Deep Fried Foods at the Oklahoma State Fair

The Oklahoma State Fair is over the 100 year mark by 7 years.  Wow to be over 100 years in existence and still an Oklahoma annual favorite. With everything you love about the fair from crazy fried food and rides to events and entertainment, the 2013 Oklahoma State Fair runs from September 12th through the 22nd.  

My family has been coming to the OK State Fair for 9 years now and If you're not on a ride at the fair there's a good chance you're eating some good old fried fair food or in the exhibit halls.

From corn dogs to turkey legs to chocolate coved bacon to cotton candy and funnel cakes...the food is what lures us and many others to the fairgrounds. And many fairgoers say a day with the family at the fair isn't cheap.  A cashier at our local grocery store said he spent $150.00 between admission, food and rides for him and two sons.  It costs $5.00 for Parking and Admission is $9.00

I clearly remember when we moved here in 2004 admission prices were $6.00 and food prices were affordable.  You could get like a meal deal for $5.00.  It wasn't a lot of food but you had a plate with a couple of items.   Carnival rides had a promotion.  Bring a Dr Pepper can and save $8 off the price of a carnival ride wristband. ($20 without a can $12 with a can).  Now rides are $35.00 for wristbands.

The cost of most fair food in 2013 ranges anywhere from three to ten dollars. And at some places re-fills on drinks will cost two to three dollars. Now, depending on which vendor you go to... fair favorites like cotton candy could cost you five dollars and larger bags could cost eight dollars.  Vendors set the costs. 

Prices really have made a difference, with less options bought and tried in our family.  It seems like when folks come to the fair they already expect to pay the higher prices for food, but these are getting ridiculous was the general opinion we heard.  And some folks say the fair is just a once a year thing, so they say they might as well just accept the higher prices and enjoy the good and crazy food but in moderation by sharing.  Some goers eat a meal before and just come for desserts like fried oreos, fried twinkles, fried beer, fried PB&J, fried butter, fried coke, fried and batter dipped bacon, fried chicken with cornflakes, fried Pop-Tarts, fried jelly Beans, fried... whatever you want.  

It's high, but we just bite the bullet and keep going because i love the Auto show, Home show type vendors (tornado shelters is what we looked at) the 4-H displays, Fine Arts, Food competitions, Largest Pumpkin, best bread, cake, cookies, pie, canned vegetables, canned pickles, canned peaches, jams, jellies, Decorative Painting, Hand Painted Furniture, Collections, Crafts, Miniatures like Doll houses, Trash 2 Treasure: Recycled Crafts, Egg Art , Woodcarving, Woodworking and Woodburning, Let’s Celebrate , Stamping and Scrapbooking , Leathercrafting, Wood Turning, Beadwork, Polymer Clay Creations , Basketweaving, Dev. Disabled Crafts, Sticky Fingers: Duct Tape Creations, Fancy Feet, Best Dressed Pumpkin Contest, Breast Cancer Awareness: Beautiful Bras, Scrapbook pages, Greeting Cards and other exhibitions for livestock, horses, goats challenges for ribbons and my favorite People watching.

Hubby, Doug and I ended up spending $58.00.  Despite the higher costs, we plan to keep coming to the fair so we can have a good time and enjoy what we can afford of the fair food.  Hopefully they'll have some coupons next year.

Top 10 Unusual St. Patrick’s Day Facts

Top 10 Unusual St. Patrick’s Day Facts (t)

An Irish blessing: “May you always have...
Walls for the winds, A roof for the rain 
Tea beside the fire, Laughter to cheer you
, Those you love near you, 
And all your heart might desire.”

An Irish toast : “May your blessings outnumber, the shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you wherever you go.”

       1. According to his writing, a voice - which he believed to be God's - spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland. After travelling for more than 200 miles by foot, he was eventually given passage on a boat travelling across the Irish Sea. His first destination was Britain. Patrick also reported that he experienced a second revelation - an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary.

       2. Patrick and his 24 followers were invited to Tara by the King of Laoghaire. While he was there he plucked a shamrock from the ground and tried to explain the to the druids and the King that the shamrock had three leaves just like God had three personas - The Father, The Son and the Holy Ghost. This was called the Trinity. Before the Christian era it was a sacred plant of the Druids of Ireland because its leaves formed a triad.

      3.  While not the first to bring Christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the "Holy Wells" that still bear this name.

      4.  The St. Patrick's Day custom came to America in 1737.  What's good luck on Saint Patrick's Day?: Finding a four-leaf clover (that's double the good luck it usually is). Wearing green. (School children started this tradition of their own -- they used to pinch classmates who don't wear green on this holiday). Kissing the blarney stone.

      5.  Turning the Chicago river green has been a unique to Chicago for the past 50+ years. A modern day miracle occurs each year as part of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebration when the Chicago River turns an incredible shade of Irish green. This spectacular transformation is a sight to see. 

    6.   People dress in green clothing and eat food, which is either naturally or dyed green, on St Patrick’s Day. Some people go as far as holding green dinner parties where the guests are expected to wear green and eat exclusively green food.

      7.  36 Million number of U.S. residents who claim Irish ancestry. This number is almost nine times the population of Ireland itself (slightly more than 4 million). Irish is the nation's second most frequently reported ancestry, trailing only German.

      8.   Seattle and other cities paint the traffic stripe of their parade routes green. Chicago dyes its river green and has done so since 1962 when sewer workers used green dye to check for sewer discharges and had the idea to turn the river green for Saint Patrick's Day. Originally 100 pounds of vegetable dye was used to turn the river green for a whole week but now only forty pounds of dye is used and the colour only lasts for several hours. The dye starts out looking orange.  It hits the water looking yellow.  And then the magic begins.{See Picture} [24] Indianapolis also dyes its main canal green.

      9.  The number three in Ireland is consider lucky, hence; the shamrock and its three leaves. The Shamrock was also known as the Seamrog, which means; summer plant which comes from the Irish word trefoil, meaning three-leafed. It symbolizes the Trinity of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit; faith, hope and charity; or past, present and future. The number three was utilized in many ways in the Irish culture and ancient Celtic Druid cultures believed that the plant had magical powers such as, the leaves stood straight up to predict approaching storms. Even Irish storytelling is done in the rhythm of triple repetitions.

       10.  In the United States and Canada, consumption of corned beef is often associated with Saint Patrick's Day.[10] Corned beef is not considered an Irish national dish, and the connection with Saint Patrick's Day specifically originates as part of Irish-American culture, and is often part of their celebrations in North America.[11]Corned beef and cabbage became popular in the United States after Irish immigrants in the northeast used corned beef instead of pork in the dish. This substitution was likely due to the low cost of corned beef in the U.S.  More traditional in Ireland is Irish Stew and Soda Bread.

Top 10 + 2 Subjects for my "HOW TO" Assignment

Top 10 + 2 Subjects for my "HOW TO" Assignment 

Recently a friend of mine had to write a "HOW TO" for her college class.  If I had to do that now, I would pick subjects that I have a mastery in, witnessed, a practical understanding in , or have been called upon for my expertise. These are in no particular order of Skillfulness or lack there of.

1. How to Replace a Toilet Paper Roll 
2. How to Remove Chewing Gum from Hair
3. How to Entertain on a Teensy-Weensey Budget
4. How to Stay Motivated When Slenderizing
5. How to Survive Scary Movies
6. How to Get Ready For A Half Marathon
7. How to Arrive Places On Time
8. How to Cheat at Clue or Monopoly
9. How to Have a Conversations with Animals
10. How to Clean Out the Fridge & Freezer
11. How to Cook for a Picky Eater
12. How to Paint a Fence/Plant a Garden in 100*F

Valentin'e Grocery List.

Going to the Grocery Store to get some things and food for my Valentine's Dinner with my hubby at home.  All to often I end up going to the grocery store without my list and coupons.  That's right coupons.  I can't help myself.  A friend of my Husband's Jennifer got us into couponing.  I really didn't think you could save that much money doing it.  We do not have any stores that triple our coupons like in the Extreme Couponing Show.  However we do have one that doubles.  This is sometimes a good buy but other times they are high in price even after doubling the coupon.  Plus they have rule after rule after rule about what you can't do.  How d

Any Whoo...  Here's my wonderful list for today.   How do most people arrange their grocery List?  I try to do it by aisle.  Lots on it because my daughter moved back in and she's encouraging more veggies. I just have to remember to take it with.  In my purse it goes.

Happy Valentin'es Day.  My fiend of this blog gave me yummy treats and a card.  She's so sweet.