Orange County Fair

The San Diego County fair was  success! On to the next town: ORANGE COUNTY.

The Orange County Fair runs from July 12 - August 11.

The theme of the 2013 OC fair is 'Come & Get it'. Come on down to the OC fair this month and get a taste of Summer, OC style. Enjoy live entertainment, fun rides and games, and of course delicious fair food.


Like any other fair, the OC Fair has it's selection of delicious fair food from savory turkey legs to fried anything (basically)! And on Friday's during the fair, there will be a Taste of Fair event starting at $2. For a menu of the Taste of Fair Food, click here.

Love Music? The 2013 Summer Concert Series at the Pacific Amphitheatre will feature a wide range of artists such as Colbie Caillat, The Go-Gos, Austin Mahone, Alan Jackson, Styx, The Wanted and many more! 

General Tips:
Open Wednesday - Sunday (Closed Monday and Tuesday)

Ticket Prices - General (13–59) $11, Seniors (60+) $8, Youth (6–12) $6. Children 5 and under free.

Every Friday Noon - 4 'Come and Get' The Taste of Fair Food $2
Early Risers Discount - Saturday and Sunday 10 - 11 AM $3 admission

Additional Information can be found in the fair's website.

Nothing Like An Ice Cold Glass Of Tea

As if the whole month wasn't enough to celebrate National Iced Tea Month, we needed to dedicated one specific day for National Iced Tea Day! June 10 is National Iced Tea Day. Nothing feels more satisfying than a nice glass of iced tea on a sunny day.

Iced Tea is my coffee. I prefer it, and it doesn't give me the caffeine jitters. Just about everywhere I dine, I'm usually the one who orders iced tea (or Arnold Palmer, which is half tea/half lemonade).

For first timer's or new tea lovers, I'd like to share with you my tea criteria:
Real Tea Flavor - If I'm going to have some tea, iced or hot, I want to be able to taste the natural herb. I actually find tea to be a very satisfying taste. So the first thing I look for is the flavor.
Natural Sweetness - Before any added sugar or sweeteners, how sweet is the tea? I rarely add sugar to brewed tea so I would like to feel the boldness of the taste.
Added Sweetness - When I go for bottled or specialty flavors, I know that there will be added sweetness. Of course I wouldn't say no to a sweet tasting glass of iced tea, but I don't want my tea to be polluted by sugar... Unless it's sweet tea of course!
Additional Flavors - Raspberry iced tea seems to be the most popular flavored iced tea. I do love that a few restaurants and brands expand on their tea flavors. Even when it comes to Arnold Palmers, people experiment with the different lemonade and tea combinations.

What's your favorite iced tea flavor?

What's your iced tea preference? Super sweet or natural flavors?

What's your favorite bottled iced tea?

Have you ever made your own iced tea?

So many questions for just one simple drink! Whether you go to the market and pick out a bottle of your favorite brand, dine out tonight and order the fruity iced tea flavors, or steep a few tea packets in the comfort of your own kitchen, let's raise our glasses and toast to National Iced Tea Day! Now today's a Monday that's not so bad ;)

San Diego County Fair

It's summer time and that means one thing for many SoCal natives - COUNTY FAIRS!

The first one up: San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds from June 8 - July 4

This year, the theme of the fair is 'Game On'. As described from the SD Fair official website, "The fair will spotlight classic and nostalgic games and show how these have evolved over the years; from board games and pinball, to television, videos and computers."

Enjoy carnival games, wild rides, live entertainment and amazing attractions and exhibits from local San Diego schools and organizations to showcase their accomplishments and celebrate the end of the school year and the start of summer vacation.

I go to the fair for two things: Concerts and Food (of course!) This year, I checked out the line-up for the grandstand stage performances and there are a variety of performers for people of all ages and in different genres. Like oldies? The Beach Boys will be playing opening night and Joan Jett and the Black Hearts will play closing night and will remind us why we love rock and roll . Have kids? Take them to see Big Time Rush, Victoria Justice and Bridgit Mendler (names you might not know, but names they probably worship). Other big names like Steve Miller Band, Train, Colbie Caillat, Martina McBride, and Kendrick Lamar are set to perform during this month.

Now for the food. If you've ever been to a county fair you know the food is delicious. They may not necessarily be the healthiest things - fried twinkies, fried kool aid, fried snickers... you get the point, FRIED FOOD - but they certainly are delicious and the fair should be a fun experience, so why not cheat on your healthy eating just this once. My mom likes to get the grilled corn and turkey legs while my siblings go for the varieties of food around such as chili-cheese fries, funnel cake, hotdogs, krispy-kreme sandwiches and so much more. The baked goods and typical foods like popcorn and cotton candy are always a must and- ok I need to stop before I get ahead of myself. Basically, the San Diego County fair has it all - Games, Rides, Concerts and best of all Food. So mark your calendars... Ready. Set. Game On!


Tickets and general information can be found on the fair's website.
Many business's support the SD Fair so look out for Military Discounts, Albertson/Save-on Discounts, Costco Discounts, and much more!

Tip:
Closed on Mondays except July 2nd.
June 11 and 18 is $4 Tuesday
There are special promos once you're at the fair to come back again for a discounted price.

Make the Most of May

The final few days of the month of May is upon us. Have you been able to celebrate any food holidays this month?

Some May food holidays include:
National Orange Juice Day - 4
International No Diet Day - 6
National Shrimp Day - 10
National Chocolate Chip Day -15
National Wine Day - 25

May is also National Barbecue Month AND National Hamburger Month!

How awesome has this month been for foodies?

As we celebrate our remaining days of May, Wiki How has a great 'How To Celebrate National BBQ Month' article. See if you can do a few!

Celebrate National Barbecue Month

So warm up your grill, toss in a couple of franks and beef patties, slab some bbq sauce on that rack of ribs and enjoy the sunshine and (almost) start of the summer!