Mary & Steve's State Fair List

It is that time of the year again...The Minnesota State Fair. Probably the best state fair in the country. Boy, experiencing the fair as an adult is a lot different than as a child. I have found I really like the MN agricultural building, probably because they have wine.

Went this year with the fam, and Steve and I kept a list of everything we ate. I have left off drink because really they don't count!

1. Corn Dog - A classic. Usually the first thing I get at the fair. Though there is usually an argument over which is better: a corn dog or a pronto-pup.

2. Cheese Curds - Another classic. This year we bought from the stand that is not in the food building. There was a smaller line and they were just as good.

3. Hot Dish on a Stick - A new item for us this year. It was interesting. They alternate meatballs and tatertots on a stick, dipped in batter then deep-fried. They give you a side of mushroom gravy for a dip. It was good, but I wasn't a fan of the corn-meal batter.

4. Key Lime Pie on a Stick - My hidden favorite. Located just outside the food building, next the the entrance for the gondolas. The pie is frozen and chocolate covered, need I say more!

5. Walleye on a Stick - Once again, another classic. Inside the food building, covered in tater sauce!

6. Wild Rice Corn Dog - We are big fans of the wild rice bratwurst from the farmer's market. This was along the same lines, just make into a corn dog.

7. Garlic Fries - Another new item for us the year. These are not french fries seasoned with garlic salt, but fries with sauted garlic. They were amazing if you are a garlic lover like me. Huge portion though, we didn't finish it all.

8. Fried Green Tomatoes - Another Zanmiller/Bohn staple. Perfectly deep-fried, served with a side of ranch dressing.

9. Frozen Apple Cider - So Good! We found this inside Minnesota Agricultural building. Probably the best deal at the fair. $1 for a 12-oz cup of cider, $1 for a cider icy.

10. Pork Chop on a Stick - I remember the year they introduced this, the lines were insane! Still very good, though a little too salty for me.

11. Strawberry Short-Cake - A family tradition for us. Something sweet after a day a salty foods.

12. Mashed Potato on a Stick - Yum, my new favorite! Deep-fried cheese and bacon mashed potatoes served with a side of sour cream, ranch, ketchup or gravy.

13. Rootbeer/Orange Float - At the Dairy Bar in Heritage Square. A good item to end the day and cool down with :)

One more picture...my favorite thing to do is stand uphill on the streets and look down at the massive crowd of people.

Changes

I have made a few changes in my life. First, I changed the title of my blog. When I started doing this I imagined sharing my experiences at different restaurants around the Twin Cities and sharing my favorite recipes. I will continue to do so, but there was so much more I wanted to contribute. This is my little corner of the world that I get to control.

Second BIG change....I am moving September 1st!!! After three years of being back home with my parents and little brother, I am finally getting a place of my own (well, with a roommate...Hi Robin!). While, I have never felt unwelcome moving back in with the family I just felt it was time to take this big step. I am totally done with school (for now) and starting to look for full time work as a teacher. This change will be a big one and I am going to need to make some personal changes (reigning in some of my spending!) but I am excited to finally starting to feel like more of an adult. I am totally going to miss seeing my family everyday (especially the big black fur ball sitting next to be right now) but they will only be a fifteen minute car ride away.

Third (hopefully) big change....getting a job. Many people have asked me this summer about job prospects. I am applying everyday, I have had a few interviews this summer for full time positions. So far nothing, but I remain hopeful. The right job will come at the right time. So, it could be another year of substitute teaching, which has its perks. The more experience I get, the more desirable of a candidate I become.

So, changes. They can be scary and change is something that I have struggled with in the past. But, the changes happening in my life right now are excited changes and nothing to be afraid of.

I would totally hang out with Suri Cruise

Alright...anyone who knows me knows that I love gossip magazines. USWeekly, People, InTouch, OK. If I could afford it I would subscribe to each one. For my birthday three years ago my parents got a subscription in USWeekly, and I would slowly read it each week to savor the celebrity gossip. A co-worker for mine (Ms. Linda!) and I would bring in our old magazines and swap. These magazines help me through boring days and gives me a chance to escape for a few hours.

Now onto the title of the post. I often fantasize what it would have been like to have famous parents. Don't get me wrong, I love my family and wouldn't change them for anything in the world. But, imagine how different your life would have been with infinate possibilities. That is how I feel Suri Cruise's life is. Now, I am sure all celebrity kids have the same possibilities but for some reason it seems like Suri is focused on so much more when it comes to the perks of being a Hollywood child.

Now, I don't think I would want Tom Cruise or Kate Holmes as a parent (he seems bat-shit crazy and she seems like a mindless robot) but I would totally hang with Suri. She always seems to be dressed in the cutest clothes (which often cost more than I spend on clothes a year), she gets to jet-set all over the world at the age for five, go to Broadway shows and probably meet some of the coolest people. I am sure once she is older she is headed for a major meltdown, but to see the world for one day through her eyes I think would be super awesome.

My Family of Friends

This week my little brother went up to Bemidji to register for his first year of college. As I drove the familiar roads to my of favorite places in the world, I was over-whelmed with memories of my time there. My family has vacations up near that area for many years and Bemidji State University of my top pick of schools when I graduated.

For me high school was just okay, it wasn't bad but it wasn't the best years of my life like many people claim. I was excited to go off to college. It was a time to prove to myself and other people in my life that I had grown up and could start to do things on my own. Bemidji was far enough away from the Twin Cities that I couldn't come running home each weekend, but close enough that I could come home when I wanted.

Leaving home and living on my own for the first time in my life was a scary yet exhilarating experience. As many of you know, I am very close to my mom and depend on her support and inspiration. But, I was very lucky to meet a group of girls who became my support as well as my life long friends...we dubbed ourselves "The Herd."

These eight girls became my family. They became the people I turned too with my immediate family 300 miles away. They were with me through one of my most important years of my life. They were with me through tears, frustration and doubts about my abilities to make it through my freshmen year of college. Most importantly they were with me throughout the year that shaped me to become the person I am today.

My best memories from that year involve these girls. Midnight swimming in Lake Bemidji, going out Friday and Saturday nights, tequila rollerblading through Bemidji, meeting all the cute college boys, eating at Perkins at one o'clock in the morning, hanging (partying) out in the dorms, our Spring Break trip to Canada, road trips to Grand Forks, Fargo and St. Cloud, midnight trips to WalMart, keggers out in the middle of nowhere.

There girls became my life long friends. We are now spread throughout Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. We do not get to see each other every often, but when we do we fall right back into our friendships. I know each and everyone of them would be there if I needed them to be. And I would do the same for them. Long live "The Herd."

Restaurant File - Twisted Fork Grille

So my mom and I were driving down Grand Ave the other day and saw a new restaurant on Grand and Hamline....okay it could be a few years old but it was new to me! It is in the same building on The Green Mill and it is called Twisted Fork Grille. So I decided to try it out one night...and then again the next day!

So my first experience was dinner with my friend Erin. We met on a week-day night and were able to get a table right away without a reservation. The menu is mostly American bistro food, such as a Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, Warm Turkey Sandwich with Cranberry Chutney, Bison Meatloaf, and Walleye with Rice Cakes. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.

My friend Erin and I both ended up ordering the same entree. We had the Chicken with Mushroom Risotto. It was described in the menu as a, "natural Amish roasted chicken with wild mushroom risotto and a tomato-garlic broth. Served with grilled asparagus." I like ordering risotto at restaurants because when I make it at home it usually ends up too thick or too loose. I was a little hesitant about the tomato-garlic broth, but is was very good addition to the meal. And I am not a huge chicken person (I would take a nice steak over chicken any day), but is was cooked perfectly. For dessert we both ordered the Lavender Creme Brulee which comes with almond cookies. And it was AMAZING! I really need to get my own little kitchen blow torch so I can start trying to make this at home.

So the next day I was out running errands with my mom and our friend Rosann when we decided to grab some appetizers and dessert. They wanted to try out Twisted Fork after I had told them about the creme brulee. We ended up splitting the Caramalized Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Spinach Artichoke Dip. Even it you think you don't like Brussels sprouts by caramelizing them in butter and serving them with bacon they become delicious. The Spinach Artichoke Dip is make with garlic, onion, cream cheese and spinach and served with a baguette. Both appetizers were very good and the others on the menu looked just as delicious.

I would definitely recommend you try out the Twisted Fork Grille. It is a nice addition to the Grand area restaurants. They have a daily happy hour from 3-5 and 9-close, at that time they serve half-priced apps, tap beer and wine. It is moderately priced, but the food is worth the price.

Twisted Fork Grille
Corner of Grand and Hamline Avenues
http://twistedforkgrille.com/index.php

Recipe Box - Veggie Tomato Soup

This is the recipe I get the most requests. I adapted it from a Rachael Ray recipe, but put my own twist on it. I hope you enjoy!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carton portebello mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen green beans
1/2 cup quick-cooking barley

1. On large soup pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and crushed red pepper; cook for 5-7 minutes. Add carrots cook another 3 minutes, add zucchini cook another 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and basil and cook until tender.

2. Turn hear to medium-high and stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring soup to a boil.

3. Add frozen green beans to soup and bring back up to a boil. Add in barley and cook for ten minutes.

4. Serve. I usually sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top and serve with some sort of crusty bread.

Restaurant File - Jensen's Cafe

When I was younger I did not like breakfast foods. As I have gotten older I have found I to enjoy certain foods for breakfast. I am still not a cereal and scrambled egg eater but I have found I really enjoy waffles, pancakes and Eggs Benedict.

Let me start by telling you that I love Eggs Benedict, well actually I love hollandaise sauce and would eat anything covered in it! So usually when I go out for breakfast I end up ordering Eggs Benedict and my trip to Jensen's Cafe was no exception. Many restaurants have multiple types of Benedict and at Jensen's Cafe you can order regular, chipolte, Florentine with tomato and spinach, salmon with dill hollandaise, steak with chipolte sauce, and Montreal with sausage patties and sausage gravy. Seriously! So many choices, it took me forever to choose. I finally decided on the chipolte Benedict, which is like the regular but with a chipolte hollandaise sauce. And the best part about Jensen's Benedict...? Instead of coming on an English muffin, they serve it on top of mini pancakes. At first I thought this would be gross, but the sweet pancakes with the salty sauce was amazing.

My friend Laura who went with me ordered the Garden Ome-Alot, and it was actually an Ome-Alot. It was one the the biggest and fluffiest omelets I have seen at any restaurant. She seemed very happy with her choice.

Most breakfasts come with a side of breakfast potatoes, which are diced, seasoned red potatoes. You can substitute cheesy hash browns or fruit for 99 cents. I chose the cheesy hash browns and they were the best I have had for awhile. Laura said she really liked the breakfast potatoes.

The breakfast menu is quite extensive. There are a wide variety of pancakes, waffles, omelets, egg dishes and plenty of side and a la carte options. The daytime menu also offers lunch options.

We went on a Sunday about 11 in the morning. It was about a twenty minutes wait for a table. But, there is a gift shop attached so you do have something to do while you wait. Overall, I found Jensen's Cafe to be a fun bunch option.

Jensen's Cafe - 12750 Nicollet Ave. S. Burnsville, MN