fair-ly delicious

As I mentioned yesterday, this weekend was my first trip - ever - to the Kentucky State Fair. And it had been a while since I'd been to even a county fair of any kind.  So I wasn't quite sure what the fair would be like...and yet there were still some surprises.

For example, I didn't realize that one whole exhibit hall would be booths and vendors and such - almost like a cross between a craft fair, a food bazaar and a flea market. Which made wandering through the aisles interesting.

 (Thankfully, the guy at this booth was only kidding when he said I had to buy whatever I was taking pictures of...although my colleagues would have probably loved it if I brought this cake to the office this morning.)

 (Ooo, I know this vendor!  I always look forward to buying their fudge at Kentucky Crafted, so it was a nice treat - literally! - to buy some fudge from them yesterday.  I chose the Pumpkin Pie, Wildcat Guy chose the Creamsicle and we collectively chose the plain Chocolate to round out our box of three...because when it's "buy two slices, get one free," you don't pass that up.)

In the next exhibit hall were the displays that felt...a little more fair-like - the exhibits of competition entries.  There were quilts, crafts, photographs - and mmmm...baked goods.

(Look at all of those cases!  Wildcat Guy was getting a little bit hungry, so we almost didn't walk through the culinary area.)
 

(Ultimately, though, our curiosity got the better of us and we couldn't pass up walking through a few rows.)

(Mmmmm...look at all those fudges and cookies!  Both of us wondered how it is that you become a judge for these culinary competitions...because I would very much like to volunteer!)

 

(We thought it was funny that they had locks on the pie cases...I mean, really?  Who would reach in and take out a pie?  Then the woman standing next to us told the story of how her daughters once pulled a tray of cookies out of a case when they were young.  Oh.)

Once we were done drooling over the baked goods in the competition hall, it was time to go get food of our own.  Even though both of us have been trying to eat more healthily, I don't think either one of us was too worried about that there.  For me, at least, the food is part of the fun of going to a fair.

(I'd heard about these so many times...but this was the first time I'd seen the Krispy Kreme burgers in person.  Or perhaps you'd like a buffalo-style chicken sandwich on a raspberry-filled doughnut instead?  Yuck.)

 

(Okay, I know I said I wasn't worried about eating healthily, but that was just obscene-looking.)

 

(Wildcat Guy passed, too, option instead for a loaded hot dog.)

 

(It had tomatoes, onions, relish and small but spicy peppers.  He asked if I wanted a bite, and I said, "noooo, thank you.")

 

(Mainly because I was too busy snacking on my cup of sweet potato fries.  Which were absolutely delicious!)

 

(Later that afternoon, after touring through the cattle barn and some of the agricultural exhibits, it was time for dessert.  Hmmm.  Do we try something new, like deep-fried Girl Scout cookies?)

 

(Or do we find something more traditional like funnel cake? Gosh, these are tough decisions!  Except...wait a second, what's that sign over there?)

 

(Red velvet funnel cake?  Oh yes - I'll take that, please.)

 

(I really couldn't see how that could go wrong...)

 

(...especially when the lady at the counter of the food truck asked if I wanted both powdered sugar and cream cheese icing on top of it.  Drool, indeed. It doesn't look like there's much icing here, but it had melted through to sit under the funnel cake.  Oh, I think I'm going to like this.)

 

(Wildcat Guy's dessert pick?  Deep-fried Derby pie.)

 

(The unfried version is one that he really likes, but because it has so many nuts in it, it's not something I'll probably be making any time soon. So I was glad that he liked this so much...and I have to admit, the bite I tried was pretty good.)

 

(The perfect drink to go with all that fair food?  Fresh-squeezed lemonade, of course.  This was delightfully tart and sweet - I had to keep a close eye on my love to make sure he didn't chug it all for himself.)

 

(My belly was very happy in this photo!  I wouldn't say that red velvet funnel cake is better than regular funnel cake...but as good.  The difference in the batter's taste was subtle, but the cream cheese icing definitely added something extra.  And by that, I mean extra sweetness and extra fun courtesy of the added messiness.)

It was fun to treat ourselves to so many fair foods...and yet there were so many that went untasted.  Perhaps in the future, we could go with a group of people and turn the fair food into family-style feasting.  What better way to taste even more things?!?  Who wants to join us??

Where I am: home

What I'm reading: Living Yoga by Christy Turlington, and the newest issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine