Gone Cajun

While I was able to find time this past three-day weekend to read my book and see a movie (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past**), I also got the chance to head out into the lovely So Cal sunshine and experience the sights, sounds and tastes of Simi’s Cajun Creole Music Festival.

And when I say experience the tastes, I really mean it. Like any good festival or fair, it was a junk food bonanza. Upon entering the park—which was filled with vendor booths hawking all sorts of goodies as well as hundreds of people milling about or sitting in lawn chairs to hear the jazz and blues music emanating from the concert stages—my eyes were met with a line of makeshift kitchens, some of which were turning out culinary delights rarely found in this part of the country, such as hush puppies, beignets and alligator-on-a-stick. Fried alligator? Hmm, I’ll pass, thanks.

Had to have the beads. They are actually little dice. I felt like I should have done something inappropriate to get these Mardi Gras beads, but don't worry ma, I didn't!

But wait. Pulled pork sandwich, shave ice and funnel cake? Now that’s right up my alley. The boy and I were starving once we got to the festival since it was about 2 in the afternoon so we immediately took stock of our options—which meant walking back and forth, carefully scanning each menu, for a good 15 minutes. Finally, we settled on our choices. For him: spicy Cajun fried chicken and French fries. For me: A messy, BBQ sauce-laden, pulled pork sandwich topped with crunchy cole slaw. It was so big I had to eat it with a knife and fork. Serious.

But that was only the start of our calorie-overload adventure in Cajun-land. Check out the photos to get the full (and I mean, full) picture.

Smokin' Steve's BBQ Joint was serving up mighty tasty barbecue sandwiches—and I'm not even a bbq kind of gal!—and I could see it was easily a crowd favorite judging by the long line.

So messy and so good. The cole slaw sealed the deal for me.

The boy enjoying his "Bayou chicken" while people-watching from the shade.

Who can say no to shave ice on a hot, May day? Not us! We got strawberry, pineapple and grape (that last flavor was for the boy. Not my fave).

The shave ice looks so tiny when he holds it... At least, that's what I tell my waistline!

Some old(er) folks getting down to some Cajun-style tunes. Love it.

By this point, we were stuffed but I told the boy we absolutely could not leave without getting a funnel cake. I mean, c'mon! When else can you eat funnel cake if not at a festival? We got it topped with strawberries and whip cream and let me tell you, it was worth the calories.

All in all, it was a pretty delicious day. Diet-friendly, no, but delicious, yes. Oh, and I can't fail to mention, I also picked up a package of fresh-baked cookies for $5 from one of those vendors hawking their goodies. It's a variety pack with chocolate chip cookies, Snickerdoodles, sugar cookies topped with rainbow sprinkles and a lemon/powdered sugar concoction.

I think its safe to say this weekend I died and went to junk food heaven.

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**A bite-sized movie review: "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" is just “eh.” Better to see it on DVD if you haven’t already shelled out 20 bucks to see it in the theater. While I am a devotee to romantic comedies, this was the type of film that gives chick flicks a bad name. It was at times boring but, most unfortunately, it was not very funny. No LOL-ing here. And not even the devilishly handsome Matthew McConaughey could save it. Better luck next time, I guess. I hate to admit it, but we should have gone and seen the boy’s top pick: "Terminator Salvation." I had resisted, not because I don’t want to see it, but because the last two movies we saw were "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (good plot, great action, fantastically hunky leading man) and "Star Trek" (you already know my opinion on that). What can I say? Lesson learned. For now.

P.S. Thanks for all the nice comments on my tattoo!