Hot Diggity Dog! I know you'll be shocked to know that this mile-size dawg is from the same place as the Big Bopper- Happy Days Diner in Pauls Valley. And the Kitchen Sink sundae- which I tried as hard as I could to get someone to order while I was there- no such luck. I guess the saying goes "everything's bigger in...Pauls Valley?" (No picture available for the delicious piece of homemade coconut cream pie....my gullet was faster than my camera trigger.)

Camels on the highway...and now giant strawberries? Am I following the trail of a carnival? I don't know, but anywhere that has camels AND giant strawberries- I want to go there.

If I stop by to see one of our customers, and fresh baked cookies, or cinnamon rolls, or cake, or homemade rolls (you get the picture) have just come out of the oven- they always offer you one! And it would of course be so rude to say no! So I of course have to say yes, only because they're twisting my arm. This was from one of the new City Bites in Oklahoma City, pumpkin cookie with cream cheese icing.

One of the perks of selling coffee (besides getting to drink alot of coffee), is the relationships you have with business owners. They give you presents! Leo and Ken's in Lawton, gave me one of their t-shirts as part of my Christmas present, they're a very generous couple. Leo and Ken's also hosts an annual Christmas party with presents for the local children, AND a 'Trucking for Jesus- Mobile Chapel Ministry'. Chaplains and authors, Bunny and Blonnie Gregory, travel nationwide in their 1962 Kenworth, and have written a book that they publish themselves, and hand out for free- along with the free ministry to the truckers. 'Beating the Highway Blues', it's a good read.

It's not always what you see when you get where you're going, but what you see while you're on your way. And sometimes what you see...are camels on the turnpike.

Don't adjust your computer screens, you are not at the state fair. That IS, however, deep fried bacon....and peanut butter pie. I've found that the fried batter on the bacon counteracts the calories and fat from the peanut butter pie. It's the lunch of champions at Round-Up Cafe in Chickasha. They've also got a wicked fried Snickers- but I'm watching my weight.

Really, there's not much description needed here. This is The Big Bopper Hamburger, THAT'S AS BIG AS YOUR HEAD! (Actually, I'm a pin head, so it's a little bigger than mine). Happy Day's Diner in Pauls Valley- I think you get your picture on the wall if you eat the whole thing? They also have an ice cream sundae called The Kitchen Sink- which involves 6 scoops of ice cream, 1 pound of cake, multiple syrups and sauces, four bananas, and a partridge in a pear tree. Unfortunately, you cannot get The Kitchen Sink in a to-go box.

It might not look like much, but my friends, this is the flakiest, butteriest, (is that even a word? I dare you to google it) most amazing homemade bread I've ever sunk my teeth into. It's from a little spot in Lindsay- 77 Grill. And watch out for the mile high meringue on their pies- it'll knock you over!

During a Saturday afternoon coffee run to Michelangelo's in Norman- this college student walked in with a red, cold nose, and a violin case. The owner asked her if she could play, and I suggested he 'pay' her with Henderson Chai Latte (and I suggested SHE get the largest one they had)- which both happily agreed. What a bargain for both! It's not always cake that you get with your coffee, sometimes it's live music!

During my daily adventures of selling coffee, I come home with some pretty interesting stories, and some food that is fantastical. As I spin my yarns of coffee and these little Oklahoma nooks to my friends- the inevitable questions are; do you have a picture (as in, I need proof, I don't believe you, there's no way you had fried bacon for lunch today), where is this place, and how quickly can I get there.

So I find it only fitting for the first post of the Okie Coffee Charm blog to be the inspiration....the Hummingbird Cake at Ann's Country Kitchen in Elgin. Think moist banana nut bread, slathered in cream cheese icing, that I would swear is a mixture of cream cheese, sugar, sunshine, and rainbows. Speaking of sunshine, if you get to make a trip out to see sweet little Ann (yes, there really is an Ann, she's not a fictional marketing ploy), give her a big hug and tell her Henderson Coffee sent you!