Wine & Dine

Let me take a minute to reveal the fact that I am a total geek! When I was a little girl I LOVED the Roger’s and Hammerstein musicals, and in all honesty I am still a huge fan. My favorite movie is Oklahoma! But in the summer months when I find myself at a fair I am always reminded of State Fair.

State Fair is a musical full of fun, love, pie, pigs, and of course music! Everything you imagine a state fair to be!

You are probably wondering where all this musical talk is coming from. Well, this past weekend The Boyfriend and I ventured out to the Arapahoe County Fair and as we walked from the car to the entrance gates I couldn’t help but hum the State Fair opening song “Our State Fair”. In doing this I brought on another thought…How does the state fairs of yesteryears compare to the ones we attend today?

Let’s take a look at the fairs of the past:

Fried Chicken ON A STICK

According to Wikipedea, “Originally a state fair was just a competitive exhibition of livestock in various competitions, the display of farm products which were not necessarily for sale, and the competition among various fair goers and participants in such categories as handicrafts, baked goods, jams and jellies, etc., but has since been expanded to include carnival amusement rides and games, music, races, tests of strength and skill, etc. Large fairs can see more than a million visitors over the course of a week or two. The first official U.S. state fair was in Detroit, Michigan in 1849.[1]”

Entertainment ranged from livestock competitions, eating contest, cooking contest to tractor pulls and games. Some of the classic foods you would have found back in the day include, homemade pie, corn dogs, funnel cakes, bratwurst, BBQ, and cotton candy. Many of these foods we see today but things have changed my friends…

Today’s State and County Fairs:

Eating a deep fried Oreo

The foods at today’s fairs are EXTREMELY bad for you but so so so good! If it comes on a stick or it is deep fried you can find it at the fair! Some of the foods I found at the county fair included the traditional corn dog, steak on a stick, fried chicken on a stick, chocolate covered bananas on a stick, cobbler on a stick and yes there are things that are not on a stick but rather deep fried. It seems fair food stands have discovered what southern cooks have known forever, EVERYTHING taste good fried! Delicious food finds like deep fried twinkies, deep fried Snickers bars and of course my new favorite the deep fried Oreo. By the way Deep fried Oreos come in at over 400 calories for 4. Good thing I split my Oreos with The Boyfriend!

Another yummy treat I enjoyed at the county fair was an Indian Taco. Made from Indian flat bread this dish is what would happen if pizza and tostadas got together and had a love child. YUMMY. The perfect balance of fried, fat, and

Indian Taco

flavor! My Indian Taco was Indian flat bread topped with chili, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream and man was it tasty! The boyfriend and I enjoyed our Indian Tacos watching the new kind (new by fair standards) of fair entertainment…The demolition derby!

Fair Entertainment of Today:
I have never been to a demolition derby until this past weekend and if you are like me and have spent your life void of a derby…YOU MUST GO SEE ONE! I had so much fun watching these cars and trucks slam into each other. Fantastic summer entertainment!

Demolition derbys have been a fair entertainment staple since the 1950’s. The basic rules are the drivers will bang into each other avoiding driver side and head ons (you can back into someone though) until there is only one car standing.

I loved watching the demolition derby so much I made this little video for all of you to have a little taste of the awesomeness that is the demolition derby! Watch out for the car that sprays dirt all over us in the stands, putting my Bud Light at risk!

I think everyone knows that when you go to the fair you are in for some serious calorie overload and heart burn. But why even go if you can’t enjoy the good stuff! In all seriousness I probably took in over 1800 calories from the food and beer but thanks to Jillian Michaels on demand I was able to work some of it off this morning…and those Oreos were SO worth it!

What is your favorite fair food?

Here are more foods at the Arapahoe County Fair:

Deep Fried Oreos

Cobbler and Bananas ON A STICK

Steak ON A STICK!

Corn dogs (served ON A STICK!)

Guess what readers!?!? I actually won a prize from Ted’s Montana Grill for my honorable mention (The Earls Award) for the Kickin’ Chicken Sandwich! I am so excited to share with you the photos of me showing off my new Ted’s Montana Grill Apron AND my gift card!!! Ted’s is the BEST! The Boyfriend and I are already planning on eating there for lunch this weekend and trying some of their new ranch dip with homemade chips! Well The Boyfriend is most excited about the pickles but I think he will like the chips and dip too!!

I can’t wait until Ted’s Montana Grill does another contest! If you are like me and love Ted’s Montana Grill you should become a fan of theirs on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tedsmontanagrill

Here are my photos:

Check out my new digs!

Ted's Montana Grill sure is tasty!

As many of you know (at least if you have been following my blog for more then a month) I recently participated in the Ted’s Montana Grill Secret Ingredient Showdown. Over the past month I have shared several of the recipes I created in that contest:

Sassy Seafood Tacos

Chocolate Strawberry Creme Brulee

Open Faced Kickin’ Chicken Sandwiches

There is one final recipe I still need to share from that contest. This was the first recipe I created in the contest so it is a little safe, but I think you will agree the flavor is in your face good! I have made a couple of changes since the contest. This makes a lot of burgers so if you need to cut the recipe in half or take out the ground beef. So here it is the last of the recipes I created for the Ted’s Montana Grill Secret Ingredient Showdown:

Kelly’s Killer Jambalaya Burgers

Ingredients:

1 pound Bison Meat (the secret ingredient)

1 pound Ground Beef

8 oz. (2 links) Andouille sausage chopped into small pieces

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 Tablespoon Paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon Granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon Cheyenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon Oregano

1/4 teaspoon Thyme

4 large fresh basil leaves chopped

1 clove garlic minced

1/2 cup diced canned tomatoes

1/3 yellow onion chopped

1/2 cup chopped Green Pepper

Cheddar cheese

Corn dusted kaiser roll

You choice of toppings

Directions:

Mix all your ingredients (except the cheese and roll) in a large bowl. Create thick patties with the meat mixture.  Cook on Medium heat until desired doneness. Make sure not to cook meat on too high of heat or cook too fast as buffalo meat is much better slow cooked.

When the burger is ready add the cheddar cheese (I used white cheddar). Add to the bun and top with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

I know how it is, Friday rolls around and you have zero motivation to cook dinner for yourself let alone anyone else! Just put down that take out menu and read on to an extremely easy grilled BBQ sandwich that is perfect for both lazy cooks AND bacon lovers!

Lazy Day BBQ Bacon Sandwiches

Ingredients:

Thin cut chicken breast

Your favorite BBQ Sauce (I use Famous Dave’s because it’s the BEST)

Thick cut bacon (or if you are REALLY lazy buy the already cooked bacon!)

Guacamole (see recipe HERE or buy it in the store already made)

Sandwich Thins (because they are healthier) or hamburger buns

Optional Toppings:

Lettuce

Tomato

Jalapeno slices (I like it HOT)

Get to Cookin’:

Smother your thin cut chicken breast in your favorite BBQ sauce and throw on the grill over medium/high heat. Grill until cooked through making sure to baste with the sauce every once in a while for added flavor.

While your chicken is cooking (and if you purchased the uncooked bacon) cook up the bacon so its nice and crispy.

Put it all together:

On your bun smear some of your homemade (or store bought, depending on how lazy you really are) guacamole around. Add the chicken, bacon and your favorite toppings. Add a little more BBQ sauce for extra flavor. Serve with some chips, a salad or whatever else you can think of that you won’t need to cook!

Enjoy your lazy Friday night meal with a well deserved beer or glass of wine! YAY weekend!

I would like to think of myself as an expert on all things summer. I have decided to give you a run down of my tips to having a fantastic fun filled, and food filled summer! These are just some of the ways I enjoy my summer…

Farmer's Market in Miami

Check out the farmer’s market!

Every town has one so why not go check it out! Farmer’s markets are the single best place to go buy fresh fruits, vegetables and local breads and meats. Not to mention if your farmer’s market is anything like the ones in my town you can also sample the local food from restaurant vendors. As I shared with you in my Farmers Markets Are More Then Just Vegetables blog, I was able to try out Biker Jim’s Gourmet Hot Dogs at the Old Pearl Street farmer’s market and it was AWESOME!!! This is hands down my favorite way to spend a Sunday morning. Make sure to go hungry!

Drinking Mojitos in South Beach

When in Rome…

I don’t know about you but I love to travel and this summer I took a trip to Miami. I am a BIG believer in doing as the locals do and trying out the food and drink of the region. When I was in Miami I fell in love with Cuban cafe con leche and also sampled the mojitos! The boyfriend and I knew that when we were in Miami we had to have a mojito so we checked out a happy hour during one of the hot humid afternoons and cooled down on these refreshing libations. The lesson here is please do not be afraid to try the local foods. When in mexico eat the tacos at the place where they DO NOT speak english. When in Italy, eat in the hole in the wall with the best pasta. When in California sample the local wines. When in Rome…well you get the idea.

Ferrari

Free or Almost Free Entertainment:

Quickly becoming one of my favorite summer past times, the car show is cheap entertainment at it’s best. Almost every town has one or hundreds of car shows you can check out at any given weekend day and they are usually FREE. I love classic cars and The Boyfriend loves Asian sports cars so we try to go to the larger car shows that showcase all types of cars. We recently checked out a car show that the local rock radio station was putting on at the raceway. Not only did it only cost $5 each (kids are FREE) but we got to see tons of cars and bikes PLUS we were able to watch some drag racing. It was a fantastic way to spend a Sunday on the cheap. We saved so much money I even got some ice cream out of the deal!

Red Rocks with friends

ROCK ON!

Summer time is the BEST time to check out a concert. Lucky for me I happen to live 30 minutes from the worlds BEST concert venue, Red Rocks Amphitheater. I am a HUGE O.A.R. fan and I never miss the Red Rocks show they put on every summer. This year was no exception! Concerts in the summer are a fantastic way to spend the day or an evening outside (just remember to bring allergy medicine)! At Red Rocks, not only is the location super cool with it’s amazing views of Denver and natural surroundings but the food is always spot on. Yummy eats like chili smothered buffalo brats, loaded nachos and gourmet burritos top my personal favorite foods on the menu. They also offer a huge selection of local brews. Beautiful views, live music, awesome eats and a cold beer. Is there really any better way to spend a warm July evening?

Mika the Dog Wonder LOVES to swim!

Swimming!!

Do I really have to say much more?! Hanging out by or in a pool is my favorite summer past time and I know I am not alone! Want to make your pool time extra special? Make sure to pack a cooler with cold water and fresh snacks like pineapple and watermelon. It is especially important for kids to hydrate since they tend to ware themselves out swimming more then adults do. These snacks are far better then sugary non hydrating sodas and salty chips that I see the mom’s at my community pool give their kids. Don’t forget the sunscreen!

And now for my one summer Don’t:

DON’T waste your summer inside playing video games or watching TV. The weather is AMAZING out there and there are plenty of ways you could be spending your day. Call a friend or a cousin and get out there! Ice cream, BBQs, parks, and pools are waiting for you to come a calling! Enjoy this time of year and enjoy all the food you can eat and cook with fresh seasonal ingredients! It really is the best time of year!

My Aunts enjoying the early part of summer!

Tell me in the comments below: What is YOUR favorite summer activity?

I am all for cooking homemade gourmet meals every night of the week so that The Boyfriend and I can eat yummy food every night. However, I know there are people out there who simply do not have the time to cook something fancy EVERY night! This is my reality on Wednesday’s when The Boyfriend and I have softball and there is NO TIME to make dinner. Usually we eat out but I thought it would be nice to save some money and make something super easy that anyone can put together in a snap. I decided to pull out one of my favorite kitchen toys, my Crock Pot.

I had been having a serious Mexican food craving so I decided to make the mother of all smothered burritos….and man was it easy! You will be amazed at how few ingredients are needed to make this dish and yet how yummy the burritos turn out.

Before you start make sure you have some slow cooker liners. Trust me on this, you will never look at your Crock Pot the same way after discovering the awesomeness that is Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners (any liner brand will do). I told my grandmother about this little trick and she made sure to call me and tell me I was a genius, so I know this is the best tip I could give you before you make this dish!

Smothered Burritos

You will need:

• 1 16-24 oz jar of Pace Picante Sauce (Select the temperature you prefer. I like medium. The size will depend on how large your roast is and how much sauce you want on your burrito)
• 1 roast (pork or beef. I like both and they both taste yummy. I think the best thing to do is get whatever is on sale. Get as much as you need to feed your family)
• 1 package burrito size tortillas
• 1 can black beans (you will need 2 cans if you plan on feeding more then 4 people)
• 1 bag Lipton Fiesta Sides Mexican Rice (you might need 2 bags if you are feeding more then 4 people)
• Shredded cheese (either cheddar or mexican blend)

Things you might need if you like your burrito to be supreme style:

Sour cream

Shredded lettuce

Chopped tomatoes

Homemade guacamole

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1/3 cup salsa (I prefer Pace Picante medium salsa)

Juice from 1 small lime

Garlic salt to taste (start with 1/2 tsp and go from there)

1/2 tsp jalapeno or more for more heat

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until it reaches the desired smoothness.

Let’s Get Cookin’

In the morning take out your Crock Pot and put in a liner. Add your roast, the jar of salsa and about 1/2 cup of water. Put the lid on it and cook on low for 6 hours. When you get home from work your house will smell so yummy!

Once you get home, put your mexican rice in a rice cooker or cook as directed. If you use your rice cooker it’s less messy, so much easier and you really do not need the oil. In addition it comes out perfect!

Put the black beans in a pan. Add garlic salt and pepper and let simmer.

While your beans and rice cook, take two forks and shred your roast into small pieces. Taste the sauce that the meat has cooked in and add salt or garlic salt (which is obviously my favorite ingredient of all time) to taste. Also if you like it with more heat and its just not hot enough for you, add some red pepper flakes. Mix it all up so the added ingredients get mixed in well.

Once everything is done cooking:

Put your oven to BROIL on high. On an oven safe plate take a tortilla and fill with beans, rice, cheese, meat and a little sauce from your roast. Wrap up like a burrito would be wrapped and add more meat and sauce on top. Top with cheese and put in the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Be careful when serving, IT WILL BE HOT!

Top with any of the additional toppings you like or eat as is. ENJOY!

This past Sunday I ventured out to the Old Pearl Street farmers market near Washington Park in Denver. It was a stunning Sunday and the vibe was fantastic. For those of you who believe that farmers markets are only for buying farm fresh veggies, you are mistaken. Yes, there are a plethora of fantastic and even hard to find vegetables that you can pick up at a great price, but there is so much more…

On this particular trip I was in the mood for Italian food so I picked up some beautiful basil and garlic flavored linguini, a loaf of the most magical asiago and basil bread that was deliciously fragrant, some local Italian sausage and some salami as a starter. Dinner was going to be fantastic! I also picked up a bottle of white wine from a local vineyard that made wines from Colorado grapes. It was not just the fact that 90% of my dinner that night was made from local fresh foods, but also I had a blast shopping in the open Sunday air and tasting all the treats as I went.

On top of all the fun I had shopping for my dinner I also had the opportunity to have lunch at the famous Biker Jim’s Gourmet Hot Dog Stand. In Denver there is no better place to pick up an affordable and unique lunch, than at Biker Jim’s. Since Jim usually frequents the downtown area, I had not yet had a chance to check out his food until this Sunday at the Old Pearl Street farmers market where he sets up every Sunday in the summer. I ordered a southwestern buffalo dog while The Boyfriend ordered a reindeer dog.

Biker Jim's Southwestern Buffalo Dog

As we waited for Jim to whip up our lunch we had the opportunity to chat with the master mind behind the gourmet dog stand that has become so famous here in Denver.  Jim is seriously one of the coolest people I have met in Denver thus far. He is so laid back and easy to talk to. We talked about his cat who needed surgery so that was were all his tips were going. We talked about his shoes made for barefoot runners, and most importantly we talked about the food! Let me just say that the food was AWESOME. I had my southwestern buffalo dog with cream cheese, onions sautéed in coke, spicy mustard and Jim’s own tomato curry. Delicious. For my view Yelp review of Biker Jim’s Gourmet Hot Dog Stand click HERE.

For a fun way to spend a beautiful Sunday morning or afternoon (including eating breakfast, lunch or both) you really should check out your local farmer’s market. You never know what food discovery you are going to make, plus you can pick up some AWESOME local foods for your next homemade meal!

If there was one dish I thought would place in the Ted’s Montana Grill Secret Ingredient Showdown, it was my Sassy Seafood Tacos with TWO types of salsa. Alas they did not make it into the running, BUT they are good. You may even like them as much as I do! Check out the video and enjoy this super easy grilled taco recipe from yours truly.

Sassy Seafood Tacos by Kelly Noble

FOR THE TACOS:

1/2 cup fresh (not canned) Crab meat

6 pieces of 16-20 shrimp, veins, tails and skins removed

Juice from 1 lime

2 tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. Garlic Salt

FOR CILANTRO SOUR CREAM:

1/2 cup sour cream

Juice from 1/2 a lime

1/2 tsp garlic salt (or to taste)

1 Tbs. chopped cilantro

FOR PINEAPPLE SALSA:

1 cup chopped grilled pineapple

1/4 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped

1 Tbs. chopped cilantro

1 tsp. garlic salt (or to taste)

Juice from 1/2 lime

FOR PICO DE GALLO:

1 cup chipped tomato

1/4 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped

1 Tbs. chopped cilantro

1 tsp. garlic salt (or to taste)

Juice from 1/2 lime

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:

Corn tortillas (you can also use small flour tortillas if you prefer)

1. in a medium bowl put together juice from 1 lime, 2 tbs. olive oil, 1 tsp. Garlic Salt and mix well. Add about 6 shrimp and 1/2 cup crab and coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Heat Grill to high heat. Slice fresh pineapple into 1/4 – 1/2 inch slices and grill for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until you see grill marks. Take off the grill and cool.
3. For Pineapple Salsa: In a small bowl put together all ingredients for the Pineapple salsa and set aside.
4. For Pico de Gallo: In another small bowl put together all ingredients for the Pico de gallo and set aside.
5. For Cilantro Sour Cream: Mix together all ingredients for the cilantro sour cream in a small bowl and set aside.
6. Put shrimp on a skewer and place on grill. Put down some foil on the grill and add the crab onto the foil. Cook for about 6 minutes turning shrimp and mixing crab 1/2 way through cooking. Once done, pull off the grill and cut shrimp into cubes. Mix the crab and the shrimp together.
7. Heat corn tortillas on grill.
8. Put it all together by putting the shrimp/crab on the tortillas, top with some cilantro sour cream and add one type of salsa per taco.
9. ENJOY!

Next stop on my unveiling of the Ted’s Montana Secret Ingredient Showdown submissions is my Chocolate Strawberry Creme Brulee, which was one of my personal favorites. All you need are some ramekins and a kitchen torch and you should be all set to impress your dinner guest with this surprisingly simple recipe.

Check out the video for this recipe HERE

Chocolate Strawberry Creme Brulee by Kelly Noble

Ingredients:

FOR SYRUP

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

2 Tbs. white sugar

FOR CREME BRULEE

4 egg yokes

2 Tbs. white sugar

1/2 Tsp. Vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

2.2 oz. of milk chocolate (or 1/2 of a large Hershey bar)

3/4 cup strawberry syrup

Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan add sliced strawberries and 2 Tbs. sugar. Stir over medium high heat. Boil down until you have about 3/4 cup juice. Run through a strainer and keep the syrup (juice) for the brulee.

In a medium bowl mix the egg yolks and the 2 Tbs. Sugar.

In a medium sauce pan pour the creme, vanilla and strawberry syrup. Bring to almost a boil (scalding) and add slightly melted chocolate. Whisk until all ingredients are well blended.

Slowly pour the creme mixture into the egg yolks, careful not to scramble. Make sure to be constantly be mixing the egg mix with a whisk until everything is well blended. Add mix to remikins and put all remikins into a water bath with water coming half way up the outside of the dishes.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the brulee is just set. Place remikins in the refrigerator covered for about 2 hours.

Take creme brulee out of the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with white sugar and blast it with the torch until the top is evenly golden brown. Garnish with fresh sliced strawberries.

(Serves 4)

I just had the most amazing conversation with my co-worker! It turns out that I am not the only adult on the planet that craves Lucky Charms out of the blue! My Co-worker told me that she just couldn’t understand why she craves Lucky Charms even though she never ate them as a child. That is when it dawned on me…I KNOW why adults crave Lucky Charms!!

The Theory:

I believe that General Mills, the maker of Lucky Charms, uses subliminal messaging in their commercials. They, however, are so much smarter then other companies who have tried this method because instead of brainwashing our youth to want Lucky Charms they send messages to our young minds telling us not to want Lucky Charms until we are adults and we are able to buy the cereal ourselves. Why would General Mills target future adults and not current kids? That’s easy! Because they know that their cereal is so full of sugar that very few parents will buy it for their children despite constant nagging! However, as adults we can make our own cereal decisions and we also have the cash flow to buy the cereal we crave, i.e. Lucky Charms. So you see the marketing master minds at General Mills are brilliant as far as I am concerned as they have produced future consumers from now until the end of Lucky Charms. Now that’s great investing!

For those of you who might be craving the hurt your teeth sweetness of this delectable cereal here is a recipe I picked up from my other cube mate. Its a twist on the classic Rice Crispy treat bars.

Your So Lucky Bars:

Your So Lucky Treats

• 1 10.5 oz bag of mini marshmallow (use the brand name ones here people because its not like this is going to cost a whole lot of $$ to make!)
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (the REAL kind of butter. We are not looking to save on calories here!)
• 1 big ass box of lucky charms.

In a large microwave safe bowl melt the butter. Pour the whole bag of marshmallows into the melted butter and mix around until coated with butter. Stick the sugary mess into the microwave and nook for about another minute or so, or until the marshmallows are all melted. Start pouring in all your lucky charms and mix until every little frosted piece is coated in the marshmallow mixture. Add as much cereal as you like until it is coated the way you like it (I like mine a little dryer so I poured the whole box in).  If you can hold yourself away from eating the whole thing right then and there you should pour it into some casserole sheets (I just purchased some cheap foil kind that I could dispose of afterwords.) Let sit to cool (again if you can stop yourself from eating them all right then) and then cut into squares. Share with all your adult friends.

Enjoy!

(Just like the adults in my office did)

Like this theory or just questioning it? Check this out:

Who’s Eating Kid Cereals? Us

What is your favorite “kids only” snack?

I LOVED the treats!

Dana enjoys a Lucky Treat while her coffee brews

Josh (Author of Gin & Bear It) is feeling pretty lucky to have the treats for breakfast today!