Why I Love The Iowa State Fair

For a girl who was raised in “the big city”, I love the atmosphere and the uniqueness of the Iowa State Fair.

To remind Iowa State Fair scoffers of the significance of this event, I mentioned in my blog posts, dated August 14 and August 19, 2008, that, “You may know that the Iowa State Fair was listed as one of '1,000 Things To See Before You Die' as chronicled in a book of the same name (Schultz, Patricia. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List. New York: Workman Publishing, 2003. p. 630. http://www.1000beforeyoudie.com/ )." Take that and add it to your list!

With this in mind, I usually try to figure out a way to load up the kiddies and make an annual trek to The Iowa State Fair. In order to fully enjoy a day at the Fair, one must, first, option a second mortgage on the house in order to pay for all the yummy food delicacies that await you while there. With an average cost of $8 per “yummy” multiplied times myself and two bottomless pits for children, let’s just say the trip is really costly (especially if you have to include gas, hotel, souvenirs, etcetera, etcetera) but it is really worth it.

This year’s adventure included all of the traditional stops: the Super Bull (“Big Black,” an Angus bull rockin’ it in at 3,404 pounds), the Big Boar (“Buddy,” weighing in at 1,117 pounds), the butter sculptures (the traditional Jersey cow and an additional sculpture commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Lunar Landing), and a stop at the Lamb Association food stand for a stick of lamb jerky or a lamb burger. You can see all of these truly fascinating features by visiting the Iowa State Fair website at http://www.iowastatefair.org/fair.php

But this year, we also managed to take in the sights of Iowa’s biggest pumpkin….nearly 1,100 pounds! Now that is a pumpkin Charlie Brown would be proud of!

But what do I really love about the Iowa State Fair? It is all about a state coming together. It is all about the wholesomeness of Iowans gathering in Des Moines to show off the biggest, the best, the tastiest, and the kitschy-est attributes of this wonderful mid-western place. It is about families and fun and home-town pride. Folks representing their communities (and the pride of the family name!) enter into competitions for events like flower arranging, quilting, livestock showmanship, talent, and cooking….just to name a few!

Speaking of cooking….this year, I was really fortunate to be asked by Blue Bunny® to judge three cooking contests featuring Blue Bunny ICE CREAM!! Yes, 1SweetMama tasted and evaluated, in all, over 35 dessert entries in two dessert categories: youth and adult. At one point during the judging, I turned to my fellow co-worker and judge, and said, “I think I have died and gone to heaven!” The capper to the day was judging nearly 20 entries in the youth “Ugly Ice Cream Contest”. This is a contest in which kids ages 6-12 must create an ugly ice cream concoction (with a Blue Bunny Vanilla ice cream “base”) in which all inclusions MUST be edible foods….but the food combinations are ghastly! For instance…..one entry featured Blue Bunny Vanilla ice cream, pickled pigs’ feet, anchovies, pickled herring, and some other unidentifiably horrific (and stinky!) ingredients. Another entry featured Blue Bunny Vanilla ice cream, mealworm larvae, and crickets (dead and dried). You get the idea.

Fortunately, judges do NOT have to taste these entries and I wouldn’t exactly have described the experience as “heavenly”…. “otherworldly” is, perhaps, more of an accurate description. However, the Bug Ice Cream Chef’s mother invited us to try a larvae and we all reluctantly complied. Tasted like a musty potato chip.

With livestock pooh on the soles of our shoes, less cash in our pockets, and mealworm larvae in our bellies, the boys and I departed for home in “The Ice Cream Capital of the World(R)” with another fabulous Iowa State Fair experience in the 1SweetMama Family history books.

A great way to round out a summer in Iowa.

Until next time, I remain….1SweetMama

"The Conclusion!" - The Bahamas Experience, Part VII

Saturday morning presented itself as a calmer and sunnier version of Friday. Following breakfast, P.O.D., fully suffering from the effects of his head cold, and I packed our beach gear – sunscreen, books, sunglasses – the usual accoutrement - and headed to breakfast and then to our “secret spot” at the Sheraton pool. It was wonderful. Warm sun and not as much wind. We read and sunned ourselves until lunchtime.

After lunch we had plotted our course to the Queen’s Staircase (we were told a “must see” for anyone staying in Nassau) and Fort Charlotte. Dinner was to be at Café Matisse, a very well-to-do restaurant. P.O.D. has an obsession with gnocchi and we were informed that the best gnocchi this side of Italy could be found here. Tonight was to be our final night and we wanted to share a romantic meal and cap this adventure off on a good note.

However, P.O.D. was miserable. He was wiped out from his virus and really just wanted to nap. I was restless and really just wanted to get out of the hotel. So, a mutual decision was made that he would sleep it off in the hotel room for the afternoon and I would find my own fun.

After tucking him in and heading downstairs. With $40 in my pocket, I headed to the two straw markets across the street and picked up a few locally handcrafted items and took a leisurely stroll through the area just across the road from our hotel. Glancing at my watch, I realized that I still had about 2 hours before I would return to the room. I was cautious about getting too far away from the safety of our hotel’s neighborhood, so I decided to head back to the hotel and try my luck with the “one-arm bandits”. Not one to gamble too much (I figured I had already done enough gambling on this trip, already)…I took and additional $40 out of my checking account via an ATM and determined that when it was gone….it was gone.

Now, you have to understand how I am about selecting a slot machine on which I play. I stalk the casino floor and wait until I feel a vibe coming from one of them that drags me in. This has only proven successful to me once or twice in my life, but I certainly had the time and I really didn’t want to lose $40 of my hard-earned cash. So I stalked. I had decided that a quarter machine was about as “rich” as I would go because I needed to make my 40 bucks last at least an hour or better. I preyed upon what seemed to be the weakest member of the slot machine pack and planted myself in front of my “victim”, a “Lucky 7’s” machine who “felt” like it was ready to hit.

I fed it a $20 bill. 80 credits and I was ready to begin. I learned some time ago that you always select “MAX BET”, which means you bet 3 quarters, or 75 cents. This way, if you hit a “pay line”, you get three times, or maximum, the payout.

I pushed “MAX BET”. I got a two credit pay out. Again. Another two credit pay out. Over and over, I pressed the “MAX BET” button. Sometimes it would pay a few credits, sometimes not. But I had a good feeling about this machine.

When my credit level was at 60, I hit. 1,000 credits - $250! I had only invested $5. I couldn’t believe it! I sat with a “cat who ate the canary” grin on my face while my credits added up, dinging steadily for the next couple of minutes. I looked around thinking to myself that I couldn’t believe I “hit”. I rarely ever win. And now I was watching my credit total adding up before my eyes.

I pressed “MAX BET” again. A few flirts with pay outs. I was not going to let my total get below 1,000. Then, at 1,020….I hit again. Another 1,000 credits! Then another 100 credits.

My total waxed and waned until I decided that at 2,144 credits (or $536), I was going to call it quits. My machine had given it up for me and I was grateful. I printed out my winnings receipt and took it to the pay out machine (like an ATM but the cash is "free" - what a brilliant idea!), a silly grin spread across my face the whole time. I had to count my cash two or three times so that it felt real. Five one-hundred dollar bills, a twenty, a ten, a five, and a one dollar bill. Take the original $20 investment out of the winnings and I had a total booty of $516 of winnings. My biggest “take” ever.

I took a walk, still dazed and confused but smiling like a complete "goob".

One hour and a half left before I wanted to return to the room. I enjoyed some time at the beach, reflecting on the past few days and years of my life, the sun warming my shoulders. Then I gathered myself up and took a slow, yet celebratory walk back to my hotel room, stopping for an ice cream at the hotel cafeteria. Rum Raisin….and it was so good.

Upon my return to the hotel room, P.O.D. and I celebrated my good fortune – a bit of my own legal piracy in the Bahamas. I handed over the winnings and told him to apply it toward our travel expenses – we had accrued a few more expenses than originally anticipated – and we readied ourselves for what would be a wonderful meal and a wonderful end to our “Bahamas Experience”.

Our trips home proved to be relatively uneventful and we were grateful for an experience which would not only test our mettle as a couple but it taught us that even though things did not go as planned, we were able to improvise and enjoy a few small joys along the way.

There is beauty and wonder in everything that happens to us – both the good and bad. Life doesn’t always go as planned but it is how you deal with the curve balls that prove who you are as a person. And it is often the little things like an unexpected dance, a good bottle of wine, a little windfall, gnocchi, or a dish of Rum Raisin ice cream that lets you know that…well….everything is going to be okay after all.

If you are willing to look long enough, a silver lining to each cloud will always present itself. Or maybe…..no matter how bad it gets…..you can always find a little ice cream.

Tuesday Night Lights

Recently, a feature film, followed by an acclaimed TV show, entitled “Friday Night Lights”, has enjoyed a high level of success as it explores the drama and the excitement of a Texas high school and its nationally celebrated football program. In my little family, we celebrate "Tuesday Night Lights"…..not as much drama, not near as much national attention but the all the excitement of 8th grade football.

Bud, my oldest son, plays defensive end on the “B” team. He is not first string but has the heart of the starting quarterback. He loves the game and enjoys the team spirit. He endures practices every night after school and stands patiently on the sidelines as he waits for the coach to give him the nod to go in and play. He is no quitter and for that, I am more proud of him than if he was the starting quarterback on the “A” team.

Last Tuesday night was the final game. Here is a photo to capture the flavor of the game. Note that it was about 45 degrees and drizzling rain. My family and I, bundled up and huddled together, cheered Bud on as his “B” team wrapped up an undefeated season of “Tuesday Night Lights” in The Ice Cream Capital of the World.

Afterwards, I offered up ice cream sundaes for the boys….but they opted for hot chocolate, instead. A sweet end to one sweet season.

Ahhh.....the Sweet Smell of The Sweet Life!

The human species possesses 5 senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Today I would like to talk with you about the latter sense – the one of ‘smell’.

Now, I live with two boys and smell is something I wish I did not have when it comes to the time of day when they take their shoes off, leaving them scattered around the living room floor. This potpourri of sweaty gym socks and decaying sneakers is not something I most enjoy as a part of my home environment. I am a big fan of candles, Febreeze, and open windows….oh, and showers with soap. However, this smell reminds me that I do run a household of healthy, active boys and this, ultimately, makes me very happy.

I also have a dog, Max. If you follow my blog, you have met him already. He is the most loving and loyal dog a family could ask for…..yet there is an aroma about him that reminds me, daily, that my home is that of a pet owner. In addition (and I will not go into graphic detail), there are a myriad of smells that are emitted from our best friend – depending upon what my boys have fed him within the past 24 hours. But, again, this smell reminds me that our ever-vigilant and loving companion loves and protects my little family and helps me to keep my feet warm at night when he sleeps at the foot of my mattress and this, too, makes me very happy.

Having said all of that, I also must comment on the fact that it is Fall and, with it, brings many wonderful smells…..my Grandma Schaefer’s yummy applesauce, soup and muffins on a cool autumn night, the smell of the fallen leaves , pumpkin pie, and wood fires burning off in the distance.

And, yet, another advantage to living in “The Ice Cream Capital of the World” is that there are other smells that waft through the breezes of our little Iowa town. On a good day, you can smell the vanilla being mixed in to the ice cream as it is being produced at the South Ice Cream Plant. On other good days, you can smell the chocolate wafers being baked at BoDean’s Bakery just down the road (they make many of the cones and wafers you buy at the grocery store, eat in dip shops and find in many Blue Bunny novelties). What joy to walk in to work (our office is on top of a hill and just downwind from both of these manufacturing facilities) and breathe deep, smelling all these wonderful smells. It is much like the smell of mom baking cookies greeting you at the door when you come home from school – only outside. Wow.

Life touches us in many different ways…and sometimes in ways in which we may not even notice. How nice to know that life IS sweet…all you have to do is breathe.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes...With Ice Cream!

Last Sunday night, being the uninspired mother that I am, I made my boys chocolate chip pancakes for dinner. It is not completely unexpected for me to throw together pancakes on a Sunday night. It is good comfort food. And, apparently, according to my two boys, I make the best chocolate chip pancakes on the planet.

Peanut, my youngest, kept asking for ice cream while I was making the pancakes and I continued to refuse his 9-year old pleas. “No…dinner will be ready in 10 minutes! You do NOT need ice cream before you eat pancakes!”

A 9 year old brain cannot make the connection that ice cream before pancakes is a bad thing…..but is it?

As Peanut was stomping off, a flash of culinary brilliance hit me……What about ice cream WITH pancakes?

“Hold it, Peanut!” I called after him.

He came back in to the kitchen and watched as I served up a plate of pancakes and in the center of the pancakes: a scoop of Blue Bunny® Vanilla ice cream. It wasn’t all too pretty to look at but the look on Peanut’s face said it all. Astonishment. Joy. Total confusion. Followed by more joy.

My oldest son reacted much the same way but, since he is a teenager, the emotions were accompanied by an eye roll. I will take it!

But the pancakes disappeared in record time. Look out Paula Dean, this Mama’s got Chocolate Chip Pancakes….with a cold and creamy ice cream center!! Mmmm!