oh state fair - how I love you!
Iwent to sleep last night with the sounds of sizzle and the grime ofgrease in my hair. I woke up at 5:30 this morning - went outside andwhile farmers were milking and babies were being born - I did mycomparably pathetic duty and plugged in the fry-daddy.....it was time.
Imashed the bananas and creamed the peanut butter mentally adding up allthe time and money I have spent on these cooking contests and if thereis indeed a name for my addiction.
Tackling the elements of adrooling dog and a roommate sleeping in the backyard in a camper - Isilently fried - trying not to wake the neighbors to yet another roundof early morning oily aroma.
I am not a morning person. I do notlike the early morning fry-daddy-ing. I prefer fish fries at dusk withtotal awareness and light to boot. I do not like forcing my friends totry my experiments. I do not like skulking around my own backyard likea shameful thief - stealing the morning air from my unsuspectingneighbors and feeling like the dirty one night stand contest junkie Ihave become. I am frying alone - and I fear it might be one of thosedanger signs of a true problem.
I am ashamed to admit thatsometimes at work I think about the new tongs I need to help me in myfry-daddying/put-it-on-a-stick contest affair. I think about absorbentpaper towels and types of crumbs to coat with and varieties of sticks Ican stick with. I lost the cover to my 1970's fry-daddy and I now Isearch the thrift stores for the equivalent of a margarine tub cover tomake my fry-daddy complete. Why I don't just buy a tub of SOMETHING -ANYTHING with the proper top size - I don't know....I think it keepsthe dream alive.
SOOOOOOOO - My friends Chris, Tim and I went tothe fair - dropped off the goods and sat at the Salem Lutheran ChurchBuilding and had Swedish coffee with egg where I was confused by thesign that read POSITIVELY NO PARROTS. There were blue and whitecheckered curtains and that summer camp dining hall atmosphere. Bliss.I just felt so - well - in the right place at the right time and then IKNEW I was when I started observing the latest trends in embroideredclothing motifs. I saw 3 - that is THREE separate ladies in THREEseparate clothing items that had EMBROIDERED FLIP FLOPS on them. I sawa visor, a shirt and PANTS. FLIP FLOP PANTS. I need to type it again tomake sure I actually typed that - FLIP FLOP PANTS. Where does one getthem? I am guessing from the Wal-Mart's WHITE STAG line of clothing.(side note - WHO COMES UP WITH THESE CLOTHING LINES??? Seriously - theyalso carry FADED GLORY and underwear called NO BOUNDARIES)
I wasso enthralled with the swedish coffee and the company at theold-fashioned dining hall that we actually missed the grandproclamation of the winners at the stage by the education building. Wewalk up and there are pictures being taken and the crowd is walkingaway and I guess I just assumed I did not place. Oh well - I did notplace this year for SPAM or the Hidden Vally Ranch contest so I was notsurprised until my friend Chris runs up and yells - YOU WON - YOU WON!And there - on the stage - was my entry with a big daddy blue ribbon onit!!!!!!!!
Take that morning deep-frying!
Here is myrecipe - it is in honor of my dad - who owned an Elvis cafe inDavenport, Iowa years ago. He was a big fan of Elvis and his food and Ilike to think that these two Kings are now hanging out somewhere -getting foot rubs and eating anything they want without consequence....
.. ELVIS BALLS
..
INGREDIENTS
2 rolls (10 biscuits each) Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuit Refrigerated Rolls
2 cups Corn Flake Crumbs
2 eggs (beaten)
2 ½ ripe bananas
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 bottle Wesson Canola Oil
.. ..
DIRECTIONS
-Mash the bananas into a thick paste – stir in the peanut butter until evenly mixed.
-Take a Biscuit and flatten in out a bit – fill with almost one tablespoon of banana and peanut butter mixture.
- Flatten out another Biscuit and place on top – crimping both biscuits together
- cover with egg (beaten) and then roll in Corn Flake Crumbs
- gently put “ball” into hot oil!
-sprinkle with powdered sugar
(makes 10 “Elvis Balls”)
THANKYOU TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO TASTED AND HELPED AND GAVE ME THEIROPINIONS!!!!! MAY YOU STILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY FRIED STICK FOOD!..