Super AREPAS Recipe! Chicaloverde Guest Post

Here is the second guest post from the lovely Claudia at Chicaloverde! This time she has given us a wonderful recipe.

Check out her first guest here! 

Hello there!

Nat and I agreed to write for each other every month… exciting, right?

So today I wanted to share a very easy but special recipe with you. As I mentioned on my previous post I’m originally from Venezuela and one way to stay connected with my roots is, of course, though food.

One of my favorite foods from my country is AREPAS. These are similar to flat bread or corn bread minus the sweetness of it. Traditional arepas are made out of pre-cooked flour (the most popular brand is “Harina P.A.N.” and you can find it in some local grocery stores throughout the U.S.) but to make it more nutrient dense I love adding super foods to the mix.

Below is the recipe for my SUPER AREPAS. Don’t panic if you can’t find one of the ingredients, they will taste delicious no matter what.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of oats

- ½ cup Harina P.A.N., pre cooked corn flour or organic corn meal.

- 2 tbsp. chia seeds

- 2 tbsp. flax seeds

- 1 tbsp. maca powder

- 2 tbsp. hemp seeds

- 1 tbsp. unrefined coconut oil

- Water

- Sea salt

Preparation:

Soak the oats overnight in water, drain and rinse. Then mix all the ingredients in a bowl with your hands. Add water until all the ingredients are together forming a sort of dough. Add sea salt to taste.

Make balls with the palms of your hands and then press them until they are flat and round. Cook them in a skillet at medium temperature and for an extra crunch finish them in the toaster or the oven. Once your arepas are ready, cut them through the middle and stuff them with your favorite foods like eggs, turkey, avocado, tomato, black beans, shredded chicken, tuna, etc.

If you want to play around and be creative you can add other fun ingredients to the mix like beets, shredded carrots, squash or sweet potato.

Enjoy J

Claudia

www.chicaloverde.com

Twitter-Instagram-Facebook: @chicaloverde  

What is Clean Eating and Why You Should Give It A Try: Healthline

Hey there guys! 

No WIAW today. Instead, I have a real treat for you all! 

A few weeks ago Tracy from Healthline contacted me about some guest posts. She had some really interesting topics in mind that I thought would be super great reads for everyone here at Clean Eating Teen!

This edition is all about WHAT Clean Eating is, and why it is so important to one's health and fitness.

I am honored to have Healthline post here of Clean Eating Teen. I have a few more in store so watch out for them! ;)

What is Clean Eating and Why You Should Give it a Try





The basis of clean eating is eating foods in their most natural state, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet.  Rather, it’s a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life and an improved environment.
The term “clean eating” is being used just about everywhere these days, from dietitians to doctors to personal trainers, but the underlying message is the same -- Eat Clean.  So what is clean eating?




Clean Eating Explained
As already mentioned, clean eating is about consuming foods in their most natural state.  This means avoiding foods with a lot of added sugars, foods with high levels of saturated fat & trans fat, foods with a ton of preservatives, packaged foods and processed foods.  Additionally, you want to stay away from foods that have been stripped of their nutritional value and have been injected with chemicals.
Clean eating isn’t an exact science, and does not have standard guidelines, but there are some primary “do’s” and “don’ts” when referring to clean eating.  They are the following:


* Eat healthy fats from natural sources such as coconut oil, avocados and nuts
* Make healthy cooking choices, such as sauteing, steaming and baking
* Drink water, not sugary drinks, sports drinks or sodas. They are killers
* Eat more organic and local fruits and vegetables, and less meat
* If you do eat meat and dairy, choose grass-fed and free-range
* Eat unrefined, whole-grains


Again, keeping foods you consume as natural as possible is key.  For example, if you eat cauliflower, but you cover it in cheese, butter and bake it for too long, you’ve just destroyed its nutritional value and you’ve added a lot of preservatives, chemicals and fat to what would have been a wholesome, nutritious food source. A better option would be to lightly steam the cauliflower, toss with a little coconut oil, lime juice, and fresh shredded cheese.  Learning to eat and cook in a clean manner is all about learning to simplify things and not overdoing it with your meal preparation.  When you keep things simple, meals normally turn out to be more healthy and nutritious.




Anti-Clean Eating
Clean eating is not a diet or eating plan with rigid rules, and does not require counting calories. There is no set definition for clean eating. Rather, it is about simplicity, and no, you’re not going to develop an eating disorder or inappropriate feelings towards food. Don’t over-analyze every ingredient of everything you eat. That’s not good. Progress is made and goals are reached through consistency, not perfection.  Be consistent most of the time, and the good health and fit body you’re seeking will come.
A good approach to clean eating is the 80/20 rule.  In other words, make the right choices 80% of the time.  If you’re going out to dinner and you have spaghetti instead of salmon, don’t beat yourself up.  You’re still maintaining your 80% standard of clean eating.  And what’s more, that one dish of spaghetti doesn’t negate the rest of that day’s good efforts.
Ultimately, you’re going to have great success, improve your overall health and make plenty of progress as you stay consistent and make the right choices more often than not.  When you strive for perfection you’re only setting yourself up for disappointment, bad feelings and failure. Relax and tell yourself it’s about steady consistency, not perfection.




Health Benefits of Clean Eating
Clean eating is attractive because it improves your health. By avoiding refined sugars, chemicals and preservatives, you’re cutting down on the likelihood of developing serious health conditions, like cancer and diabetes.
If you’re trying to lose weight, improving your diet could be just the thing you need to shed those pounds.  If you’re used to a diet full of preservatives and added chemicals, suddenly pulling them from your daily intake may help get your body back to normal and optimized. It’s uncanny how small changes in a diet can drastically change our body, and affect your ability to lose weight, get fit and have a sense of well-being for the rest of your life.
Other health benefits of clean living include better sleep and mood, blood sugar balance, improved cholesterol levels, more energy and a more robust immune system. The decision to start eating cleanly is a personal one, but once you make it, you will find that there are tons of food options to choose from, and you will reap the health and weight-loss rewards for years to come.



David Novak is an international syndicated newspaper columnist, appearing in newspapers, magazines, radio and TV around the world.. David is a specialist at consumer technology, health and fitness, and he also owns a PR firm and a consulting company where he and his staff focus on these industries. He is a regular contributing editor for Healthline. For more information, visit http://www.healthline.com/.

I Ran The Amazing Technicolor 5k!

Hey there Clean Eaters. Boy, have I had an exciting weekend!

Not only was the weekend homecoming for me (so a late Friday night football game, plus a late Saturday night dance!), but Saturday morning I ran the Amazing Technicolor 5k! My boyfriend and his family invited me and my family to participate. We had a BLAST getting soaked in colorful powder rainbows. This was my first ever 5K, and I couldn't think of a better way to experience it.

For those who do not know what the race was, it was similar to any other color race. Instead of paint, you are given packets of color to throw at people. Also, every 1/2 mile there is a station where volunteers are lined up tossing a color at you!

That morning, we woke up and headed out to the race. We got to the site 45 minutes before the race started at 9am... With a rainy forcast ahead, we were happy when there was yet a raindrop in sight. But, as luck would have it... we parked our car, and the storm started pouring. Running up into the check in area in freezing Fall rain was definitely something to remember.

Inside the check in area, Jasons Deli and Panera Bread had donated some fuel for the race! I grabbed a banana and some of the other guys got cinnamon rolls and granola.

The group before the race started. We are all wet from the rain! My sister, on the far right, is holding one of the color powder packets. 

Soon enough, 9am came around and miraculously the rain stopped. The sun was shining and you couldn't have been able to tell it was ever storming to start with! And on the positive note, the race began...

We all started together, but some of us wanted to run and others preferred to walk. Even those of us who ran did not stay as one... we all had different speeds! The boys all sprinted the entire way and were far ahead of us all. I ran most of the time, but stopped periodically to be with my sister and my boyfriend's sisters.

Here is a picture we snapped a mile or so through! We had just passed one of out first color stations and were covered in pink powder. 
Also, here we are running on a bridge over the highway. I thought it was so cool that all the cars were honking in support at the runners! 

The race went by QUICKLY! Usually, when I ran (the few times that that actually happens on my own. Seriously... running isn't my hobby!) it seems to take FOREVER. I really respect passionate marathon runners in this sense... I don't know how they do it.

But in any case, I felt like time flew by. I finished the race in about 40 minutes, mostly running but also stopping to walk backwards and catch up with my sister.

My sister got some powder thrown on her... mostly in her eye. Ha! Makes for a beautiful picture though. Also, her eyes really pop with that color! ;) 

About halfway through I got really warm in my jacket. Initially I had it on under my shirt for warmth (it was cold when it was raining!), but I had to yank the thing off! Whew. I carried it the rest of the time in my hands.

Before I knew it, I was crossing the finish line. I crossed it alone, with the adults, my sister and my boyfriend's sisters not far behind. I caught up with the guys and we waited for the others to finish as well.

Then... it was time for the after party! This was just as fun as the race. There was a great DJ and everyone did the cupid shuffle... also, while everyone was in a group, he told us to take our powder packets and throw it up in the air at the same time. For a few seconds you couldn't see through the fog!!

Look at all that color! 

Many pictures were taken of the group post-race. We were seriously on a (runners?) high for hours afterwards.

My mom, sister and I. I love being able to keep my running bib! My mom and sister did not care to keep theirs. 

All of us after the race!! 

 Me and a friend of mine and my boyfriends, from school. This kid is so fun to be around. He also is one sharp dresser... no joke, after the race he went and changed into some fancy shirt and pants and had to head to another event. I guess he is also Mr. Popular! ;) 

Such a cute picture!! My boyfriends sisters and my sister. See all that colorful powder on the ground?

The race overall was one of the most incredible events I have ever been to. EVERYONE was in a great mood, and all runners cheered and supported one another.

It was hilarious, too, the looks my mom, sister and I got after leaving the race. We actually had a dental appointment at noon and had no time to change so... yeah. We went looking like giant blobs of rainbow.
We got lots of smiles though! Seems that the race was a popular event, because everyone knew where we had came from.

So... after such a busy morning, I also had to be ready for HOMECOMING that night! Thank heavens that color came out from my hair and skin. I do have to admit though, I had to part my hair on the opposite side than I was planning, because my scalp was stained pink there! Ha!

Have you ever ran a 5k or other race? How was it?

Natalie

Sweet Italian Crockpot Chicken

Now that winter is coming around, it is time to bring out the crock pot from storage (or, uh, the laundry room in my case...) and put it to good use!

My crock pot is nothing fancy. It is actually pretty old... but it gets the job done and there is never a meal made from it that I don't love. There is just something about coming home and smelling the aromas of a chicken stew or a bean chili that's been slowly simmering all day long...

A few days ago, I read an article on Yahoo on tips about crock pots. It mentioned how simple ingredients are often left out due to the idea that because of the long cooking time, their flavors will fade away. Quiet the contrary is true, actually!

The longer some basic ingredients and spices cook, the more their flavor develops. Example: tomato paste.

I had a whole chicken just waiting to be cooked in the fridge, so I figured some experimentation couldn't hurt. And boy, let me tell you...
HOLY. COW. I have really been neglecting my taste buds for a while before trying this! After hours in the crock pot, the paste turns sweet and really blooms with flavor. The consistency slightly changes to a more creamy texture as well.

This recipe is TOO easy and delicious to turn down! Just throw it in the pot before work or school and you've got yourself a wonderful main course item to come home to.

Sweet Italian Crockpot Chicken 
Recipe is for a 5 lb chicken 

1 whole chicken, most of the skin removed*
1 small can unsalted tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
3-4 sprigs fresh basil
2 TBSP dried tarragon
2 TBSP garlic powder
2 TBSP onion flakes
1 TBSP red pepper flakes
1 TBSP chile powder
1 TSP black pepper
pinch of sea salt

 *(I havn't tried it with the skin on yet, but I hate the way it gets soggy in the crockpot usually so I took most of mine off. Yeah yeah, I know, you're probably thinking "What?! It holds the flavor, moisture, ext..." but really, the chicken was very moist and flavorful without it. Plus it helped the paste flavors to seep in!)

1) Once you have deskinned most of the chicken and removed the giblets, stuff the basil in the cavity, under any leftover skin, and under legs and wings.

2) Place the chicken in the crockpot. Coat the chicken well on both sides and inside the cavity with the spices.

3) Coat (as well as you can) on both sides with a thick layer of tomato paste. Sprinkle extra seasonings on top of the paste, if desired.

4) Carefully add the water. Place the lid on and set on LOW for about 8 hours.

And then, come home from a long day and have your food magically waiting for you! Don't be tempted to eat half of it with your hands like I was. (Don't worry, I resisted. But it was a close call.) ;)

How do you use your crockpot? Share some recipes!

Natalie


 

WIAW #14- More Food and BREAKFAST RUTS

As you know from my past experiences, it can get tricky to capture every meal Tuesday to make this Wednesday post. So I decided to try something different this week... I've compiled a few pictured from meals throughout my week (not just yesterday) to share with you all!

I like this format a bit better, so let me know what you guys think of it. It is similar to The Lean Green Bean's "Weekly Eats" post.

Breakfasts:

Above: Peanut butter with an apple and a hard boiled egg
Below: Peanut butter and 1/2 an apple, with a TBSP of homemade hummus and carrots. Also a slice of Pumpkin Walnut Oatmeal Bread with the butta'. 

I have a confession. I am IN A BREAKFAST RUT.
Don't get me wrong, I love my peanut butter and everything... I just think things are getting boring. The same basic things over and over again... any suggestions on recipes?

Lunch:

Vegetarian Chipotle bowl with brown rice, black beans, TONS of fajita veggies. corn, pico, and lettuce. I tossed some Tabasco sauce on there too. Talk about sodium overload. But I only go here every other week or so... so it is alright! 

I am bad at lunches. Really, when it comes to taking pictures, I FAIL at this meal.

Here's a picture of a lunch from the weekend, CHIPOTLE! One of the few restaurants I like going to. I cook 99% of my meals at home... Chipotle is the occasional treat, as they are a restaurant that I trust and appreciate. I really love their recent pledge to go GMO free, plus they cook everything FRESH right there. Ingredients are also bought locally when possible, and meat and dairy is hormone free!

Other lunches included dinner leftovers, some pictured below.

Dinner:

Top: Baked Acorn Squash stuffed with sauteed brussle sprouts, plus a bell pepper stuffed with turkey meat. 

Middle: ALL HAIL LEFTOVERS! This was so easy and so good. I tossed an acorn squash in the oven (can you tell I like me some winter squash?), stuffed it with leftover beans. The beans were a mix of pinto and great northern, with some summer squash and other veggies sauteed in there. Similar to my lentil recipe. 

Bottom: A new chicken recipe... done in the crockpot! So tasty, simple, and the tomato paste used makes it SWEET. Recipe to come soon! 

How do you guys like this new way of WIAW?

What have you been eating?

Natalie

Just In Time For Halloween...Pumpkin Walnut Oatmeal Bread!

Like I mentioned in my last post, I LOVE Halloween. Maybe just because it's my birthday? Actually, I just love Fall!

All the colors, smells, and feelings associated with this time of the year here in Texas make me happy. I especially adore being able to walk into Bath and Body and pick out their latest Fall or Winter scent... Whew, that store certainly gets a large chunk of this household's income! There's nothing my mother and I love better than "good smelly stuff", as we call it. Going to Bath and Body and choosing a candle or two happens once or month or so... we also use their wallflowers.

Image via Google images 

Our favorite scents are currently Winter, for when it gets more chilly, and Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin for right now!

Speaking of pumpkin... guess what ingredient is perfectly used in today's recipe? I figured it was time to use the iconic squash, especially now that they're in season and it seems that the giant flavor of "Pumpkin!" is put on every type of food out there at the moment.

The great thing about this recipe, though, it that it is actually healthy! Plus it is easy and cheap to make, and creates a delicious scent while baking. Hey, why not hit two birds with one stone?

Thank you Kathy over at Happy Healthy Life for inspiration for the recipe! I basically fallowed her guide with just a few tweaks. I received her recipe via email alert when it was first posted a while ago and literally made it THAT DAY after school.

Pumpkin Walnut  Oatmeal Bread
Yields one 9x5inch loaf 

2 cups oat flour, made from regular oats grinded in a blender
1/4 cup crushed walnuts (or pecans) 
1TBSP baking powder
TSP cinnamon 
 1/4 TSP ginger powder 
 1/4 TSP nutmeg 
1/8 TSP cayenne 
1 cup almond milk, or other non dairy milk. 
3 TSP chia seeds, ground in blender OR 1 egg. (If you use the egg, use less milk.)
1/2 TBSP vanilla extract
1 (15oz)can unsweetened pumpkin puree
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted 
3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar 
1/3-1/2 cup raw local honey (adjust according to desired sweetness)
1/4 cup zest of orange or lemon, optional (the original recipe calls for this. I used it with and without, both turning out delicious!)

1) Preheat the oven to 415. In a blender, place your oats and grind until it forms a non-grainy powder. Do the same for the chia seeds, if using. 

2) Take your melted oil and combine it with the milk, vinegar, honey, and chia seeds OR egg.

3) Mix all your dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add in your pumpkin puree and walnuts, and slowly stir in the liquid mixture. 

4) You should have a thick mix. Once there are no clumps and everything is smooth, pour into a 9x5 inch loaf pan greased with olive or coconut oil. 

5) Bake at 415 for 20 minutes, and then turn your heat down to about 375 for another 20-30. Just check with a toothpick to see how your loaf if doing.

And yum! This bread is great with peanut butter. I also would think that It might goes nice with some local butter or coconut oil, or even some jelly. Heck, even eat this thing alone! It is still good, and makes for a perfect breakfast, snack or dessert. 

What are you making to celebrate Halloween? 

Natalie 

Blog Troubles + A New Look

Woot woot! Happy FRIDAY to us all!!

This week has been a long one. Last week I only had to go to school three days instead of five due to the extended weekend holiday. So it was difficult getting back into the swing of things.


Image via Google Images 

I plan to visit The Haunt House soon. I have a family friend who has worked there for a while. These guys are no joke... they provide some VERY scary entertainment!  

I'm looking forward to the rest of October. Lots of fun events are happening... homecoming is coming up, and so is my birthday on the 31st (yep, my birthday is Halloween!) I am still trying to decide what I want to be. All I know for sure is that I am SUPER EXCITED to go to as many haunted houses as possible! They are one of my favorite things to do all year. I think I may even like them more that opening Christmas presents (well, okay. Maybe they're a close second.)

Anyways... lately I have been getting some feedback from readers that they are unable to see a comment that they post on the blog, or are simply not able to post one all together. I also have been having issues with my Blogger format in general... gadgets not working, icons and pages not even showing up!


Image via Google Images 

I've been debating whether or not to move Clean Eating Teen from Blogger and to Wordpress, which I know would have more options for me and the blog. You might have noticed me posting on Twitter and Facebook about my frustrations! However, after fiddling with it for a few days with Wordpress and trying to transfer over by the easiest means possible, I realized that I simply could not figure it out on my own.

I am not the most technology-savvy person by any means. There was no way I was going to risk messing up what content I had already produced here, so I decided to make the best of what I was allowed to do with Blogger.

One of my favorite bloggers, Heather from The Soulful Spoon, advised me to try and change my template. Some templates here are formatted for more of a journal entry rather than an actual blog... I am pretty sure that is what my problem was, because as you can (hopefully) now see, the problems I was having before are gone!

I had some free time today during classes so I used it to edit Clean Eating Teen. By no means is it perfect, and I hope to add some more pages and icons soon, but I am satisfied (especially from where it was!)

So how does everyone like the new look on the blog? Is it working correctly, and can you navigate more easily?

Also... what does everyone plan to dress up as for Halloween?! ;)

Natalie

WIAW #13 Banana Ice Cream?!

Hello and happy Wednesday! Before I even say anything, I have to start with this.

THIS.

Holy cow man. One frozen banana, cut into slices, with peanut butter (mixed with cinnamon!) in between. It is JUST like ice cream! I had this as a snack, and I had to put some back in the fridge for later because it was so rich.

I had heard of this nifty trick before on blogs, and even in a Youtube video from Davey Wavey (one of my favorite health gurus!). I have no idea why it has taken so long for me to get around to trying it!

I can see why frozen bananas so easily make for fantastic, healthy ice cream when blended. I may want to try some different flavor combinations and see what I can come up with... I think vanilla extract would make it super yummy too.

Anywho... on to the eats!

Breakfast:

A non dairy yogurt and a hard boiled egg (not pictured)

I used to have an addiction to Chobani. Like, seriously, I would go through a large container of their Vanilla greek yogurt in a matter of days. However, back when I ate yogurt regularly (over a year ago), I was having some stomach issues in which I couldn't detect the source.

It's embarrassing, but I constantly felt bloated and queasy. For months I had an INTENSE, sharp pain in my abdomen, and nothing the doctor suggested helped. (Actually, they had just prescribed me a medication called Nexium to reduce acid reflux. I was NOT about to take that- the side effects are awful, plus it goes against the holistic approach I support- so I knew it was time to get serious in finding out what was causing my issues.)

Eventually, I made the connection to my stomach problems and the yogurt. Yep. Just like my grandmother, turns out I am lactose intolerant! So bye bye yogurt for me and with it, all my dreams.

UNTIL... BOOM. Enter So Delicious. They make non dairy milks, yogurts (I have yet to locate their Greek kind!), and even ice cream! I've been anticipating trying this for quite a while now, but their products are a bit pricey so I've had to wait until now. I got the plain flavor, but it still tasted AMAZINGLY sweet (like coconuts, duh). And no tummy troubles!

Lunch:

Leftover sauteed veggies. 

Oh, poor boring old me. Bringing my mess of a thing to lunch for everyone to ponder "What on earth is that child consuming?" Ah, I'm used to it.

Maybe it doesn't look so appealing, but really it was quite tasty... just a melody of some farmers market as well as store produce. At school my boyfriend insisted the squash looked like bananas, but never mind him! ;)

Snack:

The delicious invention mentioned above. Please disregard my horrifying nails.

Dinner:

Bell peppers stuffed with leftover lentils and a bit of chicken meat.

Getting creative with leftovers! Woot woot.

So... what have you been eating?

Any favorite allergy-friendly brands that you adore?

Natalie

Basil Lemon Baked Salmon

Happy Monday y'all!

The start of the week is always rough. Today is especially a challenge for me, because we had two extra days off last week for the Fair and only had school for three days! So going back for a full week is going to be tiring.

I've put together for you Clean eaters today a simple, easy, and QUICK recipe that is perfect for rushed or tiring days (like today!) Heck, this is so easy, it doesn't even have to be for dinner. If you've access to a small toaster oven at work, whip this baby up in less than 20 minutes for lunch.

Basil Lemon Baked Salmon
Yields 2 small servings or 1 larger one 

2 (4oz) fillets of salmon (I get frozen, wild caught fillets from my local Aldi)
4-5 fresh basil leaves
squeeze of lemon (add zest if desired)
pinch of black pepper
pinch of sea salt, optional

1) I lay my fillets on a small sheet of foil. I put a leaf or two of basil under the fillets, and the rest on top. Squeeze the lemon juice and seasonings on top.

2) Cover the fillets in the foil (it doesn't have to be completely covered, it is alright if some is showing) and bake in your oven at 400 for about 10-15 minutes.

3) And there you have it folks! You can't tell me you "don't have time" to make this. ;)

What are your favorite ways to eat salmon?

Share your recipes!

Natalie

State Fair Of Texas

I had Monday and Tuesday off from school for "fair day". Because I live so close to the Texas State Fair, we actually get holidays for it! There ARE some benefits to living in this hot climate!

 Entering the fair grounds! And the back of my momma's head (hey there mom!)

Funny story... one of the booths was an all natural dog and cat food brand, and they were handing out free samples by the handful. My whole group was down for getting some to take home (even though I actually do not own either....but free stuff!). Little did we know that the "samples" were actually rather large bags! So we had nearly 10 pounds of animal food to carry around... haha, good thing we thought well enough to turn around and put it in the car before continuing our adventure.

In the passenger seat of "my" car in one of the automobile buildings.

Right before we left, my mom, sister, god father and his son all insisted on trying this year's winning fried creation: Fried Thanksgiving Dinner. Basically, it was a bunch of "stuffing" mixed with turkey chunks, all battered and fried in balls. Served with a side of "cranberry sauce" and "gravy". Clever, I do admit... but I opted out for trying it. I'd have the runs for weeks.

 The GIANT Boar is at the Fair every year, and is one of my favorites to go see. It mainly just sits around and sleeps, but look how big the thing is! The picture doesn't do justice.

For all you butter lovers...Here is this years GIANT butter sculpture. Yep, all that... made out of butter. It set a new Guinness world record!  Probably not the best source of saturated fats but at least it looks good enough to eat!

And last but certainly not least... *drumroll please*

 Of course my godfather wanted a corn dog. Who doesn't at the State Fair of Texas?

Any other Texans enjoy the State Fair this weekend? Or plan to do so?

Natalie