WOODLAND RIBS & RODS

We are in Woodland California for a car show and rib cook-off. Twenty two championship bbq teams went to battle to deliver an award winning rib. We had some tasty fun and saw some friends.

MY BIG FAT FANCY DINNER AT THE AWAHNHEE

Yosemite National Park is a magical place. This is because of the spectacular views, hiking, biking, swimming and to me; dinner at the Awahnee hotel. Dinner at the Awhanee is a step back into time when fine dining was elegant and grand. There is a dress code which is loosely enforced. The historic dining room was built in 1926. The 34-foot-high beamed ceiling, floor-to-ceiling windows, chandeliers, linen tablecloths, beautiful china and to set the mood; a grand piano player. 

I had a picture window seat for a million dollar Yosemite view. I began with bread assortment with whipped butter/olive pate. I splurged with some olives with spicy almond and then a Caesar salad with a tasty parmesan crisp. The Prime rib was fantastic with Yorkshire pudding and vegetables. Would the “Crumbsweeper appear? Of course, this is the Awhanee. Believe it or not I actually passed on dessert. I was just overwhelmed with Yosemite dining bliss. WoW!!!!

BAKED BEANS WITH BACON

 As you may know, I am a sucker for any product that hints at bacon. Sometimes a hint is all I get. Today we are trying Saucy Spoon baked beans with applewood smoked bacon. These beans were about as good as baked beans get in a can. There was some tiny chunks of bacon throughout. It did have a smoky flavor but I can guess it was enhanced by the dreaded liquid smoke. This product was decent but I would not go out of my way to purchase again. 

BLUE MEANIES

Today we were judging ribs & chili at the beautiful Valensin Vineyard & Winery. These are beautiful grounds with a lake for paddle boading and pedal boats. The lake is so blue that the "Screaming Blue Meanies" may live on the bottom.

DECISIONS

 

Red Velvet or Lemon cake? Why must I make such importamt decisions?

MOOSE LODGE RIBS & ATOMIC BUFFALO TURDS

 

Today brings us to a local Moose lodge for a very fun day judging ribs and ABT's. (atomic buffalo turds or sometimes called bacon wrapped stuffed jalapenos). This was a backyard competition at its finest. The weather was great and people were happy and full. We judges got to taste and score some fantastic offerings of ABT's. This is what summer is in our world.

Stage 21………Tour de France

 

…………21 Days of racing & snacks

The Race

FIN….Today is the finale. The tour usually ends with a sprint on the cobblestones in Paris. Today’s 152.3km route starts in Mantes-La-Ville and ends at the iconic Champs-Elesees. Barring a catastrophe, Tadej Pogacar will be the triumphant yellow jersey recipient on the podium today. Congratulations!

The Snack 

I saved the best for last and that is the Coffee Crisp candy bar. This is a chocolate covered crispy wafer bar with a slight coffee flavor. It is a nostalgic flavor for me. These candy bars are mainly distributed in Canada and have a very limited availability here in the states.

Thankyou for watching and participating in Tour de France……21 Days of racing and snacks. This was a spectacular year and cannot wait for the next Tour. As we speak I am gathering Intel on Paul’s Fruitcake Corner and snacks for next years tour……..stay tuned.