by Ruth Floresca

Created on: April 09, 2009   Last Updated: May 05, 2009

Going to the carnival is one the best activities you can share with your family or with friends. It is always an exciting time to be preparing for such a trip and the priceless memories made there are usually always treasured.

Each time I go to the carnival, whoever I am with, the thrill of the rides are balanced out by the yummy foods being sold all around. It's funny how carnival foods seem to taste and smell better when eaten while walking under the warm sun or the evening stars. To think that I can whip up the same kinds of foods at home and yet, eating them outdoors makes them even more delicious. Perhaps the fresh air and the company you're with do play a big factor.

Let me share my top five favorite carnival foods:

1. Popcorn is not only for the movies. I love it when I can already smell them while the cart is still a good distance away. These pieces of warm goodness can even melt in your mouth if you eat them hot enough. My kids love buying popcorn sprinkled with loads of cheese powder but I prefer a dashing of salt and a slice of butter on top. It may make for gooey fingers but the aftertaste is always worth it.

2. Cotton candy is another carnival favorite. They come in a rainbow of colors and flavors; it's hard to resist trying them all. There is something childlike in tearing those spidery web-like substances and stuffing as much as you can in your mouth. Eating cotton candy always brings me back to when I was a little girl and I would beg my grandpa to buy me more than one.

3. Snow cones or a scoop of ice cream on a cone are great foods that help the body cool down especially after walking for an hour or two under the heat of the sun. We love licking ice cream after screaming our tonsils out on the roller coaster or any other "scary" ride. The cold soothes the throat and gets us rarin' to go on to our next adventure rides.

4. Taco is crunchy and messy and fun to eat. It is also filling enough if you eat more than one and can already pass for lunch. Taco is also healthier than other calorie-laden and heavy-in-the-stomach foods. At the carnival, we try not to eat too much at any one time to avoid getting that urge to barf in case we get on a "dizzy" ride.

5. Burgers and hotdog sandwiches are usually the last things we eat before going home. These make up for the hunger pangs experienced while standing in long lines and walking around for hours. Sandwiches are good energy-boosters that replenish whatever was lost after the adrenalin rush starts to wind down.

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