For this weekend's entertainment, Seth chose the Seven Mile Fair. How excited were my kids when they heard the word fair? But alas, it is not that kind of fair.
Seven Mile Fair is a flea market on Seven Mile Road. I had no idea such a place existed in Wisconsin. It was highly reminiscent of places I have shopped in downtown LA. I bought my wedding dress and wedding shoes in downtown LA. It is good cheap shopping, but it is quite an experience. There were lots of mega-tacky trinkets, lots of glittery frilly dresses and some really immodest clothing for little bitty girls, as well as a good handful of cheap toys. They were also selling live chickens, and if you purchased one, they just threw it in a potato sack, and off you went with it. I really wanted to take pictures, but I didn't want to appear rude to the vendors.
The best part of Seven Mile Fair was the food vendors. You could find lime slush puppies at every turn. I love lime Slush Puppies. We also had some hot fried donuts, and you know how I feel about hot fried donuts. What I really wanted was a cup of mangoes with lime and chili powder, but the line was soooo long, and really more of a gathering crowd, than a line. Since I am slightly agoraphobic, I couldn't quite seem to butt in to get my mangoes. I did regret it for the remainder of the day. I love mangoes with lime and chili powder.
We managed to walk away from the fair with just a few vacuum bags. Boring, huh? We tried to haggle for some embroidered Mexican puebla blouses. I love those. Unfortunately, the ones we found seemed to be handmade and unraveling already. Seth tried to haggle in Spanish, but we decided to pass when the price was too high. Too bad. My girls would have looked cute.
On the way to the flea market, I had pointed out to Seth, that we were pretty close to The Elegant Farmer, which is somewhere I have wanted to go for awhile. We found out that it was 33 miles away. Close enough, so we headed over. I have told you before about The Elegant Farmer. It is the place that makes the brown bag apple pie, which has been voted best apple pie in America by dang near everybody in the culinary world. I guess that should have tipped us off that everybody in the Midwest would be there. We didn't know it was also a pick your own apple orchard, or we may have waited until after apple season to check it out. Since we were there, we braved the lines and ate pulled pork sandwiches on a haystack. Next we were off to ride the trolley, since my kids spotted it and wanted to give it a go. $50 people, $50. Even our kids understood that that was too much for a trolley ride, especially when we have one in town that we can ride for a quarter. We walked away from the trolley, and headed over to the country store for our pie. Holy Madhouse! The line went for days, but we had all come for our pies, and none of us were leaving empty handed. We finally reached the front of the checkout line, and headed home with a warm apple pie...and a blueberry peach cobbler....and some cookies...and a giant muffin...and a loaf of bread....and some peanut butter balls. When you are in line forever, you tend to accumulate goodies.
Once we had what we came for, we moseyed home along country roads. We had taken the freeway on the way there. I oohed and ahhed the whole time about the trees lining the freeway, and the wild flowers growing on the sides of the road. I kept wanting to stop and take pictures, but you can't do that on the freeway. On the way home I was blown away by the fields of golden corn stalks, and the barns and silos resting against a backdrop of Fall foliage. I am such a city girl, but there was a part of me that really longed to move to a farm in po-dunk Wisconsin. Too beautiful. I at least wanted to trespass, to take pictures, but I refrained. I did keep my eyes pasted to the windows though, to try to get as many mental images as I could hold. I love me some pie, and a lime slush puppie, but that drive was the highlight of my day. Ask Seth...poor guy had to hear it every two seconds.
When we arrived home, I immediately sliced a big piece of apple pie. Still warm. It was divine! I hated apple pie when I moved here. So did Seth. We started to change our minds, after being introduced to Apple Holler's Dutch Apple pie. Then my cousin introduced me to her brown bag apple pie, and now this little ditty. I can't really pick a favorite, but this one has the yummiest top crust. I saw them make it on Throwdown (they beat Bobby Flay) and the top is like sugar cookie dough, mounded up on the pie. It cooks up crispy and the sugars caramelize a bit to make it all glossy and sweet. The pie filling is nothing special. They use Ida Red apples, and I didn't love the texture or flavor. I like Apple Holler's and Erin's filling better, but I could eat pounds and pounds of that crust dipped in apple goo everyday. We will be back...but not until after apple season, although I would wait willingly in that line again. For sure!
I have very few pictures since it was so crowded everywhere we went. Sorry, I would have loved to have taken you along for the ride.
My only picture from Seven Mile Fair...Alex with donut-sugared cheeks and sipping on that tasty beverage.
Off to The Elegant Farmer
Do you see how greasy that bag is? You know anything that greasy has to be awesome!
Notice anything weird about our Fall pictures? Yep, it is still warm here....so weird, but I'll take it.
6 comments:
Mmmmm....Now, I'm totally starving!!!
It's funny how people have different mentalities based on where they live. I wouldn't consider 33 miles close just like you would never consider 55 degrees freezing. I would love to go to those places though (minus the crowds). On design shows, they always get the coolest stuff from flea markets. I would like to see the scenic drive too, then Seth could sit through both of us raving about it!
This is NOT helping my resolve to lose 60 lb!!!!! They look so so so yummy. I want to move out and be your neighbor, for at least a week. You do so many awesome fun things!
That apple pie looks amazing. I may have to find way out there!! Kjel would be in heaven if I surprised him with that goodness.
I TOO am loving this warm weather. In the back of my mind I fear we will pay for it this winter but I'm trying to stay focused on the present.
It always seems like you are doing the most wonderful activities in Wisconsin. It makes me want to move there and join you.
I loved reading your last post about the old fashioned school, and was so impressed you stayed up until 2:30 AM making homemade bread and cookies.
This outing sounded like a lot of fun and the apple pies look delicious. Not that I eat apple pie either, but they look beautiful.
Your life looks wonderful!
Looks like quite a field trip. I'm still laughing about the bagged, live chickens and bunnies. As much as I'm not an apple dessert person, those apple pies sure do look delish.
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