Out of the Loop

Previously:

Big Tex Choice Awards 2014  - -  Golden Anniversary

The State Fair of Texas is known as the "Deep Fried Food Capital of the World" and every year vendors compete to come up with the most creative deep fried dish to amaze and sustain fair visitors.  Deep Fried Twinkies and Deep Fried Snickers may have started the trend years ago but now they're old news.  This year's top contender was Deep Fried Froot Loops...and I got 'em!

Here's what they look like.  The round loops of fruity goodness not only garnish the tasty treat, they also make up the inner filling.  Inside the crisp shell is a "goo" (for lack of a better term) that has the essence of Froot Loops.  Somehow the cereal was mashed up or liquefied or goo-ified but it definitely tastes like the real deal.

Like many deep fried treats at the fair, the creators feel it necessary to dump a ton of powdered sugar on top of it.  And that's not necessarily a bad thing but if I breathe in right before a bite, I tend to get a lung full of sugar...which is an unusual sensation.

Lastly, there's also a type of icing or topping to round out the experience.  I wasn't sure but I think it was marshmallow flavor.  I'm also not even sure that marshmallow is a flavor...it is, right?  So as far as I'm concerned, we now have a brand new way to enjoy our favorite fruity breakfast treat.  If you try them, tell 'em Toucan Sam sent ya.  See you next year at the fair!

Roadside Attraction

Anytime I drive out of or into the Lone Star State I try to stop at one of the Texas Travel Information Centers at the border where I load up on pamphlets and unload my bladder.  Yesterday, as I was heading back from some business in Oklahoma, I noticed much more than the usual amount of cars joining me along I-35.

The dark red decor of many of the cars, as well as the cooler weather, reminded me what time of year it is and that this weekend is the annual Texas/OU game at the State Fair.  I was unprepared to celebrate but the folks at the Travel Info Center in Gaineville were ready to go.  And a lot of people joined them, like the Frank Buck Zoo:

They even brought one of their friendliest snakes to greet the visitors.  I didn't catch his name so I mentally named him Snakesy McSnakes-a-lot.  I also never got clarification on whether he was rooting for Texas or OU but he probably didn't want to be controversial so I guess we'll never know.

Rumpy’s Little German Bakery & Deli was also one of the many other booths there and were handing out some of their tasty treats.  Nothing gets a crowd to your table like some good grub.  It got enough of my attention that I'll definitely stop there the next time I'm in Gainesville.  There was also a lot going on outside, including a mini-car show:

There were plenty of nice specimens on display, some with their engines exposed, some not, and some with owners that would be more than happy to pop the hood for any interested gear head travelers.  The one that caught my eye was this was this sweet little '66 Mustang:

Notice the tray on the driver's side window with the prop Whataburger meal?  It's a great little touch that reminds people what side of the Red River they're on. 

It was an interesting surprise to see such a brouhaha at one of my regular travel stops but it was time to hit the road.  You never know what you'll find along the way.  Enjoy the game!

Queen For a Day

Previously: DQ Chicken & Dumplings

Most businesses spend a fair amount of time and money on market research.  Before you roll out a new product you're going to want to make it as good as possible and to do that you need to test it out.  And that's what brought me to an East Texas Dairy Queen today.

So what exactly was on the tasting menu?  It turns out they have an interest in serving up a Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich.  And it's pretty much what it sounds like: your standard chicken sandwich (fried or grilled) with Buffalo Sauce and Ranch Dressing.  While they headed to the kitchen to whip one up, they handed out the questionnaire:

There were only a handful of questions and they were all pretty much straightforward: How did you like it?  Would you recommend it?  Etc. That's all you have to do to sing for your supper.  So here's what all the fuss is about:

I got the "grilled" version.  You can definitely taste the buffalo sauce...I'll say that for it.  So I ate my sandwich, filled out the form and went on my way.  Will we end up seeing the Chicken Buffalo Ranch Sandwich at Dairy Queens across Texas?  Only time will tell..