Deep Fried Ambassadors ~ The finalists

We put the call out to find the next Deep Fried Ambassador a few weeks ago. The deadline has passed and now we’ve got a lot of great entries to choose from. While we’re mulling over who will be the next honorary Deep Fried Crew member, take a look at the entries and think about who you think would be the best Deep Fried Ambassador. We’ll announce the winner tomorrow. Thanks to all the great bloggers who participated. It’s going to be a tough choice.

NC State Fair

I would like to go to the fair and view it through the eyes of a senior citizen, which is how some places now classify me. What is there to do for someone who may think s/he’s “too old” to go to the fair? I hope to see George Jones in concert this year. I’d like to see if there are any gentle rides I’d enjoy. I would like to find out what happens if someone older gets in the fair and then becomes very tired. What accommodations are there? I know what happens when a child is lost, and thank you very much for finding him! Even after all these years, I remember the terror of losing a young child at the fair.

http://msplayful.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/nc-state-fair/

Deep Fried Ambassador

For those who have been following my blog (hi, mom), you may notice I have started a 26 day blog counting down the days until Matt and I go to the fair.  As a part of this countdown I am listing a reason a day for you to “Love A Fair” (which is the theme of the fair this year, how appropriate for someone like me).

Apparently I have been out of the loop because today I discovered this contest via @NCStateFair on Twitter.  Could there be a more appropriate contest for me?  I don’t think so.  “It’s time for us to pick another Deep Fried Ambassador, a blogger whose enthusiasm for the N.C. State Fair is close to our own.”  I’d say my enthusiasm is more of an obsession.  A healthy obsession of course…healthier than all of the food I will consume on October 17th.  🙂

Why should I be the next “Deep Fried Ambassador?”  Why shouldn’t I?  I have been a walking advertisement for the State Fair year round.  It’s called word of mouth and free PR. 😉  Everyone knows I love it and it is also true that enjoying the fair is a requirement for dating me.  Matt and I have only been dating for about 2 months and I told him early on “if you still like me by then, we have to go to the State Fair.”  He obliged so I figured I’d keep him around.

http://thoughtofthedaybylori.blogspot.com/2011/09/deep-fried-ambassador.html?spref=tw

Fall is here! You all know it’s my favorite season, for reasons including the North Carolina State Fair! My husband and I go to the State Fair every year, mostly for the food, honestly, but I love the whole atmosphere.

Here’s the video I made of our visit in 2009:

And here’s some video from last year of the cute little baby goats! (I cannot tell you how happy baby goats make me.)

http://sonjafoust.com/2011/09/19/sonja-future-deep-fried-ambassador/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sonjafoust+%28Sonja+Foust%29

Make us the Deep Fried Ambassadors: My Fair Ladies

If one NC State Fair Deep Fried Ambassador is good, imagine how tasty 3 would be! Introducing the blogging trio “My Fair Ladies.”

Giving you three unique perspectives on the 2011 NC State Fair, we three fabulous ladies will cover the full gamut of food, rides, entertainment, competitions, exhibits and fun “only at the Fair” odd bits. Telling the story through photos, videos and, of course, wildly entertaining words, this gaggle of gals is sure to make everyone want to come out to the Fair.

• The Kamikaze – aka Rebecca Aslaksen – Nothing stops this Fair enthusiast. No food will be left uneaten, no ride unridden. Put a plate before her and she will devour it. Beat: Food & Rides http://rdugonnaeatthat.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/everythings-better-deep-fried-nc-state-fair-2011/
• Fairly Odd – aka Dawn A. Crawford – Fun just got a little funky at the State Fair. Get a backstage look at the music, the best of our state’s produce and livestock and side-shows. Exploring the entertaining, wacky and downright odd parts of the Fair. Beat: Competitions & Entertainment http://www.wandersouth.com/2011/09/25/deepfriedambassador/
• The Wrangler – aka Valentina Garcia Gerdes – Armed with sunscreen, family meet-up points and a purse of non-sugary snacks, this mom knows how to make the Fair fun for all ages. Beat: Family Activities & Exhibits http://worldviewmother.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/354/

Why I Should Be Your Next Deep Fried Ambassador at the N.C. State Fair (with video)

Gentle Readers, when I announced that I was applying for the esteemed and prestigious role of Deep Fried Ambassador, there were a couple of responses. For people who know me well and have eaten with me, it’s “of course you are” and “I hope there’s a sash.” For others who know me through other avenues of my life, there were some who doubted that this was actually a legitimate position that was open to be filled. I shall now state my case, and my proposed platform, if I should be so fortunate as to be selected.

1. The Practical Cook considers Fried a food group. In reviewing my blog posts, I notice that I’ve reviewed fried okra in 4 establishments to date, and I haven’t even covered my favorite one yet (local BBQ joint, the cinder block kind). I stand firm that Fried is best done in a commercial setting, and what could be better than the N.C. State Fair? Renowned for deep-frying everything, these mobile practitioners are devoted to the art of Fried, and it will be crunchier than a practical home cook can manage.

http://thepracticalcook.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/your-next-deep-fried-ambassador-at-the-ncstatefair/

NC State Fair: Turkey Shoot

On the heels of a post about the fair and love, I received some feedback that that post was a bit, well, a bit mushy. So I decided to write about another, more aggressive aspect of the fair.

This post is about guns.

I’m not great with a shotgun, but I can, with some consistency, hit a clay pigeon. I am consistently unable, however, to hit a stationary target at the State Fair’s turkey shoot.

The idea behind the turkey shoot is simple: they give you a 12-gauge shotgun and you have to blow a hole in a target which is mounted to a bale of hay. Easy, right?

And then there’s the “Shooting Star”. They give you a machine gun (they love giving people guns at the fair!) which shoots BBs and your target is a piece of paper with a red star printed in the center. Your mission, should you choose to fork over ten bucks – and I fully intend to do so – is to eliminate the star.

http://jaygoel.com/blog/state-fair-turkey-shoot/

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture is looking for a blogger to hold the title of  Deep Fried Ambassador and represent all of the awesomeness that surrounds the annual North Carolina State Fair. I know what you are saying to yourself – is there another blogger out there that might be a better representative of amply battered deep fried goodness than yourself? Well perhaps and that is why I am applying here from NOSVC just like anyone else and not just showing up in my homemade sash and tiara proclaiming myself the winner. (I might do that either way – depends on my mood before the tweet-up.)

To satisfy the criteria for the competition let me tell you a little about my own Love A Fair with the NC State Fair. And yes it runs much deeper than the grease trap. I am son of the red clay of North Carolina and grew up in the foothills of this fine state. While I’ve traveled the country and seen many things nothing is more beautiful than home and nothing concentrates more ‘home’ in a week and a half than the fair. At a time when most of us work in an office and purchase our food from a store it is an awesome reminder of the unparalleled agricultural heritage that belongs to all of us. From the Old Grist Mill to the Ferris wheel and everywhere in between the NC State fair captures the majesty and history of The Old North State both for those that were born here and those that have adopted her as home.

http://www.nosvc.com/2011/09/26/deep-fried-ambassador-nc-state-fair/

My Dear N.C. State Fair,

The season of my love is finally here, although the fond memories never left. October brings you back to the Raleigh fairgrounds, where my heart and stomach can once again be filled with your guilty pleasures for eleven whole days. This year I want to make it official and declare my deep fried love to you.