Fairly obsessed

For practically my entire life, I have been going to the Big E.  I’ve never been so far away from New England that I haven’t been able to indulge in all its’ delicious fried delights.  I spend an entire year planning out what I’m going to eat. 

A sample standby menu from years past:

·        Pork Chop Sandwich

·        Apple Cider Slushie (they got rid of the place that did hot cider with a cinnamon candy stick, so I have moved on)

·        Maple Cotton Candy

·        A Maine Baked Potato.  Only from the Maine building.  I’m ashamed of everyone who buys it from elsewhere.

·        Samples of the dips from the state buildings on pretzels

·        Several bites of Shawn’s Steak and Cheese

·        A Red Candy Apple to take home

·        Cheese Curds.  (Thanks Steff.)

·        Mini donuts only from the Donut Family.  You can get a bucket for 10$ but that just seems sort of obscene*

In addition to eating all of this (and for realz, my stomach is groooowwwling) I usually get something special.  Last year we tried fried sheppards pie (gravy on the side) and fried cookie dough.  It’s really one whole day where I completely pig out...besides all those...um...other days i do that.  (weekdays.)

So needless to say, I have been trying my darndest to ignore my heartbreak for missing it this year.  (and trying to ignore shawn’s pure unadulterated joy) When whining relaying my dismay about how sad I was to miss it, one of my co-workers pointed out that from Sept 22 until October 7^th there was the ROYAL MELBOURNE FAIR!  She said magical things like "you want to pat a chook?  you can pat a chook.  You can pat everything." And naturally that was the first weekend Shawn’s parents were going to be here, and THEY were missing the Big E too, so I decided we should all go.  (See how that works?)

In the morning, I didn’t want to eat a lot so I just stuck with an apple and some cheese before we left the house.  Who knew what delicious things would be in store?

The fair is sort of like the Big E, but a little smaller.  There’s vendors hawking stuff, and all sorts of agricultural who-ha going on.  We watched a bit of the horses prancing around, and I decided we should all “EAT AUSTRALIAN!”  By this I meant I was looking for meat pies, but could not find them.  So Ron and I both had some sausages, sue had an egg and bacon, and shawn…yeah, he still had a steak and cheese.  I also ordered some HJD’s (Hot Jam Donuts) because they are scrumptious.  It turned out these ones weren’t the best I’ve had but really, can you ever have a BAD HJD?  No.  You cannot.

I don't think he knew he was in the picture

Excited for HJD's.

In one of the buildings there were some free samples from Woolworths (the grocery store) so I had some snacks.  I ALSO got a Tasmanian devil cookie cutter.  Epic.

I am clearly disappointed in my stomach.  I wanted to eat ‘somuchfairfood’, but they really didn’t have too much that I wanted to eat and after the free samples, I was feeling full (so lame of my stomach).  But what they did have that was new were showbags.

<enter choir of angels singing>

Showbags are an interesting idea.  They have trailers full of these selections of bags.  And in the bags are different things, like a bag full of candy, or wigs, or magazines.  And then you buy tons of them apparently.  To be fair, they stuff inside is pretty cheap for Aussie prices.  I got a Cadbury bag full of Freddo chocolate frogs, a coffee mug, a pen and some Freddo playing cards all for $10.  Retail it would be like…$150,000.  I’m sure I did the math there correctly.

Ninentdo Showbag has: Instant Noodles and Energy drinks.

The Best the USA has to offer:
Pringles, Reeces, Hersheys, Dr Pepper & AW

In the tradition of the Big E, Shawn and I had a ride on the Giant Slide.  To get up to the top, it didn’t have stairs, it had a really horrible steep ramp at an odd angle.  Awful.  BUT!  Exciting news of the day, I WON the race!  Shawn says the man at the top was stepping on his rug but clearly it was my giant slide skills.  And maybe the different material on the mats.  Perhaps burlap just isn’t my thing.

Prepare to lose, Shawn.

Much like any US fair, they also had craft buildings, or as I call them, those cakes I can't make and weird artwork.

I'll get practicing....

Newest Pinterest Idea.

Also there were typical fair activities like horse shows!

I seriously want one of these.  I am willing to ship it back to the states.  (Tiny horse included)

  And of course, for your viewing pleasure, I present a selection of  glamour shots for fair animals.

Shawn also won me a Keroppi stuffed animal from a darts game.  I will only be winning/getting frog type animals at any fair here ever.  It’s my decree.

 
Though I can’t say it was the same type of gastronomic journey that the Big E is, I had a very nice time enjoying an Australian Fair. 

*You know I mean amazing there, right?