If you’re anything like me, you’re probably hanging upside-down from an oak tree branch in your neighbor’s backyard yelling things like “Yes!” and “No!” when he asks you things like, “How about now?” and “What about now?” because you’re a good neighbor like that and thank Heavens you decided to DVR Extreme Leaf Blowers because you really REALLY need to find out what happened to Chuck’s pregnant-out-of-wedlock daughter from last week’s episode.
And if you’re also like me, you attend fabulous foodie winey events like last night’s Legends of Wine on the west steps of our capitol where they handed you a loaf of bread and a glass upon check-in and you went to town on the dozens of winery’s tasting tables as well as the piles of food samplings on various tables. All part of this week’s inaugural Farm to Fork Festival that began on Monday with a cattle drive across the Tower Bridge and ends with dinner on same said bridge. The big to-do is tomorrow along the Capitol Mall if you’re in town and want to check it out.
But!…. What I really want to know, is whether you are like me in that you were raised in the 1970s on the most delicious and roof-of-your-mouth-tearing, part-of-this-complete-breakfast-making, sugary cereals like Cap’n Crunch.
Because if you were, you would have gone gaga alongside me when you found out that one of the winemakers pouring at last night’s event was none other than Chaim Gur-Arieh, Ph.D. He of C.G. Di Arie Vineyard & Winery. Food scientist, and…. are you ready for this?…. he made Cap’n Crunch!
Did you hear what I said? My (and your, if you’re anything like me) childhood hero!
He made other stuff like Pudding Cups, Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, but who cares about that because dude!…Cap’n Crunch!
He wasn’t announcing it or anything. My friend, Janna, told me as we stood from a distance eyeing their booth. And if that weren’t enough, her husband, Jeremy, adds that the guy’s also responsible for Tang as well!
A celebrity sighting, if ever there was one, my little nanny goats. And I was about to upgrade it to an “encounter”.
Marching over there and handing someone my phone for a photo opp, I all but accosted him, introducing myself, shaking his hand, telling him what a big fan I was of his work, name-dropping “crunch berries” to show him that I knew what I was talking about. I think he thought I was ridiculous, and he was probably there to promote the idea of healthy food and wine at this festival that’s all about organic and locally-sourced food, but whatever. You can’t hide from your past, man.
Me, posing with the Captain of Crunch, Chaim Gur-Arieh.
As he graciously posed with me and poured us all a taste of his latest Zin, he asked me if I still ate the stuff and I said “oh, no”, and he said, “well, that’s good.”
I mean, are you kidding? That stuff will rot your teeth.
I’m a Lucky Charms girl, myself. I wonder who invented those?
Lucky Charms!! I loved those too, Boom Boom!
My dad is a food scientist that worked for General Mills and later went on his own to make stuff like SoyNut Butter. A lot of times our vacations revolved around his work schedule, along with tours of Kellogg’s, Kraft, Hershey, and Coors.
I’ve learned on these vacations that if you can hang out with the food guys, do it. They definitely are the liveliest of the science crowd.
If your dad was a food scientist for General Mills, does he know this Cap’n Crunch guy???? Maybe they worked on it together! Wouldn’t THAT be awesome sauce, so to speak.
I asked him in casual conversation, and he said he met him several times. He also remarked that he thinks its funny that a lot of old grain scientists who pumped up the foods with chemicals and such now work in natural and organic foods.
Hey Margaret!
And d’you know what? Mr. Gur-Arieh went home and told his grandkids that he had his photo taken with the charming young lady who writes NANNYGOATS IN PANTIES. The kids sat, mouths shocked open, before a furore of “No WAY did you meet Margaret!”, “She rocks!” and such forth erupted. True story.
It’s lovely to meet our heroes. I’m going to warm up the time machine and go visit the late “Colonel” Harland Sanders. I hope it’ll be lunchtime when I get there.
Indigo x
Mmmmmm, Colonel Sanders. Did you know I actually worked for the good Colonel in high school? Another true story.
And as usual, you crack me up.
See? Now I’m putting you on a deep-fried pedestal. I AM NOT WORTHY!
Now that is a celebrity sighting of grand scale. Not only the connection to the most awesome childhood cereal EVAH…(although, I have to agree with Meleah, that sh** will rip your gums right off your teeth) ….but pudding pops and Hidden Valley Ranch. I might add…You do look good smoozing up to celebrities.
Aw shucks. Thanks, Cheryl!
“where they handed you a loaf of bread and a glass upon check-in and you went to town on the dozens of winery’s tasting tables as well as the piles of food samplings on various tables”
Holy amazing!!
“and were raised in the 1970s on the most delicious and roof-of-your-mouth-tearing, part-of-this-complete-breakfast-making, sugary cereals like Cap’n Crunch.”” – OMG. Yes. Cap’n Crunch is the most PAINFUL yet delicious food!
And Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing is the greatest dressing EVER.
For some reason, painful yet delicious doesn’t sound good. 😉 And aside from blue cheese dressing, HVR is pretty awesome.
Too funny…I was the Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispys generation!!
Great pic
Hugs
SueAnn
Ah, Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispys. Yep. Me too!
Ha ha. She says if you ever visit she will make it for you
The publicist says if you crush it up, mix it with a bit of cayenne and coat chicken pieces with it and then bake ’em you will be in heaven.
I wouldn’t know. I am a vegetarian goat.
When does her Cap’n Crunch recipe cookbook come out? And can I have an autographed copy?