I'm still alive

Yes, yes.  I know.  Things have been a bit slow recently on the blog.  That is simply because things off the blog here in real life have been hectic!
There has been a lot going on on campus lately, mostly due to coursework and drama rehearsals.  In fact, this Wednesday the 2nd of March marks the opening date for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.  The play which I am involved with.  It is going to be a fun show, and is done in promenade, meaning the audience is technically free to move anywhere they please.
On top of that, I have had a large amount of playwriting, directing, and rehearsing to do for other people. I am in no way complaining, I am merely saying that I have to budget my time more wisely, and this usually ends up with very little time to dedicate to the blog.

In the mail today, I received a package from home containing Valentine's Day.  You see, at the Spaulding family household, we have a Valentine's Day tradition.  On Valentine's morning, or the day closest to the 14th, my mom gets up in the morning and makes breakfast.  Only, it is Valentine's Day themed!  For instance, we have pink milk, pink eggs, red strawberries, etc.  All the food is a Valentine's Day color.  Then, the dining table has a themed drape and is set with candy hearts and kisses, etc.  We also each get a little gift.  In the mail today, I got a packet of sweets, heart napkins and plate, and a plush stuffed heart bear.  Just a way to keep home away from home.

What else have I been up to?

For one,  I decided to take a picture of the "Trolley Graveyard" that I had mentioned in a previous post.  This is essentially where everyone on campus dumps the shopping carts once they've unloaded their groceries.  The photo I took is pretty well stocked, but not the biggest pile I've ever seen here.

The 56

Also, for my dad and any other gear heads out there, I spotted this beauty in downtown Egham.  I wish the owner was around so I could have had a chat, as this Desoto is licensed in the US and has plate and stickers to back that up.  It was a beautiful vehicle, and made me miss my father's project car, which is a 1956 Chevy Bel-Air Wagon.

All for now, more to follow.

Corn Dogs

So in my new flat, we had gotten to talking about our respective cultures one fine evening.  While have this conversation, it came to light that corn dogs are absent from the British arsenal of culinary dishes.  It is hard to explain the context of corn dogs to one who is not familiar.  Mostly, you can buy corn dogs at sporting events and at fairs and carnivals.  The most challenging of all is to explain what a State Fair is to someone who has no previous knowledge. 

brianorndorf.com

I usually asking the person who I am explaining the fair to imagine a self-contained town of sorts.  This town is 320 acres, over one square kilometer.  The Minnesota State Fair is a time when residents of the state and region come to the fair to be entertained, exhibit their best livestock, show off their abilities in a variety of fields including art and cooking, learn about new products and services, and enjoy many different types of food—often on a stick. It typically runs for twelve days, running from late August into early September with the last day being Labor Day.  The average attendance is just under 1.8 million, and Minnesota has the biggest state fair in terms of daily attendance.
The fair has many permanent buildings on site, and even a few permanent midway rides--such as the Giant Slide, Space Needle, and Gondola.

Lydia, Andy, Me, and Luke

So you have this city, and it is only used in its entirety for 2 weeks out of the year.  To be fair, it is rented out to smaller events such as auto shows and appliance clear outs, but it is never as full as it is in those two weeks.
While at the State Fair, you can be guaranteed to get just about every cuisine imaginable, from fancy Italian to savvy Somalian. But when it comes to foods on a stick or foods that are deep-fried, nothing does it better.  You can get deep-fried candy bars, deep-fried corn, deep-fried Oreos, even deep-fried ice cream!
Then of course there is this corn dog which I had mentioned earlier.  Because no-one had been able to indulge themselves with this creation, I decided I would cook my own corn dogs for them.  I looked online for a recipe, and after picking up a few supplies, I was ready to give it a shot. 

I used chopsticks in the corn dogs, and fried them up to look as similar to the corn dogs from home.  Once I had made 4, I presented them to my flatmates.  It goes without saying that they fell in love with them, and since we had some batter left, we decided to fry some other foods.  Among the creations were tangerines, celery, chocolate, french fries, and bananas.  The fruit and chocolate one turned out very nicely, while the celery wasn't too popular. 
Next on the agenda is to try to make some proper Midwestern Cheese Curds!