Bowls

This Sunday Graham signed me up to play in a lawn bowls tournament at our local Bowls Club.  Before I begin, a basic guide to Bowls.

Now being an American I did not grow up with this popular Australian past time. To describe it, its kind of like Bocce Ball, but different.


Basically you have a long flat grassy playing field, similar to a golf green. You place a rug on the ground where you will be tossing your balls (bowls) from. You then take a small ball about the size of a white ball on a pool table, about as heavy too, and you toss it in a strait line from where you stand. This is the "Kitty" ball. Its the ball you want all of your Bowls balls to get closest too. Then you start bowling.

In the picture above is the small Kitty and two Bowls balls. These balls are weighted to curve to one direction so its important before you throw it you know which way the ball is going to curve. If you get it wrong your ball will end up in someone else's bowls game, or way out on the other side of the lawn. 


The objective is to get your bowls as close to the Kitty as possible, you have 4 bowls balls to toss, as does your opponent. Your opponent can hit the Kitty out of the way of your balls, or knock your balls further away from the Kitty. Its a tricky game. You should be getting a rough idea of the game. If not go and check out this link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowls

Now back to my story. As I said before Graham signed me up to play in a Lawn Bowls Tournament this weekend. Now it was nothing really serious, but  when we arrived at the club I quickly realized I was going to be on the losing end of this tournament.

Bowls is mostly an old persons activity in Australia but just recently it has enjoyed a spark of interest from young college aged people. At this tournament however Graham and I where the youngest in attendance. After a few practice tosses and a chance to buy a pint of beer the tournament was ready to begin.

For the first round I was paired up with two older gentlemen who at first seemed annoyed to be playing with a young American woman who knows only the basics of Lawn Bowls. After a few frames the group atmosphere warmed and I laughed listening to these two men use phrases such as "thats good green", and "come on get that kitty". This is a really competitive sport, with lots of courtesy rules similar to golf. Like no talking when someone is bowling, not acting in a distracting way when someone is bowling, picking up your next bowl only after someone has just bowled and not while they are in the act of bowling. But on the other hand this is also a sport that allows you to play barefoot and smoke cigarettes while playing.

I won a few frames and was happy to give the old guys a run for their money a few times. But at the end of the game my score was 16 and well... thats really really low.. like scoring a 13 out of 200 at the Bowling Alley. So I lost. Graham did well though and got to play on in another game. It was an interesting afternoon.

Now I am not sure if I am going to take up this sport more seriously, I think I had better get a little more practice before I try to compete against anyone again. But you never know if you never try.

The fair foods of my life!

Recently I went home to Indiana to visit my parents and friends. I like to plan my trips around the Indiana State Fair mainly due to my love of fair foods. So I thought I would write a blog honoring the fair foods of my life. 


Growing up I got to attend two different state fairs. First the Indiana State Fair,

 and then later the Western Idaho State Fair. 

Mainly these two fairs had the same foods. But Idaho had one food delight that the Indiana State Fair did not. That was the Ice Cream Potato.

I first had the Ice Cream Potato when I was 10 years old. It is vanilla ice cream rolled into a potato shape and then frozen as hard as a real potato. Then it is rolled in coco for that dirt color, topped with whipped cream, crushed cookies, nuts, and chocolate sauce.  I remember standing in line with my Mom and girlfriends for this fair treat and then fighting to get that first bite on to my plastic spoon as the ice cream was frozen solid. This is one fair food you can not miss, and the great thing about it, its an Idaho original. 


Most of my best fair food memories come from the Indiana State Fair where the line of food vendors stretches over 1 kilometer. There is everything on offer at the Indiana State Fair. These are just some of my long time favorites.


The Lemon Shake Up

You will find this sugary drink at most fairs in the US. Its a mixture of lemon juice and sugar syrup mixed together vigorously. Its tangy and sweet and leaves a little tingle on your tongue, not sure what they put in it for that effect but its unique. This is not a carbonated drink but still give you that refreshing feeling that a carbonated drink offers. This year at the fair I slammed down two of these babies. I like to get one right when I arrive at the fair, and then another one as I leave. Knowing it will be another long year before I see the Lemon Shake-Up stand again. 


The Pulled Pork Sandwich

Most of you know that I was born in Indiana. In Indiana people take the hog farming business seriously. Hogs, Corn, and Soy Beans are a big industry in Indiana. So when you go to the Indiana State Fair and walk down the "fair food alley" you are hit in the face with a big sign that reads "PORK TENT". In the pork tent you will find all sorts of of treats featuring Indiana Hogs. My favorite is the Pulled Pork Sandwich. Now this sandwich did not originate in Indiana, it being a southern food, but Indiana Hogs go into making many of these sandwiches. The pork is slowly cooked and smothered in BBQ sauce. Its the centre of my fair food experiences. I loved this sandwich as a kid and I still love it just as much as an adult. 


The Smoked Turkey Leg

This is my husband Graham's favorite fair food. I first tried the large Smoked Turkey Leg at a renaissance fair in Boise Idaho. Then upon moving back to Indiana in 2000 I was pleased to see my old friend the Smoked Turkey Leg at the Indiana State Fair. My husband Graham, being an Australian was always a little overwhelmed at all the gut bursting choices in food at the Indiana State Fair; but before long I had him in line with the thongs of people who also shared a love of the Smoked Turkey Leg. It is huge in size sometimes larger then a child's head, its smokey, you can barely eat it all and after you have to take a short nap in the horse barn on a pile of wood chips but its worth every bit. And for the health conscious like my husband, its one of the more healthy choices at the fair. 


The Elephant Ear

Also known as a kind of deep fired dough this was my Grandpa Wolfla's favorite fair food, thus I remember many a fair sharing a huge Elephant Ear with him. This deep fried dough comes out as big as an elephant's ear and then is covered in cinnamon and sugar. It is delicate and moist and the sugar on top just adds to the already sweet flavor of the dough. This is also my Mom's favorite fair food, and one I hope to share with my kids someday. 


Corn On The Cob

Remember above I told you Hogs, Corn, and Soy Beans are big business in Indiana, well it would not be an Indiana State Fair without a few corn on the cob stands. This treat goes back to the start of fairs in the United States. Corn on the Cob has traveled far and wide, I even see Corn on the Cob stands at fairs in Australia. Although nothing shakes a stick at the quality of Indiana sweet corn. This fair food will remain a classic forever. Just remember to pack a tooth pick if you plan on enjoying this classic treat! 

Now if this blog does not make you hungry I don't know what does. 

What are waiting for! Its August call you friends and family or just get in the car and GO! Point yourself in the direction of the State Fair and eat something for me!!! 

Back to Boise 2010

I went to Boise for 4 days this August to see my best girlfriends!

Some of you may or may not know that when I was 9 years old my family moved to Idaho. Growing up in Idaho I met 4 girls who changed my life. These girls are still my best friends. All of them still live in Boise. I am the only one who has moved away, and although there is a world between us and we may not to get to see each other as often as we would like, nothing has changed. We are still the same group of girlfriends we have aways been!

My Girls are:

Ann - (in the tree with me) I meet Ann in 5th grade, my Mom made me go to a new school for the last week of 5th grade, and good thing cause Ann sat next to me in class. She lived just behind my home too, there was a lot of fence climbing over the years from her house to mine. Ann is the glue of our girl group. Also Ann's Mom makes the best cookies in Idaho, uncontested!

April -(on far left in second photo) I meet April in 7th grade at West Jr. High School. This girl can warm any heart with her smile. I remember loving April's sense of style growing up and was always trying out her ideas (although she may not have known this). When April fell pregnant her baby Taylor (kido in the photos) I remember having this intuition about it. I knew before she called to tell me. Taylor is the sweetest girl and so smart! Just like her Mom!

Kristy - (photo holding a bird) Ann, Kristy, and I all lived in the same neighborhood. Kristy lived on top of the tallest hill in our neighborhood. Kristy and I became close when both of our families went to a car auction in Sun Valley Idaho, from then on we where the best of buddies. Kristy was the girl who introduced me to make up and the art of looking like a lady. Kristy's words at our sleepovers still ring in my ears "Hey lets give Mary a makeover." I met Kristy in 6th grade. Thanks to Kristy I made it to High School on most days.. thanks for the rides.

Lindy - (center of second photo) I met Lindy in 7th grade too. The first thing you learn about Lindy is that she loves to laugh and her laughter is contagious. Lindy is so generous and always helpful. Over the years Lindy has given me great advice and gotten me out of a few jams. She is a Mom to little Kyra, the cutest baby girl ever!

Going back to Boise was a blast. The last time I had been back was in 2006. I moved away from Boise when I was 17, but always made my way back every year till 2006 (lots of spring breaks). I even spent a wild summer with them in 2003, and had way to much fun!

I was surprised to see Boise had not changed too much, its the same town I love. The afternoon I flew in from Australia I was picked up at the airport by Ann and quickly whisked to her house for a shower and then we were off to Kristy's parents birthday parties; being held at Kristy's house. It was a great party and good to see lots of Kristy's family and catch up with her parents. There was BBQ southern style, cake, an open bar, and poker tables. It was a good party, and I quickly felt like I had never been gone.

The following days we had BBQ's and spent time catching up with some old faces. As well as meeting some new ones. It was just great to see my girlfriends and spend time seeing there homes and laughing like old times. One of the highlights was meeting Ann's neighbors. She lives between a house full of 23 year old boys and on the other side an 80 year old lady. This lady and the boys love Ann and they often have parties and spend time hanging out together. I can understand why, Ann is one special girl, if she was my neighbor I would be at her house every day!

The Bird Picture Explained

Another highlight was my day spent hanging out and shopping with Kristy. We meet an old friend from school out for lunch, we where eating outside on the restaurant patio when a yellow cockatiel lands on the handrail beside me. Shocked to see this kind of bird just landing next to us I put out my hand and the bird climbed onto my fingers. Soon the bird was enjoying our french fries and had the whole restaurant looking out at us! For some strange reason Kristy and I seem to find lost animals when together. Realizing we could not just leave the bird there we finished our lunch and with the bird on my shoulder we got in the car. Kristy started calling our friends asking them if they wanted to free pet cockatiel. Let me tell you this was one cool bird. It was gentle, didn't bite hard just nibbled you, it also danced to oldies music, and liked to be handled and petted. This was someone's beloved bird. Knowing finding the owner was going be tuff, we frantically looked for someone to care for it. Kristy drove me to a pet shop and was shocked when I came out with a cage for the bird compete with food, and toys. As a last resort Kristy called her Mom, and luck would have it her Mom said she would take the bird and look after it. Now the bird (named Sydney for Australia) is happily living at Kristy's parents house with no other pets. What a relief! But also a strange adventure in our day!

My trip went by too fast and soon it was time for me to head off to Indiana to see my parents. I am so grateful for my girlfriends. They have shaped the person I am today and have enriched my life more then they will ever know. I miss them everyday and often wish I could just walk over to their houses for a visit.

One thing is for sure, there is nothing like the friendships you make while you are young, they help us remember who we are, and who we want to be.