State Fair Diaries: new levels of cool

Due to a bird flu epidemic, last year's Poultry Barn was empty except for a few paper cutouts of hens and chicks, and the occasional stuffed (cloth) bird peeking out of the wire cages. This year, the birds are back!

This weekend a new Poultry Prince and Princess will be crowned, but we ran into outgoing 2015 Poultry Prince Nathan Vonderharr on Friday. He spent the final days of his reign in the Poultry Barn at the Minnesota State Fair with other kids and their birds, answering questions from city gals like me about eggs, roosters, and beak colors.

I asked Prince Nathan if there was more to winning the title than just good looks and the swimsuit contest. He didn't skip a beat and quickly answered, "Well, actually those are the categories that put me over the top. That's how I won."

God I love 4H kids.

And I love The Fair! Here are a few snippets from our pre-weekend Fairing:

Ever tried Hmong-style Tator Tot Hotdish? It's heaven. Chef Vang demoed his coconut and Thai curry flavored ode to Lutheran grandmas at the Sustainability Stage on Friday. I am glad that Minnesotans are finally embracing spices beyond white pepper. Considering the first three days of our Fair weather have been mild, a little heat is in order.

A friend of a friend's bundt cake won THIRD PLACE! Bundt cake is the most competitive division in the baking contests, and a third place ribbon is an amazing feat.

You know those chickens that look like Phyllis Diller? They have blue beaks, earlobes, and feet, and their skin is blue! Black chicken is actually from a Phyllis Diller bird (also known as a Silkie. The More You Know.