The State Fair of Texas runs from September 30th through October 23rd. I was going to just give you a list of the top 10 best things to eat when you go, but after reading and looking at the pictures of these fabulous food items, I think you will want to pack up the car, go to Dallas and taste them yourself. Here’s the “25 Best Eats” this year. You might also enjoy the pictures if you have the time to look them up. Food Porn.
Deep-Fried Buffalo Chicken Flapjack on a Stick – chicken marinated in Buffalo sauce, dipped in pancake batter, rolled in jalapeno breadcrumbs, and deep-fried… on a stick, served with maple syrup.
Salsa Balls – three-inch wide balls of tortilla chips bound together with salsa and served in a pile of queso.
Deep Fried Frozen Margarita – frozen margarita mix from Desperado’s Mexican Restaurant and funnel cake mix, deep-fried, and placed in a margarita glass. More margarita mix (with a shot of tequila) is poured over the top, then whipped cream added. Must be 21 to eat.
Kraut Balls – Deep fried sauerkraut rounds that look like hush puppies but have a tart and buttery flavor that begs for Russian dressing.
Greek Salad – shredded green leaf lettuce, chunked tomatoes, tightly sliced cucumbers, Kalamata olives, croutons, and a mixture of cheeses. By far the most complete and healthy meal you will find at the fair.
Fried Meatball – Big fat meatballs cut in half, dipped in batter, deep fried and served half a dozen at a time with marinara sauce and shredded cheese.
Sweet Tea Pickles – More tart than Kool-Aid Pickles but with an additional sweetness.
Shaggy Dog – Nathan’s beef casing-free hot dog, topped with a Frito chili pie.
Deep-Fried Pineapple Upside Down Cake -a single thick pineapple ring dipped in yellow cake batter and deep-fried, then topped off with whipped cream and a cherry.
Ultimate Fried Burger – a 1/3-pound patty griddle fried with deep fried pickles, fried green tomatoes, fried onion strings and fried cheese triangles along with a big slice of green-leaf lettuce.
Kool-Aid Balls – Kool-Aid infused funnel cake.
Walking Taco – bag of Nacho Cheese flavored Doritos opened up along one side and topped with ground beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions, black olives, and jalapenos.
Sweet Jalapeno Shrimp Corn Dog – corndog with three shrimp instead of a wiener and dipped in sweet jalapeno sauce.
Deep Fried Latte – sopapilla topped with cappuccino flavored ice cream, whipped cream, drizzled with maple syrup and instant coffee flakes.
Giant Dolmas – gigantic grape leaf stuffed with beef, lamb and rice, baked and served up on a fresh-made pita with “Greek Sauce.”
Fried Cheesecake – real cheesecake wrapped in a wonton-like dough, easy to eat while walking.
Torta Sandwich – Ground beef, seasoned beans, cheese, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes and sour cream served on a section of French bread
Fried Chicken Skins – Similar to pork rinds but an extra level of fatty goodness, they’re served up fresh and still steaming from the deep fryer.
Berrie Kebabs – strawberry and banana packed skewers drizzled in white and milk chocolate.
Jerk Tofu – vegan-friendly, it’s two slabs of grilled tofu topped with a drizzle of jerk-seasoned barbecue-like sauce served with a trio of hush puppies.
Deep-Fried Biscuit and Gravy – a soft roll filled with white cream gravy (no meat) like a filled doughnut, dipped in batter and deep-fried.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich in Graham Crackers. Dipped in Chocolate. On a Stick… aka Chocolate-Covered PBJ. Like a Twix Peanut Butter candy bar.
Frozen Arnold Palmer – half-frozen lemonade, half-frozen sweet tea, potential brain freeze.
Tamale Balls – masa-wrapped seasoned ground beef balls served six to an order.
Pig Poppers – bacon-wrapped section of Hans Mueller sausages deep-fried and served up with candied jalapeno slices. There you have it! I am starving now.
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Country singer Marty Stuart is 64. Singer Jerry Lee Lewis is 87. Actor-singer Julie Andrews is 87. Actor Stella Stevens is 84. Saxophonist Jerry Martini of Sly and the Family Stone is 79. Actor Randy Quaid is 72. Actor Heather Locklear is 61. Actor Catherine Zeta-Jones is 53. Actor Mary Beth Hurt is 76. Actor Kathleen Nolan is 89. Kate McCoy in TV show The Real McCoys. Actor Linda Hamilton is 66. Guitarist Mike Pinera of Iron Butterfly is 74. Singer-guitarist Randy Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive is 79.
Another one bites the dust. Ravil Maganov, a famous Russian oil entrepreneur, fell from a hospital window in Moscow and has died, raising multiple questions about possible foul play since he is considered to be a loud Kremlin critic. Many of these loud critics have passed away suddenly by shooting, poisoning or defenestration, which happens to be the action of throwing someone out of a window.
On another note, Edward Snowden, the whistleblower that leaked highly classified National Security Agency secrets in 2013, has expressed relief after being granted Russian citizenship by Vladimir Putin. Snowden is now married and has two sons. He has been living in Moscow since 2013, when he fled to avoid espionage charges in the US. In 2015, Snowden described internet censorship and the treatment of gay people in Russia as “fundamentally wrong.” Hmmm. See paragraph above. If I was Snowden, I might be a little scared. Very funny timing. In Russia, almost every man is considered a reservist until age 65, and officials stress that men with dual citizenship are also eligible for the military call-up to fight in Ukraine, which was just announced. Putin also granted citizenship to 75 other foreign nationals this week …as Russia claims that only 300,000 men up to the age of 55 with prior military experience are being mobilized. Tens of thousands of people are now leaving Russia, some vowing to never return.
A 36-year-old woman proudly posted a picture of herself and an animal she had just killed, that she thought was a wolf pup. That’s the important part… the word thought. I think exact words were …she had just smoked a wolf pup. She even posted pictures of the skinned animal. At that time, social media let her know that she had just killed and skinned a dog, a Siberian husky shepherd mix. She defended herself, “Yes I made a mistake because I did think it was a hybrid wolf pup… yes I would still have shot it because it was aggressive and coming directly for me!” Hmmm. How embarrassing.
Our beautiful Earth just had its sixth-warmest August on record. The US just had its third-hottest summer on record.
New Trend: Some celebrities, trend-setters and those that are far cooler than the two of us – that would be you and that is me… are shaving and/or bleaching their eyebrows with a color similar to their skin color. Just in case you wonder what I think of this idea, I am raising my eyebrows, because I still can. They look a little like aliens. I heard Chrissy Teigen had eyebrow transplant surgery, eyebrow stamping which results in bold, flawless eyebrows (giggle), Lizzo’s pink and purple brows, and Whoopie Goldberg who has no eyebrows at all because as she said, “It was a windy day, and I guess I just wasn’t being careful…and the next thing I knew…whip…whip…off came my eyebrows.” The things we do to ourselves under the disguise of beauty.
You always tell me to remind you, so here it is. Texas Gulf Bank in partner with Keep Lake Jackson Beautiful and The City of Lake Jackson, are providing SHRED DAY on Saturday, October 8th from 8am to 11:30am, or – this is the important part – until the truck is FULL. So, arrive early to 91 Lake Road – the parking lot between Rec Center and MacLean Park. Limit of 5 large boxes of personal papers shredded. TexasGulfBank.com
Good manners reflect something from the inside – an innate sense of consideration for others and respect for self.
Rumor has it that King Charles III could be considering granting titles to Prince Harry and Meghan’s children, but only if The Book goes away. According to a palace insider, “The book is the key to Harry’s future in the family. If the book goes away, Harry will be back in with the family. However, if the book is published, TRUST will be permanently damaged, and he will never again be welcomed into the new King’s inner circle.” It is also reported that Prince Harry is scrambling to refine some of the information in the book before printing. Hmmm. It’s OK for Meghan to trash the family, but not Harry.
Class is considerate of others. It knows that good manners are nothing more than a series of petty sacrifices. – Ann Landers
Our office just received the LJ Fun Illustrated magazine in the mail with all the exciting things happening through the city in the next few months. FUN things. We missed taking your dog to the outdoor pool called the Dog Drool. October 1st is the Iron Kids Triathlon for ages 6-12. Register in person or online LakeJacksonTX.gov/Parks. The Boo Bash is Friday, October 28th from 6-9pm at MacLean Park Pavilion and it’s FREE. Then Saturday, October 29th is the Monster Dash at 9am.
There are some things that money can’t buy… like manners, morals, and integrity.
You know? I hate to just keep talking about food, but here goes anyway. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now warning about the dangers of cooking your chicken in NyQuil. Yep. In case you need to hear it (good grief), the FDA says it can be very unsafe and even cause death because it concentrates the liquids. The recipe is called NyQuil Chicken or Sleepy Chicken. Imagine it… raw chicken breasts simmering in an over-the-counter green liquid medication until the chicken actually turns putrid green. There is no need for additional seasonings because of the Acetaminophen (pain reliever), dextromethorphan (cough suppressant), and doxylamine (antihistamine that relieves allergy-like symptoms). Some NyQuil formulas also contain phenylephrine (decongestant that will help increase mucous clearance in your body). Please do NOT try this no matter how many times you see it on TikTok or Twitter. Surely you are smarter. Perhaps not, but this is an awfully bad idea.
The NFL and new Super Bowl sponsor Apple Music, and Roc Nation announced that Rihanna will headline the halftime show at the 2023 Super Bowl being played at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on February 12th. Hertz has agreed to purchase up to 175,000 electric vehicles from General Motors over the next five years. A 400 lb. 10 foot 6-inch-long alligator was wandering around a neighborhood west of Houston when it was captured and taken to a sanctuary in El Campo. Have a great weekend and enjoy this weather while we have it. Thanks for taking the time to read and shop with us.
LISA
Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com
