I began the 7th day of the state fair in the typical way, walking through the buildings looking for free stuff to add to my collection. Most years, the really good stuff is gone by now, so they must have brought extra. Some vendors even gave me a bit extra, because they didn't want to have to cart it all home on Sunday when the fair is (gasp!) over. After I grew my collection, I decided to visit the Domestic Arts building to see my cookies again. To my surprise, my chocolate chip display cookie was gone. The cookies from the other chefs were there, but mine wasn't. I asked one of the domestic arts building lady what had happened, and she didn't know. Maybe the cookie was starting to get moldy, or somebody dropped it and broke it. I wasn't angry, but I was a bit bummed that people coming by to see my cookie will only see an empty plate. For a moment, I thought that maybe my cookie won the best of show, and was on display somewhere with a purple ribbon! Actually, I knew that wasn't true, but wouldn't that have been a hoot! The lady told me that when they give me my critique sheets on Sunday, there will be an explanation.
About that time, I started to get a bit hungry. When I am hungry at the fair, I take several things into consideration: What am I in the mood for? How much does it cost? Does it sound appealing? Is it something I can/can't make at home? I decided to try the Jaffle (pronounced "Jaw-full")sandwich. They are just a stone's throw west of the big fountain by the Channel 12 building. I'd had a Jaffle years before, and I thought I'd give them another try. I hadn't been impressed, but I thought I owed it to myself to give it one more chance. I can't make one of these at home, and at $4.50, it seemed pretty reasonable. They have several different typed, so I chose one with BBQ pulled pork. As I paid for it, the lady took one out of the warmer. It looked kind of like a baked uncrustable. At the first bite, I knew right away that it had been in the warmer for way too long. The edges were crusty, and not in a good way. I also thought that the BBQ pulled pork filling lacked sufficient BBQ sauce. I was not impressed, and this Jaffle gets a C+ from me. I had been hoping for better, but know I know better, and won't be back for another Jaffle. Maybe your experience with a Jaffle was better than mine, but this was my experience. I posted a pic of the Jaffle on my Facebook page.
While I was down by the barns, I noticed that the Texas longhorns were here. I just had to check them out. They don't call them Longhorns for nothing! I imagined what it would be like if I got trapped in a field with a herd of those guys coming toward me. We had to make a wide berth around them, because if they turned their heads, their long horns poked through the bars of their pens. I also wanted to walk down and look at the llamas. I really like llamas. I'm not sure why, but there's something about them that I like. There are pictures of the Longhorns and llamas on my Facebook page.
I got the chance to see and visit with some of the kids I work with. I also saw quite a few friends. My friend Larry asked what was good to eat tonight, and I had to tell him that I wasn't impressed with the Jaffle. One of my school kiddos had a new big red rubber ball, and he just had to play a game of catch with me. A little guy had a chocolate-covered cheesecake, but he would have rather had chocolate-dipped ice cream. If you ask me, I think he had the better of the two.
I've already decided what I'm going to select next for my food. You'll have to wait and see what it is.... Here's a helpful hint you might like to know, and you may know it already, but here it is: If you're getting something fried, see if you can catch a glimpse of the grease vat. If the oil is dark, it hasn't been changed in a while, and it will affect the taste of your food. You are going to want to see light-brown/tan oil. I have changed my mind about certain food booths after seeing their vats of grease. If you are still looking for something good to eat, here are some items that have garnered an "A" from me: The giant bierock, BBQ parfait, Pronto Pup, mini donuts, Westmoreland Funnel cakes....now I'm hungry! It will be hard to get to sleep tonight. Speaking of sleep, that is something I need to get right now. I have to work in the morning. If you see any typos, just chalk that up to my tiredness. Thanks for reading, and God bless. I'll see you tomorrow night!
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