis pretzels (they sell horse-and-buggy shaped pretzels...I'm not even kidding), t-shirts, magnets and books. Before leaving, make sure you stop to snap a selfie in front of the life-sized pretzel. Don't lean on it, though. It wobbles and I thought for a hot second that I was going down.

Those two in the middle are my nieces and as spunky as they were as kids, they are flat out hysterical as teens. Dry witted and sarcastic...I'm proud to call them family. 

Up until about a month ago, I assumed that touring the pretzel factory was simply a bucket list item to be checked off since we were attending church right across the street. But then I was dipping Julius Sturgis pretzels in Wilbur chocolate (more on that nectar of the gods later) for a church fundraiser when our group started talking about the pretzel factory. Come to find out, Mr. Rogers toured the factory during an episode (in which he later talks about how Prince Tuesday thinks his parents might get a divorce because they are fighting - admittedly an awkward finish to the pretzel factory show). Besides gaining a little history about the pretzel baking process, perhaps the best reason for watching this clip is to see the baker (who may or may not be a Sturgis...they never say) casually mention how much weight Fred has gained while sliding in a comment about how pretzels are fat-free. Mr. Rogers was obviously Teflon because had it been anyone else, Mr. Baker would have found himself shoved full of dough where the sun don't shine. 

If you are going to find yourself in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country soon or simply want to know more about the Julius Sturgis family history, check out their website for tour times and prices. Their online store also has a wider variety of pretzels and paraphernalia than the on-site gift shop, including these by the case:

Perfect for your next baby shower or Easter brunch!

Pennsylvania has truly cornered the market in snack foods. Hershey kisses, Wilbur buds, sweet bologna, shoefly pie, Utz/Herr's/Dieffenbach's/Martin's potato chips and pretzels by the Philly Pretzel Factory. But Julius Sturgis is my favorite. And Mr. Rogers agrees!