June 2008

It’s almost July, and the air is thick and sticky here. This weather reminds me of all the sweaty hours I’ve spent at fairs over the years. County fairs, 4-H fairs, my sister’s horse shows, State Fairs, arts and craft shows, etc. It’s always hot at those fairs, but it’s okay, because you can usually find someone selling mini-donuts! Nothing takes the “ugh” out of a hot, humid, Midwestern summer day, like a little bag of freshly fried, cinnamoned-and-sugared donuts. These are the perfect ending to a corn dog and lemonade lunch. Yum!

photo taken at the Calgary Stampede, by alau2

My husband looks forward to the annual Strawberry Festival downtown, because you can buy a big serving of homemade strawberry shortcake for $5.00. That sounds a bit steep, but it hits the spot when you’re stuck in an office the rest of the year. (Plus, it’s a fundraiser for some good cause.) There’s just something about the aroma and flavor of fresh, sugared strawberries, combined with the old-fashioned biscuit-like shortcake, that announces “Summer’s here!” Yum!

thanks to QuintanaRoo for the beautiful photo!

I first tasted shave ice in Japan, and again in Hawaii, when I was about 10 years old. Although there’s no place to get shave ice here in central Indiana, I still crave it when the weather is hot. If you’re not familiar with the delicacy that is shave ice, let me tell you, it’s not your average “sno-cone.” The sno-cone is like pellets of ice with syrup poured on top, and they stay separate until you chew them, or they melt into the bottom of the cup.

Shave ice is entirely different. It’s almost like ice cream, because the ice is shaved so finely that the syrup sticks to it, and it melts in your mouth without any chewing. It’s like flavored snowflakes. It’s heaven on a hot day! I want one right now!

big thanks to Hometown Invasion Tour for the photo!