Major League Eats

When it comes to baseball, I am definitely a fair-weather fan. I won’t go early in the season when it is still cold, I won’t don a poncho to sit in the rain, and a sunny Sunday afternoon is better spent poolside than roasting in a 100-plus degree stadium. But, a late-night summer Kansas City Royal’s game — especially one with free box-seat tickets — now we’re talking my kind of baseball!

Ballpark food has come a long way from peanuts and Cracker Jacks. Of course, we’ve still got hot dogs, hamburgers, pretzels and cotton candy, but at Kauffman Stadium you can dine on Kansas City barbecue done up in royal (get it?) style. We’ve got a Pulled Pork Mac n’ Jack Sausage (pepperjack sausage topped with pulled pork, mac and cheese, and bacon), Cheesy Corn Brisket-acho (a whole mess of meat, cheesy corn, baked beans and coleslaw, served over nachos), Burnt End Cheesesteak with bacon and blue cheese fries, chicken gyros, funnel cakes, and more. But, before I tell you what I feasted on, let’s go over the day’s eats.

Breakfast was a cup of coffee and a pack of Belvita biscuits. The whole-grain, high-fiber biscuits contain no artificial flavors, no high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils. They are perfect to eat before an early morning yoga class — just enough nutritious energy to last without feeling overly full. (Eat a big meal before yoga once, and you will never do it again!)
After class, I am ready for my real breakfast — a two-egg veggie omelette and a blueberry scone made for a nice brunch.

After working awhile, I am ready to fuel up again. My homemade cashew milk (stay tuned for the recipe!) mixed with vanilla protein powder makes a super malt-like shake.

Half-finished work beckons me to my desk for the rest of the afternoon.

Dinnertime comes in a hurry, and with no time to prepare, it’s the perfect night to try a Red’s Chicken Burrito, one of a selection of an all-natural, minimally processed frozen food line that I volunteered to taste test. (Check back for my full review in a couple of weeks.)

Now back to the game. It’s a clear, pleasantly warm night at the “K,” perfect to watch the Boys in Blue. I grab the prerequisite $8 beer and head to my seat. We take an early lead over Detroit, the division leaders, so I celebrate with a small bag of peanuts and …

That’s it. Really.
Sorry to disappoint, but there is nothing tempting about the aforementioned foods. I don’t go to the ballpark to eat — I go to watch the game and enjoy the atmosphere. I adore the European philosophy that dining out is an event. In this case, the game was the event. Plus, now I’ve saved my hard-earned cash for another night out!
We ended up winning! Now that’s what I call a ball game … and a perfect way to start the weekend.
Do you find ballpark food irresistible? —Karen