Happy Labor Day! I hope everyone is having a good day and spending the extra day off (for those of you who DO have it off!) doing something fun and relaxing!
This past weekend the hubby and I went the Oregon State Fair in Salem. It’s our first “fair” experience here in Oregon, and it was a good one. And fun, too. It has been years since we’ve been to the fair, and we enjoyed walking through all the exhibits, visiting vendor booths, and we even took the overhead, slow moving tram across the length of the fair. We watched people play the carnival games, and strolled past all the rides, but decided all those tilting, spinning, and whirling rides were NOT for us. At least not anymore. 
And then there was all the FOOD that only a fair could provide. Most of it fried! I’ve never seen such a wide variety of foods that I’ve never even heard of before, let alone tasted. I mean, what the heck is a deep fried latte? How is it made? I should have asked, because I’m still curious about that one! Oh, and they also had deep fried Coke and Dr. Pepper! 
Anyway, Don and I split a two foot long corn dog that was incredibly good, and split an elephant ear, too. We had some kettle corn and a few freshly made chicken taquitos. Oh, and home-made ice cream. The fair, for us, is all about the food! 
So, what do you love the best about going to a fair? The exhibits? The animals? The shows? The rides? The vendors? Or like us . . . the food? And if anyone has ever had a deep fried latte, Coke, or Dr. Pepper, please tell me how it’s made and what it tastes like!
Janelle Denison finds it hard to believe that it’s been nearly 25 years since she first started writing romance novels. At first, it was a way to pass idle time while her husband worked swing shift, but before long it became an obsession to get published. Luckily, she kept at it (it took her over 5 years to get that first book published!) and is now a Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and USA Today Bestselling author! Now, after selling over 45 plus novels, she finds that her Plotmonkey pals help to keep her stories fresh and unique, and she can’t imagine writing a story without their input. Janelle lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, along with two teenage daughters that keep life interesting.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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I
the fresh corndogs, funnel cake, and cotton candy! 
Happy Labor Day everyone!
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Hmmm, deep fried latte. Never had it; but if it tastes like it sounds and looks, I want some!
http://www.supersizedmeals.com/food/article.php/20070918-Deep_Fried_Latte_Texas_Fair
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Oh, YUM. Maybe I should have had one, LOL!
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definitely the food: my fave is the elephant ear (or fried dough where I come from).
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FOOD! FOOD! AND MORE FOOD! Corn Dogs, Cotton Candy, and Curly Fries.
HAPPY LABOR DAY!
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I will be back later to give a more indepth answer, Janelle, but I have a question. What is an elephant ear?
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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It’s fried dough (kinda like in the shape of an elephant ear) with butter brushed onto it, then cinnamon sugar. YUM!
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That sounds delicious. I would be all over that…there is just something about butter and sugar. YUMMY!!!!
I gotta go. I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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Paula: An elephant ear is a pastry like thing. I have heard of a deep fried diet coke. If I am correct (and anyone feel free to correct me, but I think I saw a segment on “The Today Show”), it’s like a ravioli with diet coke inside.
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Our fair starts next week and we’re already salivating! For us, it’s all about the food, too. Italian sausage sandwiches being # 1 on the list, followed by funnel cake! Yummmmm.
We also love to go to the Demolition Derby, because my nephew usually drives in it. It’s a hoot!
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Funnel cake is another good one! At this fair they had a s’mores funnel cake. It was funnel cake, then melted chocolate chips, then baby marshmallows on top that they broiled so they were brown and crispy. It looked so good!
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Love fair food! Only reason I go to the fair is for the food. Pretty sure everything is fried at all of the fairs I’ve been to lately. Really wish I had given the deep-fried candy bars a try when I was at the Williamson County fair last month. Did eat a great chili dog and sweet potato fries.
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HAPPY LABOR DAY EVERYONE!!
If you’re attending a fair have fun!
Cher
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I haven’t been to any fair in a good many years! I used to really enjoy them. Although I grew up in Oregon I don’t recall ever going to the State Fair. Here in Sonoma County the county fair has had trouble with gang related problems and it sort of turned me off going. At this point in my life I think fairs are just not for me! Of course when I went it was mostly about the food! Just the thoughts of some of that deep fried food gives me heartburn!
Sorry! The thought of a deep fried candy bar just sounds yuck! 
Don’t get me wrong I have lots of bad habits when it comes to food but deep fried is not one of my vices. 
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Donna, I adore fried food and the deep fried candy bar does NOTHING for me. In fact, they featured it on a Food Network show day before yesterday, and it turned my stomach. It didn’t even LOOK appealing.
I’d rather have fried green tomatoes or Cuban fried steak…or even French fries! I’m a sucker for French fries with a lot of ketchup! But my favorite fair food is a corn dog. Love them! Mustard only!
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The two foot long corn dog that Don and I shared at the fair was THE BEST. There was just something about the fried batter that made it so good!
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Hey Janelle, I finally got a chance to come back to the computer. I won’t be on long…gotta go to bed, so I can be sharp for my students tomorrow.
I haven’t been to many fairs. I remember going to one as a little girl, and I loved the Ferris Wheel. I think it is one of the most romantic rides. I have also been on the carousel and teacups. I would love to go to another fair again. It seems like I have missed out on a lot, so hopefully one day I can go again.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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I love the funnel cakes!!
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I think that the last time I went to a fair was when I was child – so of course back then I would have liked the rides more. I don’t know, but I think that these days I’d probably go for the food more than the rides.
We don’t tend to have fairs on the same scale as you do in the US, so I think that I’ll have to try and go to one when I eventually travel to the US as part of my OE – if only to try some of these deep-fried foods.
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I LOVE funnel cakes. But I haven’t been to any sort of fair, and I don’t even think amusement park in probably over a decade. As for a deep fried latte and coke and dr. pepper O_O my goodness.
I’d be more surprised but last week I heard about deep fried beer, which is like… beer in pretzel batter ravioli type things? Craziness.
I pretty much stop at regular deep fried dough. I’m a traditionalist like that
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Deep fried soda? Wow, I have no idea how they do that! Like you, I enjoy fair food. Ah, the smells!!
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Too old for the rides anymore, love the funnel cakes at the fair and watching the people. No small kids anymore so it’s all about my husband and me…
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Anyone enjoying all those deep fried foods should visit Scotland. Two of my sons have moved there and tell me they deep fry anything you want there
(even socks if you are a drunk student!! 
)
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I like to watch the judging of the food dishes. Sometimes, it’s just fun and other times, there are enough leftovers for us spectators! Yum!
And the fireworks, of course, especially the first night when the ducks and geese are caught unaware!
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I spent many, many years working the NYS Fair. We worked in the German Food booth that started out run by our neighbor, who is German and then she sold it (and my mom and I- we had the recipies) and we continued on.
Besides the food, I loved the concerts. NY gets some of the best shows- this years opening concert was Aerosmith!! Wish I had been here to see it!
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Oh, the best part growing up was going the day before when all the animals were being settled in. Many had their babies on the way or shortly after getting there, and we got to see the new babies without all the crowds. For Free!!
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I absolutely love the State Fair. When I lived in NY, my son and I went every year-to 2 fairs. We always had a great time. I would drop our dog off at my parents house and go spend the day at the Fair. Had some wonderful memories there and picked up some interesting items also. The Dallas Fair is too commercialized so we haven’t gone in 2 or 3 yrs. Glad you had a good time.
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Now that I’m in Albany, I don’t get back home to Syracuse as much as I would like. I want to go to the Big E this year.