Two Cotton Puffs at Ganyard Hill Farm

When my family and I wanted to go pumpkin picking, we picked Ganyard Hill Farm and it was a great choice (even though we were there with every elementary school class this side of the Mississippi)! The farm was very pretty and it was a great place to learn and experience some farm life...perfect for children and still fun for adults. There were a lot of different things to do.


Meet Cotton:

Cotton

Cotton is the resident greeting rabbit and an adorable little puff of fur. You're allowed to pick it up and play with it. Cotton was just precious (and properly named)! 

In addition to Cotton, there was a fenced off area with animals you could pet and feed (you can shuck your own corn with these awesome antique hand cranks to feed the animals!). My favorite four-legged friend was one of the resident pot-bellied pigs! They just crack me up.

 The second cotton puff referred to in this post's title was a literal cotton puff. Ganyard has a cotton crop and they allow people to pick their own cotton. 

We met one little girl with a whole bag of cotton. When we asked her what she was going to do with it all, she said she was going to "make a teddy bear!...or maybe a kitty..."

Mom checking out the cotton

What I thought was really great about Ganyard was that everywhere you went, it was a learning experience. Near the cotton fields, there was a large sign showing the different stages of cotton growth that you could then see first hand as you walk the cotton field. I thought that was a great addition to the general farming experience.

They also had the growth cycle of a pumpkin taking it from Spring planting to carving your Jack-o-Lantern.

After learning about how your pumpkin "grew up", you can walk through the large pumpkin fields to pick out your perfect soon-to-be jack-o-lantern!

 Ganyard's Farm also has multiple mazes at this time of year. A maize maze in addition to a Sorghum and Soy Bean maze for the tiny tykes (so the parents and teachers can still keep an eye on them). 


And what kind of pumpkin farm would Ganyard's be if there weren't a hay ride? So of course, we had to try it out...

My mom and brother on the hay ride

And don't forget to stop in the shop on your way out and pick up some homemade jams, pickles, pickled okra, and fresh honey! It's all fantastic!


Ganyard Hill Farm is a great fall family destination (with a lot of great photo opportunities). I'd highly recommend you take the kids on over there for a fun-filled learning experience.

The Fare at the Fair

Me and The Fam at the fair!

When you think of the fair, what comes to mind? For me it's the animals and, of course, the food. So while my family was in town this past weekend, we decided to see what was going on this year at the NC State Fair. And, of course, get our fill of the fabulous fair food...and by fabulous, I mean the kind of food you can only get at the fair and are very thankful that it only happens once a year because it's a heart attack in a day's worth of eating! 

 

But first, the non-edible attractions (although that's probably arguable for some of them, but you get what I mean). We entered the fairgrounds near the botany displays and competition results. I was pleasantly surprised at the use of QR codes, being the ad/tech junkie that I am. It was a great way to find out more information and integrate technology in an agricultural (and otherwise seemingly contradictory) setting.  

I also loved some of the local attempts at advertising. A fertilizer that is just bagged manure (in cow-printed packaging) and a knock-off of Chick-fil-A's ads...let's just hope there isn't a huge rights infringement case going on here (sorry, my account management just came through a little bit there)...but you have to give them credit for the humor-factor.

But as boring as it may be to some to see the jumbo veggies, twisted gourds and blooming flowers, I think it's really fun to look at all the beautiful colors and interesting shapes and sizes of everything! 

Then, there are all the farm animals. They're just precious. I just love seeing the cows, baby chicks, and adorable little piglets.

And then, of course, there's the food. The second you open your car door, you can't help but smell the smokers and fryers working away. Seriously, I start craving some key fair fare when it starts getting cooler but I really am thankful this food isn't available to me all year round! And there are so many different things, I couldn't even attempt to try them all!

My favorite is the smoked turkey legs. Yum! They are so good, although the medieval, feasting-king look is very unflattering.

Smoked Turkey Leg

My second favorite thing and a must-have is the roasted corn. But not just any roasted corn, the roasted sweet corn! Add a little seasoning salt or Old Bay and it's fantastic!

My brother is making fun of me for how much I'm enjoying this...

For dessert, some sort of fried something will do. I'm not one for any of the fried candy bars (because as much as I have a sweet tooth, I do have a sweetness threshold and those things would surpass it!), but mom had to get an elephant ear. One trend I noticed this year that I hadn't really seen before was adding a topping to your elephant ear. Everything from fruit toppings, fudge, and Bavarian Cream. My mom couldn't pass up the last one.

Mom eating an Elephant Ear with Bavarian Cream

The Krispy Kreme Burger!

But the big food attraction at the fair that I just couldn't bring myself to stomach (especially after getting all the usual foods that I crave) was the Krispy Kreme Burger...yes, you read that correctly. A hamburger sandwiched between two Krispy Kreme donuts. A nice man, and my newest friend, lovingly let me take a picture of his Krispy Kreme Burger. Taking a picture of it was as much of a taste as I wanted.


Another item that would make most people cringe was the Kool-Aid Pickles. Yes, sour pickles soaked in red Kool-Aid (the actual flavor of Kool-Aid - strawberry or cherry-  is still TBD). My brother just had to try it...yuck!


And to top it all off, there are the shows. My favorite being the racing pigs, but don't forget the Country concerts and of course, the dancing competitions. We ducked into one tent with the clogging and tapping competitions and oh boy, was that an experience! People age 9 to 90 dancing to Blue Grass music. It was hilarious and frightening all at the same time. 

 

Clogging

Here's a little taste of some other contestants in the Clogging competition:

If you haven't been to the fair yet, you have to go. It's always a fun experience...not to mention one of the most fulfilling people-watching experiences. For everyone in NC, make sure you get to the fair before it packs up on October 24th! 

"Success is going from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm."

Winston Churchill said those words, which I think are words to live by. Some might see a person who fails time and time again as somewhat of a loser, but let me tell you why this is an important lesson to learn.


As stated before, I believe everything happens for a reason. Therefore "failure" is not really a failure at all, but something you had to go through to get where you are going. Therefore, can you ever really fail at something? Sure, you can fail a test, but what does that truly mean? Does it mean you failed at learning the subject matter? Does it mean you failed at mastering the art of test-taking? Or does it simply mean you are not meant to fully understand that subject but there are plenty of other things you are great at? Let me give you a real life example of what some might see as failure, but it was just the path I needed to go on. But first, a little background...

An old intern of mine, Kristen (who is absolutely fabulous, by the way, and I can't wait to see where her path takes her), asked if we could go out for dinner to talk about how I got where I am. I was honored by this request and of course obliged. As a recent graduate, she was stressing about finding the right job and knowing whether to take the first thing that came along or holding out for something better (I do not envy her for graduating in this economy). After hearing her concerns, it was clear that students these days have misconceptions about their path. Looking back, I had the same fears when I graduated. Think about it, your whole life up until that point, you knew exactly what was coming next...You start school, you go up through the grades, after high school, there's college, in college there are internships, but after college....who knows! That's the beauty of it and also the terror of it...These students believe that before they graduate they should know exactly what they are going to do, have that job lined up, and that's where you are going to be for an undetermined long period of time. I don't blame them. And when graduation nears, and that job has not been solidified yet, that's about the time when people start to freak out! What am I going to do? Where am I going to live? Please don't make me live with my parents again! That is how society has brought us up.


Now, I wish I knew someone like me when I was in school to tell me what I told Kristen. And if someone from the future, told the 21 year-old version of myself what my life would be like even a year after graduating, I would not have believed it. But everything happens for a reason...


The first thing I told Kristen was this: "Your first job is not going to be your last..." It's true! And as simple as it may seem, it's not something that really hits home for students nowadays. In my first year outside of school, I worked at four different agencies...yes, I said FOUR! If anyone told me that my first agency would have gone bankrupt and closed 4 months after I was hired, I probably wouldn't have accepted the job. But it turned out to be a great stepping stone to where I am today. I learned so much in that first job (including what not to do and what kind of things to watch out for in a company) and made so many great life-long connections, that I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. My second agency was a freelance gig. Again, I got so much out of my few months working beyond what I thought were my limits and honing my skills, that it was another great stepping stone. My third agency was a learning experience of what I do not want in life. To put it in the smallest nutshell I can possibly squeeze it into, I quote one of the Partners of this particular organization, "...Sounds to me like you're working for 'The Devil Wears Prada'..." But luckily, after all my hard work and determination, the very day I had a meltdown in the office and decided I could no longer go on that way, I got the best phone call ever...the agency I aspired to work at "one day" wanted to interview me for a position...Now if that's not a sign that I've got greater powers looking over me, I don't know what is! So here I am, working at a place a love, with wonderful people, inspirational managers, and awesome accounts, loving what I do every day. 


The second piece of advice I gave Kristen was this, "Do what you love or make sure it's a learning experience..." This is important. Now, the end goal is to have both of these in the equation (as I do, which is why I'm so happy), but think about it... If you don't love going to work every day, it's going to be miserable (trust me, I know)...and if you are miserable, it's not good for yourself or the people you work for/with. Dreading going to work everyday takes a physical, mental and emotional toll on someone! It's horrible. Now here's the kicker, if you can't get to where you love your job yet (which is the case for many people so you're in good company), start going along the stepping stones of learning the things you need to get there. Everything and everyday should be a learning experience. It's like dating. If you get nothing else from dating a bunch of duds except knowing exactly what you don't want in a relationship, then that's a huge success! You're not a failure because of "failed" relationships. You're learning about what you do and don't want in life.


And finally, I told Kristen, "Don't be afraid to be aggressive in getting what you want..." Go for it! No one got anywhere by playing it safe. If you don't go out full steam ahead, trying to grab your dreams, you won't find them. If your dream job right out of school is to be an account executive at a specific ad agency, then you reach out to every person you know, expand your network, think outside the box and strive for it. Heck, go ahead and call up the president of the company! The worst they can say is "No." And if every time someone thought receiving a "no" was a failure, most of us wouldn't be where we are today. 

Famous Failures is a great video that shows some of the most successful people who didn't take "no" or little "failures" to hold them back.


The word "failure" is very subjective. So turn your "failures" into successes by looking at them as learning experiences, if nothing else...

Hi, my name is Jessica, and I am a Foodie.

My whole life, I've had a love affair with food. I think it comes from my Jewish mother. It's always about the food. The first question I always get when I go home to visit is, "What do you want to eat?" She's always making something. It's like "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" but we're not Greek! Your stomach hurts? Eat something! You have a headache? Maybe you're hungry! I always love to try new restaurants or test out new recipes or hunker down with the Food Network to get some inspiration. I'll try any food once and trust me, I've experienced the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to food.

In Cadiz, Spain, trying the local cuisine.

 (2007)

In addition to food, I love learning new things and having different experiences. That probably comes from the fact that I moved around a lot my whole life. Each new place was a new adventure. A new venue for me to try the local food, learn new things and grow. My passion for Asian cuisine comes from my years of living in Japan (which is also where I gained the courage to literally try anything...Jelly fish anyone?). My passion for a good wine and Tapas (small plates) where I can try little bites of everything came from the time I lived in Spain (which is also where I gained a larger appreciation for the arts and where I learned about working to live, not living to work). My passion for Coastal Carolina (fresh seafood, sun, and beautiful water to be exact) and a perfectly golden Fried Green Tomato comes from my time living in the south (Raleigh and Southport, NC). I've learned a lot from living in so many wonderful places (more than just the three I listed here). It's my passion for food and exploring new things that has really made me who I am today.

But it's not all about the food. I've had many experiences in my life (again, the good, the bad, and the ugly) that have shaped my perceptions of the world and how I live in it. That's what this blog is about. Great food, great experiences, following your passions, and living life the the fullest!