When eating becomes research....sort of.

German Villa, a banquet facility in Vermilion (between Cleveland and Sandusky), had an interesting event the other day. For $12 bucks, you could get yourself an all-you-can-eat dinner.

This wasn't at all a bad deal, especially since they had chicken, turkey, ham, sausage, roast beef, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet potato fries, broccoli medley, beets and pineapple, bread rolls, stuffed cabbage rolls, paprikash, chicken wings, dips and crackers, little meatballs, fried green beans, fried mushrooms, some Italian cheese thing, wedding cake and other things.

In short, all the things they can serve at your wedding, if you ever so chose to have it there.

I actually am getting married this year...just not there (it is a good place - my brother married there).

And, truth be told, I think I have a pretty good idea of what will be served at the wedding (more or less).

So why go to such an event that doesn't really help my wedding plans in the long run?

Well, because they had chicken, turkey, ham, sausage, roast beef, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet potato fries, broccoli medley, beets and pineapple, bread rolls, stuffed cabbage rolls, paprikash, chicken wings, dips and crackers, little meatballs, fried green beans, fried mushrooms, some Italian cheese thing, wedding cake and other things....

...for12 bucks!

$12!!

My appetizer plate consisted of...

...wings, fried green beans, meatballs and dips.

Then I really packed it in with...



...ham, roast beef, more ham, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, sweet potato fries, stuffed cabbage, that Italian thing and green beans (there may be things hiding underneath too!).

But I loved the appetizer table...

...so I got a second plate.



And I got cake.

Interestingly enough, dessert is the one thing I haven't really decided on (at least for one of the two locations for the celebration).

But I'm game to keep trying stuff until I decide.

Getting back to basics

When I first started the Adventures of a Trapped 300 Pound Man, I wanted to focus on food and my relationship with it. The initial idea was to talk about culinary concoctions, great dishes I ran across and the struggle of keeping those pounds off.

It was very love/hate and it was all about conflict.

But with festivals becoming a new thing to me, all those recipes and interesting foods were pushed to the side (unless I found them at the aforementioned festivals). There simply wasn't enough time (or space) for both topics.

Well, there still may not be enough time, but I've found the space since I've moved the festival information to its new site at Ohiofestivals.net

At Ohiofestivals.net, you can read the same blog postings you remember with new ones being added as I continue to festival hop. There are also an archive map system and a HUGE 370+ festival listing to plan your own 2011 festival adventures.

You may possibly experience festival overload!

Meanwhile - here - I'll continue to entertain that 300 pound man inside of me as he tries to make his way out though Danishes, torts and ribs.

Perhaps I'll even entice you with a recipe I made for my birthday...

...like this fine looking galaktoboureko.

Or perhaps you'd like to see some delicious dishes I've enjoyed out...

...like the pork chop and frog legs you can get at Diso's in Lorain.

It's hard to predict how I'll express myself through the help of my foodie chromosomes. But, if you share some similar DNA, I can guarantee you'll enjoy it all the same!

2011 - Get Ready!

After not going to any festivals in so long, it would be dishonest of me to say that there were no side effects from the withdrawal. My research for festivals is much more frenzied and excited and the thoughts of eating things like goetta in Cincinnati or sauerkraut in Waynesville makes my mouth salivate with utter delight.

It could also be that I'm dieting.

That's right! Through proper diet and exercise, I am getting my body ready for the festivals that await us. And if you didn't see the more-than-300 festivals available through my 2011 Festival Schedule, I beg you to tab on over and check it out. If there's an "Adventure" link, you can read about my own experience there.

But I'm not only getting my body ready for festivals. My means of communication are going to slightly alter. You see, I've just bought my own domain for festival fun and I'm in the process of getting it ready before presenting it to you officially.

By the end of the month, it should be somewhat ready and presentable.

But, in the meantime, go to the 2011 Festival Schedule because festivals start this weekend. You don't have to wait for 70 degrees and green grass to celebrate.

The festivals have already begun. And they're waiting!

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