Road To Wellness: Fluffy Freedom Week 2

This past week was a stressful one. I’ll tell you right now that I ate horribly and barely had any motivation to put on my workout shoes and do some work. I put in approximately sixty hours at work within six days.  We had plenty of banquets to keep us busy, and keep us late too.

So shall we begin the breakdown of how to have a bad week of wellness?

Excerising:

It’s sad to say, but I only put in 3 days of workouts this past week. Being on my feet all day for eight plus hours takes a toll on you not just physically, but mentally as well. My tank was running on empty more times than I can remember. Sweating and burning fat was the last thing on my mind at the end of each day.

Healthy/Hurtful Eating:

On a scale of one to ten, ten being the healthiest this week, and one being shitty, I would probably rate at a negative 5. Although I choose to have fruit as my side of choice at work, I still loaded up on those unnecessary toppings to put my sandwich. Cheese, guacamole, and ranch together on their own is great, but when slapped on a sandwich or burger all at once, your asking for a high-calorie beast.

It also did not help that this week was more stressful than I anticipated it to be. I’d get home late and opt out to make a quick and easy sandwich.  Sarah and I have gone out to eat three times this week. Ugh. The up side of it all was that we got to see some good friends that we haven’t seen in a while.  The calories were worth it all in the end. (Maybe?)

State Of Mind:

Trust me, I had all the right intentions in mind. I wanted to workout. I wanted to eat right. Sometimes, I will admit, I let food be my stress reliever, which isn’t smart. Working out should be my stress-buster and eating right should be too. Even though we have the right mind set and want to progress and get fit, our actions (stress from work or other elements) and emotions do get the best of us.

New Knowledge:

I know understand that it takes a lot of willpower and a lot of mental training to get yourself aware of not only your emotions  but what you are about to put into your body. Will it benefit me in the long run? Am I only eating this because I am stressed out and want something fatty? With all of those things playing against you, it’s pretty damn hard to resist giving in and eat poorly.

Summary/Progress:

So what have I learned this week? Don’t let emotions get in the way of what you want to eat versus what you should be eating.  It probably doesn’t help that I have the appetite of two men and the cravings of a pregnant woman. 

Trust me, I know that I had made pretty bad decisions on what I ate this week. I know that I should have tried to work out too. Overall, it’s hard to put on that workout gear after working a long nine or ten hour day. Hopefully this week, I can get better at not letting my emotions get the best of my eating habits and workout regimen.

Video Games Are Bad, Mmmkay? (Not Really)

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I love playing and talking about video games. It was a passion of mine when I was a kid. I was always trying to figure out ways to convince my parents to get me the latest game system, to let me get that brand new Playstation game that just came out.

Now as an adult, I find it relaxing to be able to play the latest games, on the latest consoles.  Sure, I geek out and put five dollars down for a pre-order of a game I want. Of course, I yearn for a large collection that will surpass my funds in my bank account, and be even greater than my CD collection (I have a lot).

With enjoying virtual reality and all of it’s fun, there is a dark side that comes along with it. Lots of people become addicted to video games and basically shut themselves off from reality and real people. Games like WoW (World of Warcraft) and Second Life (think Sims, but on a larger scale) suck people in so deep that people will fork over real money to buy in-game items (basically fake, intangible).  This article I read opened my eyes and got me thinking about my small stint in gaming addiction.

From the classic South Park episode, “Make Love, Not Warcraft”.

There was a (small) dark path that I followed for about a month with my gaming obsession. While browsing Facebook, I came across a game called Restaurant City, where the player is allowed to run, decorate and cook little dishes to serve up to their imaginary customers for, you guessed it, imaginary money. Now being a chef, I loved this game immediately. I fell in quick and deep as I continued to level up and expand my faux-bistro.  The fake-dishes even required a certain time to complete. Anywhere from five minutes to four hours, I would set it up so multiple dishes would finish at the same time while I was at home, or when I even got off of work. How lame is that?

Then I hit rock bottom.

While playing the game, I set my character up so that some in-game dishes would finish in a few hours. Only problem was that I had to sleep. Bummer right? So what did I do? I set an alarm for three in the morning so that I could get up and “serve” them to my imaginary customers.

I never thought that I would let myself get so deep into a game that has no influence on real life? I then realized that there was no point, whatsoever, to even play a game that is based on waiting. It was a waste of time, and shit, a waste of life. I’m glad it never got too serious that I poured my own hard-earned money into it.

This article is a great way to see what gaming can and will do to your mind. Sure it will cause you to rage, curse, and even possibly break something, but that isn’t even close to the hell you face once you start believing that reality isn’t as great as virtual reality; when playing is better than interacting with real people and living life to the fullest.

With the big gaming season coming up with new releases coming out with less than a few weeks apart (Dead Island and Gears of War 3, September. Battlefield 3, October. Modern Warfare 3, November), I am sure people will pour hours and hours of their time and days away into these games. I for one know that in the end, all of time spent rage-quitting, screaming and throwing things isn’t worth it. Quite frankly, it’s just a game . . . right?

Road To Wellness: Fluffy Freedom Week 1

Last week I unveiled my new weight-loss/fitness journey, “Road To Wellness: Fluffy Freedom”. This is going to help me see record all of the changes not only in my diet, but an overall improvement on my health.

Each Sunday (today), I will break down the prior week’s triumphs and healthy-failures into categories: Exercising, Healthy/Hurtful Eating, State of Mind, New Knowledge, Summary and Progress.

Exercising:

Last week went well as far as keeping up with Supreme 90 Day. I worked out hard four days this week and I couldn’t have had more motivation. I felt great at the end of each workout with more energy and drive which will help me get accustomed to exercising more each week. Although I may be thinking “God, when is this s@#% going to end?!”, but I know that I had to push through each exhausting work-out so I can see the results I want.

Healthy/Hurtful Eating:

If you aren’t Sarah, then you don’t know that I begin each day with eggs. Eggs are a great way to start your day with a good protein. Omelets and poached eggs were my breakfast buddies this week along with a nice strong cup of coffee to get my day started.

On the flip side, being around food all day causes me to sample a little piece of bacon here and try a little bit of creamy soup there. My taste buds and appetite are in a frenzy when I see food all around me. This is the hardest part about my job.  I also indulged on pizza twice this week, which wasn’t the best choice.

(Note: If you didn’t know already, I work as a Banquet Chef. I cook, taste and make great food all day, every day.)

State of Mind:

My mind was clearly set on my goal this past week. It was trying to reform my eating habits at home and at work. Instead of opting out and having a side of delicious hand-cut fries, I chose to have fresh cut fruit every day as my side item to my sandwich that I have. At home, I chose to eat filling and healthier breakfasts so that I don’t gorge around lunch time. I also was super-focused on getting in a workout each day as well, knowing that if I let myself relax for too many days, I find it hard to keep  up with the demanding pace of Supreme 90 Day.

New Knowledge:

I am slowly learning that changing what you love to eat day-in and day-out is probably one of the hardest things to do. When you become stuck on favorite things to eat, or favorite flavors, it’s extremely hard to move away from those taste-bud-pleasers.  It’s also a lot easier to go out and buy food that’s bad for you, too.

Summary/Progress:

I learned a lot this week. I know now that I must keep my head clear and my goal my number one priority when it comes to the things I eat and how/when I exercise. It’s not because I want a good-looking body. It’s not that I want attention if I were to take my shirt off at the beach (which is rare because I live in Minnesota). It’s because I am tired of looking at myself each day in the mirror and saying “you need to lose weight”. Instead of saying I need to do it, I’m GOING to do it.

This morning’s weigh-in: 171.5 pounds. I think this is a great start. Although I may have let myself go on the pizza a little bit I believe that working out hard and that frequent has helped. Hopefully next week I can see improvements in my state of mind and my eating habits too. In the meantime, I need to clean my scale.  I didn’t realize how gnarly it’s getting.

The Road To Wellness: Fluffy Freedom (An Introduction)

In an age that being healthy is “in”, it’s hard to look at yourself in the mirror and see something you like.  Throughout my entire life, I have struggled with weight and bad eating habits. It wasn’t until I started working full time and was actively on my feet every day for eight hours when I noticed a change.

(I apologize for the bad pics now. They are a few years old!)

During high school and all through college I looked like this:

In 2008, I weighed 199 pounds. I was fluffy.

Once I began my internship, I decided to step on the scale, for fun.  With all of the running around a kitchen and being on my feet all day working 8 hours, I had lost fifteen pounds. That was enough motivation for me! With a lot of exercise, eating correctly (for once) and a lot of positive reinforcement, I lost thirty more pounds, and looked like this:

In 2009, I weighed 165.

If I told you that I kept my weight of 165 pounds, then I’d be a damn liar. If I told you that I kept my healthier eating habits too, you’d be fooled twice. With the economy always at a slow decrease and my job at the time cutting hours, I had to pick up one of my old gigs and eat meals on the go. That usually meant anything fast and anything tasty, which usually leads to boat-loads of calories. 

My roommate and I also moved in the same year to a place that did not have it’s own gym, which was a huge factor in my weight loss. With my inconsistent schedules, poor eating and lack of exercise, I had ballooned back up.

Thankfully today, I have a steady job with steady hours. I know when and where I’m gonna eat. I know that I have Sarah to be my conscience when I want to eat something outrageously unhealthy (albeit delicious). I know that she keeps me motivated to keep working out and helps me make better choices about things I put in my body.

Presently, I weigh 172 pounds. I don’t hate myself. I am proud of where I have come from (as you can see) and my self-esteem has gotten a million times better. It goes to show that just because you may not weigh what you want today, you should look back and see what you still could be weighing.

My “Road to Wellness: Fluffy Freedom” begins this week. I will be blogging, every Sunday, about my exercising and eating habits from the prior week. I will be doing a weekly weigh-in to see progress, or shameful let down. By doing so, this will allow me to keep myself in check, document my success and see the results as I go. I couldn’t be more excited or anxious to be doing something like this.

I know I have all the motivation and support I need to be successful. It will not be a “cake walk” (no pun intended, hehe). It will be especially difficult because of what I do for a living and what I crave on a regular basis.

It’s all worth a shot right? What have I got to lose? (Pounds and fat, DUH!)

What’s Up? What’s Happenin’?

Life moves fast. Too much that it’s hard to remember what you even did yesterday. Thankfully with blogging, it allows keep every activity, every random adventure, fresh in my mind.

Sometimes it’s nice to not talk about certain subjects. Sure I could blab and blab on about food and what not, but sometimes a post about nothing other than life itself is just as good and enjoyable to read.

So, what’s up and what’s happenin’ with me?

If you aren’t aware by now, Sarah and I have been married for a month now and we both couldn’t be happier. Sure, we argue from time to time, get on each others nerves and royally piss each other off, but in the end we still love each other deeply. It’s still not too different for Sarah and I at the moment. You’d think that once you tie the knot everything changes. In our case, not much has changed at all. Other than we are a lot happier now and more in love than we were before.

Since Sarah and I are trying to live frugally (as in save up money so we aren’t screwed later), we have to find alternative ways to entertain ourselves.

I recently got Sarah into watching one of my all-time favorite shows, Dexter. I am on the fifth season which is were she decided to jump in too. I had to fill her in on the deep story line which included all of the plot twists, crazy-ass characters, signs etc. She loves the show, minus all of the murdering. If you didn’t know, Dexter is about a serial killer who kills bad people and about the crazy things unfold when he tries to live a “normal life”. We also started watching Mad Men which is another great show with a crazy story line with lots of twists and unknown facts (we still don’t know very much about the main character and we are on season two.) Thanks to Netflix we are able to enjoy tons of movies and new shows like Mad Men without forking over a bunch of moolah for cable each month We both decided to pick up used copy of Lost (which we haven’t started yet) and I picked up a copy of Dead Island (I saved up for it) which is a great zombie game. Read my thoughts about it here.

Financial Peace is a great book that we have been reading to try and help us with learning to save, budget and pay off our debt. Sarah and I read a few chapters here and there a few nights a week. We have picked up some great tips along the way which make sense to us, so that’s a plus. I whole-heartedly recommend this book. It’s so, so worth reading.

Other than that, we have been actively working out, trying, no seriously, trying, to eat well and keeping each other motivated to live a more healthier lifestyle. We both love to eat so it’s a frickin’ constant struggle. Ugh.

My desk. Yes, Facebook is up, hater!

Overall, blogging has allowed me to keep, a personal journal if you will, about the fun days, about the boring days. Most of all, it’s allowed me to share my life with anyone who is willing to read, which is pretty damn awesome. I do believe that this new hobby of mine is great and I’m having a lot of fun doing it.

Use It If You Got It!

Staring into the depths of our fridge, I contemplate our dining future and then I ask myself:

“What’s for dinner?”

Just because we have a stocked fridge with random condiments, sliced meats, cheese, eggs, and all the other items that could go on a sandwich, doesn’t mean that I know what I want to eat, let alone try to put together.

Although it may look like I have a ton of options to make a few things, nothing we have stands out in my mind. To try to make a random dish and hope it turns out is risky, and today ain’t that kinda of day, bub.

Thankfully, my wife remembered that we had some spinach dip left over from Friday night’s get-together and she suggested using it with some pasta. What a genius idea. I then remembered there was some chicken in the freezer too and then it hit me; a creamy chicken and spinach pasta was on the menu for tonight.

With the help of our buddy Spice-Attack (the sexy spice rack above), some penne pasta we had an abundance of, and a little effort, I was able to put together this tasty, creamy and for sure filling meal:

 

Using what you have is a must so you aren’t just throwing away food and therefore buying more of it on top of that. Don’t get lazy and opt to get take out or delivery. Open up that fridge, freezer and pantry, use a little imagination, and you’ll be able to put together meals on a whim, no problem.

Dead Island: First Impressions

What can I say? I love me some zombies. I don’t really remember what turned my interest, into an infatuation, into an obsession. I have comics about zombies. I own a copy of the “Zombie Survival Guide”. I own almost all of the Resident Evil games too. My wife, whom I love dearly, would say, “Do you actually believe in those things? You do know they are fake right?” To which I gladly respond, “Of course pumpkin! But wouldn’t you want to be prepared *just in case* there was a “zombie” outbreak?” Ha Ha.

Moving on!

Dead Island was just released this past Tuesday. With high anticipation and expectations, I gladly preordered it. The morning came and I as on my way to get my copy. I laid down sixty bucks and was on my way. (I’ll explain later if it was worth it or not.)

Upon preordering, I received two codes; one for an in-game weapon and one for a multiplayer map (I believe).  I chose the PS3 version. Why? Cuz quite frankly, the PS3 can handle the amount of detail and the beauty that this game has to show off. Sorry XBOX! (I own a 360 too, so shut it.)

Once the game was put in I knew I was in for one hell of a ride. The game starts off with a  mini-movie. You are put, first person, in the eyes of an unknown, albeit drunk character. He is stumbling around one of the many resort night clubs of Banoi (pronounced Bah-noy-EE).  After downing a few shots, drinks and a few swigs of what appears to be the video games version of Jack Daniels, he is immediately escorted off the property, but not without witnessing another patron jumping on someone and tearing their face off while screaming like an animal.

The game allows you to pick between four different characters, all with a history of their own and background on how they ended up on the island. One each specializes in a certain area for example, one is great with blunt weapons while another is great with firearms. Allowing the choice between the four allows for a lot more play-through’s later on

Upon starting the game, your character is woken up from slumber. Not knowing where you exactly are, you make your way through the hotel and notice there is screaming in the distance, but you don’t pay too much attention to it. Luggage is scattered everywhere. Lights, doors and even the damn elevators are broken. As you make you way through, trying to figure out what the the hell exactly happened, you encounter…the living dead.

Your first instinct is to fight or get bitten, because you know, zombies like to bite. You are immediately told, over speaker might I add (by a strange voice too), that you need to run to the elevators. Unfortunately, those bastards are broken. You are then told to make a break for the maintenance room, only to be flanked by more of the undead ghouls. You slam the door and you take a breath, only to be bitten, and knocked unconscious in the process.

Slowly, you regain consciousness, not to be woken up by zombies, no no, but by other survivors in hiding. They tell you that you have been bitten, but miraculously…you are immune to the virus.

The story unfolds from there with main missions that move the story and character development with other characters but also side missions that allow you to gain extra experience points and cash too.

The game allows you to fully customize, upgrade and repair your weapons to your liking. With hundreds of items to pick up and upgrade, this allows the character to create a weapon that is best for their survival.

Did I mention that melee weapons are the central focus? Close-quarters combat is very, very dominant in this game.  It is clear that the developers want you to know what it’s like to be one on one with a dead-walker. This will keep you on the edge of your seat with each zombie encounter.

The graphics and scenery in this game are beautiful, top notch. It allows you to see how big the island is, how gorgeous the island of Banoi is, and how alone you truly are.

I have not played much of this game but I can already say that this is an instant favorite. There were plenty o times that I panicked, ran away and came back swinging. With the challenges that lie ahead, it was very hard to put the controller down.  If  you love zombies, and love deep immersion into an unknown world, this game is right for you.

Rating (So Far) 9/10 woot!

A Lazy Labor Day

With an inconsistent work schedule and days just flying by, I love taking full advantage of my days off. I chill in my PJ’s all day. I try my hardest to take it easy and just go with the flow of what the day brings.
This particular weekend, I was blessed enough to have three days in row off for the holiday weekend (I didn’t even request it off!). Not that I had any major plans or anything in particular to do, but knowing that I can do whatever I want, without worrying about time constraints is pretty awesome.

Catching up on blogging, putting up some decorations and just chillin’ to the max was on the agenda for the wife and I yesterday. Cooking was the last thing we wanted to be a big hassle.

You all know I love to eat and cook. I go to work and cook. I come home and, you guessed it, cook. Yesterday was definitely not any exception, except I now have a slow cooker in my arsenal to cook with.
To put it simply, I was in the mood for a “put it in, turn it on and forget it” kind of meal. I figured that using our new slow cooker would help me achieve my lazy-a$$ cooking on that particular day.

Which brings us to Spicy Beef Sandwiches. Sweet, savory and kick-you-in-the-back-of-the-throat spicy, this sandwich is damn amazing.
Spicy Pulled Beef Sandwiches (adapted from a Taste of Home cookbook recipe)
Makes 8 servings (or 4 if you like a ton of meat , he he.)

• 2 pound chuck roast
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded, and diced
• 1 can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1/2 cup (plus brine) of sliced (nacho) jalapenos
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of beer
• 1 heaping tbsp of minced garlic
• Olive oil, to marinate
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Mrs. Dash Southwest Seasoning, to taste

1. Place the roast, garlic, oil, salt and pepper, and southwest seasoning in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (we did it for nearly 3 days)
2. Mix the onion, bell pepper, beer and water together. Pour into crock pot and turn on low.
3. Next place the marinated roast in the mix completely covering the meat.
4. Let cook for 4 hours, then turn over and then cook for an additional 4 hours. Your patience will be rewarded!
5. After 8 hours of slow cooking, remove roast with tongs and place into a shallow pan and begin shredding the beef with two forks:

6.  Place on buns (onion buns are what we used) and serve with the au jus (the remaining liquid).  Place cheese, caramelized onions, or whatever the heck you want on these bad boys.

There you have it. An easy, yet delicious sandwich that takes very little effort. To save some time, I cut up the onion and green pepper the day before. I woke up at six that morning to start cooking this bad boy and let me tell you, it was well worth the wait. *Drool*. I am also very glad to have a crock pot around as well. I’m gonna use it more often for the holidays and entertaining our friends.

Licorice, Bacon Soda and Candy, Oh My!

Have you ever been sidetracked by something? Something that was so severely interesting that made you push all other plans a side? Something that made you say “We HAVE to stop here!”?


Sometimes things seem too good to be true. Upon driving up Highway 169 towards Mankato to visit a friend who recently just had her first born, we saw something coming up along the side of the road. Yellow markers which then turned into yellow signs. “56 kinds of Licorice!, Old-Fashioned Soda, and Home Made Pies” were just a tease of what was to come. In a pure fit of happiness and an excitement, my eyes lit up, my blood pressure sky rocketed, and I screamed, “WE HAVE TO STOP THERE!”

Just shy of the town of Jordan, Minnesota, lies Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store. Now, I don’t really know much about this place, other than the parking lot was packed. And it was a Sunday.



Upon entering what used to be a barn, customers are immediately overwhelmed by the sheer amount of candy and sugar pouring out from the shelves and tables. Old school and new school alike, if you have a favorite type of candy, you will find it here (and just about any flavor too).




Giant gummy bears, cotton candy, chocolates of all sorts, licorice of mass quantities, hell even freshly made pies  were just a few of the items that were being sold.



Other pies are placed on a center table. The packaging was still warm indicating it was more than likely made that day. Freshness points.

French Fry lip balm? Just one of the many, many novelty items .

What mainly drew us astray and made us feel giddy the most, was the crazy selection of old fashion sodas and Root Beer.

 

One of the best parts was getting to put together your own 6 pack of sodas. Sarah picked out two different root beers and one blue raspberry pop. I decided, since I started brewing ginger ale, to try another brand out to compare. Vanilla cream soda and, yes, BACON soda (breakfast soda anyone?), were my other two choices. I’ll be posting up the tastings of these delicious (and odd) sodas a little later.

Unplanned moments like these always seem to make our days brighter. Had we not went to visit we may have never gotten to ever see such a place. We can’t wait to go back again and pick out some more odd items to share together (and with you).

(Side Note: We drove home that day around 4 PM and the parking lot was still full!)

Banana-Fluffer-Nutter Ice Cream

It’s nearly the end of summer. School is about to start for Sarah, and fall (and stupid winter) is right around the corner. One of the things that Sarah and I have been wanting to try this summer is making ice cream. We have the machine. We have the time. Why not make some, right? At a glance, it sounds easier than it seems. For some reason, we just never had the motivation to do so until now.

First, I’m going to tell you right now that ice cream is probably my favorite desserts. It’s rich, creamy and basically bad for you. Who cares! Another thing that I love about ice cream is the fact that the flavors are so endless that it’s hard to get bored when it comes to making it yourself.

Vanilla, chocolate,  and moose tracks are some of the flavors we both love. Sarah loves anything peanut butter and I love (almost) anything banana-flavored. So we figured we would make PB and Banana ice cream. OH! Not just regular PB-B ice cream, Fluffter nutter style with mini marshmallows. Oh yes, friends.  A favorite after-school treat is now in ice cream form. One of the things that I do have to stress is that this was entirely an experiment and we were unsure if the flavors were going to shine through like we hoped.

Here is the recipe that we started with found at allrecipes.com:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 12 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped

We took out the mini peanut butter cups, and threw in a 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips, 4 mashed bananas, and 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows.

First, bring the milk to a slow simmer, meanwhile, whisk the eggs and sugar together with a whisk, for about 3 minutes.

When the milk has reached a simmer, slowly whisk into egg-sugar mixture, making sure not to stream to quickly, which will cook the eggs. That’s a ice cream no-no!

Return the egg-milk mixture back to the stove and slowly cook over low heat. Stirring the sides and middle frequently, cook until it coats the back of a spoon. Then add the peanut butter.

Mix together well with a whisk.

Once the mix is cooled slightly add the:

Sweetened-condensed milk

Vanilla

and finally the mashed bananas.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly, then let the entire mixture cool. After it is completely chilled, it’s time to start making ice cream! Remember, all ice cream makers are different and therefore results will differ. We ran out machine for 30 minutes.

We then folded in the peanut butter chips

Then finally the marshmallows.

Then, we tossed the mix in the freezer for one hour, then gave it another mix, and put it back in the freezer for another hour to allow it freeze up. We actually let it freeze up overnight and got to enjoy it this morning.

Silky, rich and damn delicious. This is a definite favorite for Sarah and I.

The Great Minnesota Get (Fat) Together

It’s summer. It’s August. Usually that means one thing. The “Great Minnesota Get-Together”. If you are completely unaware, or not from Uff-Da country, that means it’s our state fair.  Happening usually the second-to-the-last week of August and ending on Labor day, everyone and their empty stomachs come along.

This year we wanted to do it big. So we both, respectively, withdrew a total of $200 dollars to take with us to cover not only parking and admission, but for the incredibly insane indulgence that would come along with attending such a great event.

With cloudy skies, money in our wallets, Sarah’s ever-increasing photographic abilities, and our appetites getting the best of us, we set out on a high caloric binge of all things greasy, fried, and most importantly, divine.

I began my feasting with, unexpectedly, a drink.

I don’t really know much about Vernor’s Original Ginger soda, but I know that I couldn’t really taste the ginger. It was sweet, lightly carbonated, and was definitely refreshing.

 

Legendary Sweet Martha’s cookies. Sold by the cones, or the collectible take-home bucket, these delicious freshly baked cookies are what people will wait in line for. It’s a state fair must. For just five dollars, this mountainous-monstrosity was a little much for my wife and I but if you are willing to share with a few friends, it’s for sure enough.

By the looks of this, it’s just another thing “on-a-stick”. That, is 100% correct. The MN state fair is known for things on a stick. Alligator, hot-dish, cheese, and even pickles all have been “sticked”. To put it simply; it’s a hundred times easier to walk around and stuff your face with a handle attached than it is to have to hold it with both hands. These are relatively new to the craze. Hysterically named “Puff Daddy On a Stick”, this item consists of Asian sausage wrapped in puff pastry that are strung together in sixes, then drizzled with a Thai peanut sauce. A little spicy, sweet and definitely savory, this is a nice change of pace from the norm.

Another must. The timeless funnel cake. Deep fried batter with a slew of toppings, this one is sure to please everyone. This year we picked apple pie-topping with a caramel sauce. Unbelievable.

Ah yes. Beer. I couldn’t go throughout the day without having a glass…or two. Finnegan’s Irish Amber, possibly one of my all-time favorites, and Summit Oktoberfest were the two beers that made their way into my bloodstream that day. These brews definitely went well with…

Chicken. Fried. Bacon. I never thought those words could even be put into a sentence, let alone ever be executed. Served with a cinnamon-maple syrup sauce, these are pure indulgence (hell, everything we ate was).  Sweet and salty, this definitely went well with the brew I was drinking.

Okay, you are NOT a true Minne-snow-tan if you have never had SPAM at least once in your life. SPiced hAM (or Stuff Posing As Meat to you jokers out there) is made here locally at the Hormel plant in Austin. As if the product wasn’t ridiculous enough on its own, they took it to the next level and batter-fried them in little cubes. They taste great with a side ranch and BBQ sauce (we couldn’t choose just one dipping sauce, haha).

Deep Fried (Heaven) Oreo cookies. This is another must-eat. The cookie and filling become warm while the outer crust is soft and sweet. As if you couldn’t make Oreos worse right?

So I guess French-fries aren’t enough? Australian batter-fried potatoes make me forget about those pathetic shoe string wimps. It’s hard to determine what kind of batter they use, but it’s very similar to the poufy beer-battered kind. You have options here. Feeling cheesy? Go solo with the jalapeno-cheese sauce. Feeling saucy? Ranch these bad boys up. Feeling like a fatty?! GET THEM BOTH. If my heart stopped that day, these would be the blame. Just looking at the picture again makes me feel full.

We also saw the pigs, the cows, some art exhibits and did a little booth shopping, but the majority of the money we blew was on the overwhelming choices of food.

Overall, we had a blast and we are definitely going to do this again next year. Sure, I’ve been working out and trying to eat healthy, but this only happens once a year. Here’s a tip that we knew would help us save not only money, but room in our stomach’s: Share. Everything. This way everyone gets their money’s worth and therefore you share the experience together.