Flavors of Fall, Scents of Childhood Revisited

I'm jonesing right now for the Fryeburg Fair and all that goes with it. For those of you that don't already know, I grew up in Southern Maine and the Fryeburg Fair is Maine's largest agricultural event (held on 185 acres) in the Saco River Valley which are the foothills of the White Mountains.

It runs for 8 full days and nothing beats the delectable tastes of the varying foods available. I particularly miss doughboys, my favorite fattening food of all time. The smells of roasting peanuts (Sorry Southerners, the only way to eat a peanut is to ROAST it, not Boil it or deep fry it!), cotton candy, hot sausage with green peppers and onions sizzling away and various booths with fresh maple syrup, corn on the cob, apple turnovers, and even bags of mini donuts that we often bought in the later hours of the evening, as much to bring back feeling in our frozen fingers as to fill our bellies.
These are things memories (and womanly Hips!!) are made of.

While it's been a few years since I've been able to attend the fair (and although we've traveled quite extensively I have Yet to see anything that matches it!), every year when she rolls around, I find myself longing like a kid in a Candy store for all of those delicious scents of fall and fun.

Here is one of my favorite fall snack recipes that remind me of the Good Ol' days of the Fryeburg Fair:

Sugared Pumpkin Seeds

• 2 c. pumpkin seeds (rinsed and dried overnight)
• 1 egg white mixed with 1 Tbsp. water
• 1 c. sugar
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. salt

Dump the seeds and egg white/water mix into a Ziploc bag. Mix thoroughly until all seeds are well coated. Add Sugar and spices and shake well, making sure they are well mixed.

Spread on greased baking sheet and bake at 275 degrees for one hour turning the seeds every 15 minutes.

These pumpkin seeds are excellent munchies while sitting in traffic waiting to go to the fair. *sigh*

~Enjoy~

Liss