The County Fair

These lambs were my favorites...or are they goats? 

A few days ago John and I went over to see the Salt Lake County Fair. John has an old friend he worked with for years traveling all over the world together helping do automated robot machines in factories. His friend is named Wayne. He is a cowboy at heart. And he raises cows and pigs as well as being a fantastic mechanical engineer.

John and his good buddy Wayne

John's favorite thing to do at these fairs is look at all the livestock. He loves to see goats and pigs and stuff like that. I am a city girl born and bred. I can't really stand to be around stinky things like big beasts that snort and blow snot on you. I just missed being snotted on by a big, giant cow!

This big black cow wasn't very friendly....maybe she was bored....

This was one of the prettier cows....I thought....

There were also goats and pigs.  They were having a goat auction when we got there. Did you know a goat will sell for between $250 and $300 bucks? Yeah I didn't either. They must not make very much on goats. The cows were selling for $1800 to over $2000. I'd love to do that someday and get a freezer full of yummy steaks and stuff.

This cute littler girl was about to go into the judging arena with her pet lamb....I wished her luck. 

And these cute things are the blue ribbon piggies! 

Next we went over the auctioning and judging arena. It was fun to listen to the auctioneer talking so fast you can barely hear him. And to see the kids all lined up nervously petting their animals before bringing them into the ring for judging. My kids never did anything like that. It was fun to see how farmer families and the 4H Club do things.

Can't forget the cute little goats....

Here's the auctioneer babbling and a little guy getting judged....

Well after looking at all the booths of stuff for sale and walking around watching the horse race getting started we decided we had worked up an appetite. So we went over to my fav place Kneaders and had turkey and avocado on Foccacia Bread. Yummy.

Oops! I already took to bites outta this sandwich....snicker....

  But the best part of the day was this Blackberry cupcake. It was to die for.  Oh Heavenly Yum.   All in all a great day wasting away a summer day.  Fun times.

Sweet! 

Lovely Balloon Launch

We got up early last Saturday to see something I've wanted to see my whole life; a HOT AIR BALLOON LAUNCH! And it was luckily practically in our backyard!

Here's what it looked like when we arrived....lots of them on the ground getting fatter......

The balloons were launched in Sandy at the Storm Mountain Park. It was beautiful. And it was fun to see everybody in their quilts and jammy pants eating their Egg McMuffins.

Here's me taking a picture of John taking a picture...LOL

I got close to this guy and could feel the heat as he cranked up the gas! 

First one to take off.....

We just rolled out of bed too. The thing was over by 7:15. Most of the balloons left between 7:05 and 7:10.

Then a few more.....up up and away! 

Then a few more were gone.....it happens so quick! 

Maybe if I keep my day job I can also train to be one of these..... the drivers who chase down the balloons. "Official Balloon Chase Vehicle"  now doesn't that sound like a fun job?

This could be fun? 

Bye Bye Balloon Men....

Such an amazing sight isn't it? 

So long guys! 

It was fun seeing people I know in my community coming together to  watch all the big colorful hot air balloons.  It was cool to see them all lift off one by one.  It was quiet and peaceful. Then everybody clapped. It was all over in 10 minutes start to finish.  I loved it.

Park City Art Festival

Pretty Park City Art Festival....we went last Friday with my daughter and her 2 girls....

Last Friday and Saturday was the Park City Art Festival. We went to see some of the best artists in the country on Friday right before it officially opened. Luckily, because parking was terrible! . I was told that over 1000 artisans applied to show their stuff but they only chose 120. The ones we saw were very diverse and very talented. I snapped some fun pictures of some of the beautiful and funny things I saw on Park City's Main Street.

Funny Park City T-shirts ....I told my biker husband he needs the one on the left....snicker....

There were paintings and photography of every style....

I must say the glass works were very beautiful. Here's my little granddaughter posing. She's beautiful too. :D 

This artist takes real wood tree parts and puts them in picture frames.....so beautiful. 

This  bronze artist was so talented. I want to own some of his amazing work someday.

He was my favorite artist.   I even got his card....someday maybeI'll be loaded and I'll buy some of his amazing things....

 He started out just taking a ceramics class. Then got a job in a foundry cleaning the floors.

This artist told me how he makes these.....(I was SO nosy) He puts old wine bottles (labels removed) in a kiln for 10 hours and they melt down flat. 

And lookie how pretty they turn out...  He puts the labels back on and adds ribbons....I LOVED these....

This talented potter has been making pottery for over 30 years....each piece was so pretty and unique.

There was woodwork...I'd LOVE this copper inlaid table in my Bear Lake cabin....Sigh.....

I was attracted to the glass guys again...guess how much this piece is he is holding? $6,000 bucks...yeah...not today....although I'd LOVE one of your amazing pieces....

My granddaughters loved this cute fountain wishing well....

Cool nature pieces....

This artist had all kinds of cute figurines made from steel and metals....doing all sorts of funny things....

He was once a welder....now an artist...all self taught....his stuff was very cool made out of just junk parts.

It was a beautiful day at the Park City Art Festival....mmmhmmm.....

Hey!  we shoulda gotten our palms read....why didn't we? 

Well, we got back in the car and drove on to Bear Lake for the Raspberry Days Festival on Saturday. We have a cabin there and the whole family was planning to meet us to go boating and stuff.  I loved the crafters there too, but nothing can compare with true artisans at The Park City Art Festival.  It is such a special place.

Rice Crispy Treat Pops

Here's my Rice Crispie Treat Pops...with M & Ms

Devin and Caitlin had their first anniversary this past week. They've been married 1 whole year. I made some rice crispy treat pops for them as they dropped by on their way home from St. Louis where Devin had a summer internship at Price Waterhouse.

The newlyweds came by for dinner

I made ribs and yummy side dishes and peach crisp for dessert! Check
out all my yummy recipes at  The Weekday Chef, my other blog.

Caitlin had to stay behind in Utah and work at her PR job. How fair is that? NOT much fun for her.  I'm glad they get a few weeks together before school starts up again. Devin has 2 semesters left to get his master's degree. Yee Hah! A college grad at last!

So anyway.....Here's how I made my cool crispie pops....

Heat up 1/4 cup or 1/2 a stick of butter with a 10 oz. bag of marshmallows in
a pan on the stove or in the microwave.

Then when it is white and melty mix in 6 cups of Kelloggs Rice Crispies

I looked on the rice crispy website for some creative things to do with rice crispy treats. I followed their recipe which is HERE at the Kelloggs website.
They had some cute pops using colorful Popsicle sticks. But I was out of them.

I poured all but about 3 cups into a 9 x 9 buttered pan and topped with M & Ms...yum!



Then I melted 1/3 cup of white candy melt discs in the microwave for 1 minute



Then I buttered my hands and formed the rest into 4 balls. Then I dipped the ends of them into the melted white chocolate and sprinkled the colorful toppers on as well as some M & Ms.

The M and Ms kept sliding off the balls....It may have been the slippery butter! So
I pressed them into the white candy melts before they hardened...NOT easy to do!

I didn't have any Popsicle sticks so I cut some BBQ skewers and  curled some ribbons and tied them on.

Then I poked the wooden skewers into those cute balls and here
they are with their curly ribbons decorating them!



Then I had to sit back and taste-test my treats.....they were yummo!



My little granddaughters dropped by and guess what treat they loved?

Here are my finished "Rice Crispy Treat Pops"

So Megan and Marisa came over to swim today. Guess who got the last 2 POPS?

Yeah, they were so funny! My older granddaughter said, "These are delicious!" So cute! They loved my little rice crispie treat pops.  I love them! :-D