Winterlude 2011... food and footwear

State Fairs boast about their Chicken-Fried Bacon and Deep-Fried Twinkies. The Olympics flaunted their Deep-Fried Star Fish and Goat Lungs with Red Peppers. Every festival has its own unique food and Winterlude is no different. As Winterlude newbies, we felt a responsibility to try ALL the unique gastronomical delights.

Beaver Tail 

Think elongated oval-shaped Indian Fry Bread smothered in butter, cinnamon & sugar. Or butter & real maple syrup. They absolutely melt in your mouth! YUMMY!!

Maple Taffy on Snow

These morsels of ecstacy are nothing more than heated maple syrup poured onto snow, then rolled up on a stick and left in the snow. They are both refreshing and warming at the same time. Gooey? Yes. Sweet? Oh yes. Delicious? Without a doubt!!

Fried Dill Pickle Spears

These are unlike any other fried pickles we've ever had- and yes, we've had several different ones. The batter is crispy and flavorful without over-powering the dill pickle. The spear shape, rather than sliced chips, afforded more pickle taste. The dipping sauce was quite good although we couldn't decide what it was... kind of a tangy Ranch dressing with a hint of heat. In all, a delightful, different snack.

Poutine

Take a mound of medium-cut French Fries, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Top them with cheese curds and brown gravy and you have poutine- quite possibly the best way to enjoy French fries! Canadians are also fond of their sausages, which go nicely with poutine. Banana peppers are the sausage topping of choice, rather than the American favorites of sauerkraut or chili. This was my favorite lunch!

Flats. Stilettos. Pumps. Cowboy boots. Loafers. Flip flops. They are all kinds of footwear, but not ones we saw at Winterlude. I did a random (and anonymous!) sampling of footwear as we walked around Winterlude and came to several conclusions.

Boy Shoes

Boys are practical- the guy in the top left photo has spike soles that attach to his regular shoes. He had the best traction walking around the icy paths. And they wear what they have... athletic shoes or hiking shoes. 

Girl Shoes

Girls, on the other hand, combine practicality with fashion- pants tucked into boots so the snow doesn't go up their leg when they sink into a snow drift... cute boots (even the little girl in the top right has fashion flair!)... and the snow shoes (bottom middle) are just plain ingenious!

Dog Shoes

But Missy, a sweet and somewhat shy dog rescued from a puppy mill (which are legal in Canada) wins the prize for "Best Shoes!" The white stripe is reflective, so she's not only comfortable, but safe! And kudos to her owner for protecting her feet in the frigid temperatures as well as ice and snow. Would YOU walk around barefoot?