North Carolina State Fair
I’ve been going to the NC State Fair since my stroller days, and it’s one of my very favorite fall traditions. Each October the State Fair comes to Raleigh for a little over a week. Nothing much changes from year to year, and that’s just how we like it. I’ve pretty much memorized the layout by now. Rides? Wisconsin cheese? Waterfall? I can point you there! I’ve also learned that visiting the fair on a weekday is the move. The weekends bring the crowds, and sometimes it’s quite honestly hard to even walk. So, my childhood bestie (Emily) and I decided to head to the fairgrounds on a Tuesday afternoon this year - just in time for lunch.
As tradition demands, we got corn dogs. You absolutely cannot go to the State Fair and not get a corn dog. They just taste better there. Trust me. Another fair staple for me is a fresh squeezed lemonade…or two. You’ve got to have something to wash down all that fried food, ya know? This year I had a regular lemonade first, followed by a strawberry lemonade later in the afternoon. Both were delicious!
After looking around at some of the exhibits, it was time for a snack and there was no question what that snack would be - Wisconsin cheese. You better believe this is the very best fried cheese you will ever have. I opted for the jalapeño cheese sticks and while I do not regret this decision, my mouth was on FIRE by the time I finished. Strawberry lemonade to the rescue!
Up next, we headed over to Dorton Arena. Fun fact: my great grandpa helped build Dorton Arena. There were lots of free samples in the arena and we LOVE us some free samples. We even got to do a mini wine tasting, which may or may not have resulted in us purchasing a bottle or two. Also located in Dorton Arena is the NC Public House, where we purchased a $10 beer+wine ticket. Emily sampled some yummy wine, and I tried a blonde ale that had a really cute name…that I don’t remember. Now you’ll never know. It was delish though!
We finished the day with huge pumpkins and barnyard animals. What could be better, right? We always love visiting the animals, especially the little piggies!
We had a blast at the 2023 North Carolina State Fair! As always, I left with sore feet and an uncomfortably full stomach, but that just means we did it right! Until next year!
-D
15 Must-Watch Halloween Movies
Alright y’all…if you were around this time last year, you might remember my extensive review of FORTY-FIVE Halloween movies. Now, forty-five Christmas movies? Sign my up! But, forty-five Halloween movies is just overkill I’ve determined. So, this year I’ve narrowed it down to the top fifteen must-watch Halloween movies. There is something for everyone on this list, from the kiddos to you horror movie fanatics. So, after much research, I present you with my list:
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (will always be my favorite!)
Hocus Pocus
Practical Magic
Scream (1996)
Halloween
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
The Conjuring
The Nun
Annabelle
Annabelle Comes Home
Edward Scissorhands
The Exorcist
The Shining
Psycho
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Happy watching, friends!
-D
October Soup Series - Creamy Taco
I mean let’s be honest…we all love tacos. So, why not taco soup? Especially if it’s as easy as this recipe is.
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
4 cups of chicken broth
10 oz. Rotel
14 oz. black beans
12 oz. corn
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 tablespoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
8 oz. cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, tortilla chips, etc.
Directions:
Brown ground beef.
To your crockpot, add chicken broth, Rotel, black beans, corn, chopped red pepper and seasonings.
Once beef is thoroughly cooked, add to crockpot.
Cook on high for at lest two hours.
Approximately 1 hour before serving, cut an 8 oz. block of cream cheese into small squares and add to the crockpot. *Set cream cheese out beforehand so it will be nice and soft by the time you add it to your soup.
Once cream cheese has melted, stir mixture thoroughly and serve.
Garnish as desired + add a splash of fresh lime juice.
Serve with tortilla chips!
Enjoy, friends!
-D
October Soup Series - Baked Potato
Welcome back! I’m so excited to share this week’s soup recipe with y’all. It’s actually pretty easy to make and it is SO yummy! So, here we go!
Ingredients:
4 potatoes
8 slices of bacon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup of yellow onion
1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
2 cups of reduced fat milk
1 cup of half and half
2 cups of chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup of mild cheddar cheese
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup of sour cream
chives
Directions:
Wash potatoes and poke holes in them with a fork. Then place them in the microwave for 12-15 minutes, or until they are nice and tender. Once done, remove from the microwave and cut in half. Let cool and then peel and cut into chunks. Set aside.
Make eight slices of bacon - the crispier the better. Once bacon has cooled, crumble and set aside.
Mince two garlic cloves - if this seems like a tedious process, you’re doing it right apparently. First time garlic mincer over here!
In a pan, over medium-low heat, mix minced garlic, 4 tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of onion.
Once butter has melted, add 1/3 cup of flour.
Add two cups of reduced fat milk.
Add one cup of half and half.
Add two cups of chicken stock.
Once ingredients have been combined and soup has a thick/smooth texture, had the majority of your bacon - leave out just enough for garnish.
Add the majority of a cup of mild cheddar and the majority of a cup of sharp cheddar. Again, leave out just enough for garnish.
Add one cup of sour cream and stir until blended.
Add potato chunks and remove from heat.
Serve and garnish with sour cream, bacon, cheese and chives.
Serve with…honestly…nothing! This soup is so hearty, it’s fabulous all on it’s own.
Enjoy, friends
-D