We enjoyed a day at the State Fair this past week. It was a long overdue adventure which we enjoyed with some good friends. I was ten years old when I attended with a friend and her family. Dan was about seventeen and on a cattle judging team from the Brewster High School when he experienced it. This was the second time for both of us, and we enjoyed seeing the sights and sounds from all directions. Especially fun was seeing all the people and tasting “fair food”….lots of it!!
Both Wednesday and Thursday records were broken for the numbers attending. Although there were many people there, we didn’t feel hemmed in. The weather was a sunny, beautiful day, with 77 degree temps. There was a cool breeze, and plenty of places to sit and enjoy “people watching” too. We chose to park the car and take one of the shuttle buses to the fairground. Good choice, with being deposited right at the entrance gate of the fair, and for only five dollars, round trip!
Fried pickles were our first taste almost immediately inside the entrance gate! Delicious, with ranch dressing. I had heard about fried snickers bars, and wanted to try those. When I found them, I had just tasted the delicious chocolate chip cookies famous at the fair. You could actually choose from several kinds of candy bars or even an Oreo cookie. Even though the melted candy inside the fried dough was warm and tasty, I will stick with the cookies. Hard to beat a warm, soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie!
Throughout the day we also enjoyed caramel apples in a dish with peanuts, grilled sweet corn with the husks on, and great cold milk and root beer. It is definitely a day for tasting and savoring many different concoctions. I checked out the “hot dish on a stick”, but didn’t go for it. Actually, you can get almost anything on a stick! I suppose so you can grab it, keep munching and moving.
When we returned home, ripe peaches were waiting for me. I enjoyed trying a recipe given to me by Kathy Miller from Slayton, who originally got it from Ruth Carlson in Fulda. Any kind of fresh fruit would be good on this luscious dessert. It pretty much melts in your mouth, especially in this season when delicious fruit is available in abundance. I don’t know the actual name for this, so I made one up! Kathy gave me a sweet taste at her house when she was mixing it up! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Thanks, Ruth and Kathy!.
Cool and Creamy Strawberry Dessert
1 package of Golden Oreos (use 2 “rows”)
6 Tlbs. butter, melted
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
24 oz. of Cool Whip
2 pkg. instant cheesecake pudding mix
3 cups milk
3 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
Crush or food process the cookies. Add butter and press into a 9 by 13 pan. Refrigerate.
Beat together : cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1 cup of the Cool Whip. Put on top of the crust.
Mix pudding mix, milk, and another 1 cup of the Cool Whip. Add to the other layers.
Top with sliced strawberries and the rest of the Cool Whip. Refrigerate and enjoy!
(Any kind of fresh fruit could be substituted for the berries, if you wish.)
lbeerman68@gmail.com
