Okay, my fair results this year. (I'm not trying to be "uppity", LOL, but some of you asked). I just love doing the Fair competitions. I've made great friends with many of the other exhibitors, we all sit together during judging, laugh, whisper, swap recipes, root each other on and hug goodbye until next year.
I'm good friends with the woman that runs the food program at the County jail. They train inmates to cook so they'll have a skill when they are released. They have their submissions brought in for them (obviously, LOL) and are quite excited to get ribbons in return. She said their rallying cry is "Beat Debbie" and they have a banner on the wall that says that, LOL She said when they are feeling lazy and don't want to bake, she tells them "Debbie is doing it and more things than you!" One year, the jail contingent all walked in wearing shirts that said "Beat Debbie". She had a shirt made for me that read "I'm Debbie". I have that shirt hanging in my closet and it's one of my dearest possessions.
Yeast breads
First places - Graham, Raisin, White, Sweet
Second places - Buttermilk, French, Wheat, Rye
Quick breads
First place - Zucchini
Biscuit/Rolls
First places - BP biscuits, Cinnamon Rolls, Bran muffins, Yeast rolls, Muffins
Third place - Other (I made homemade Poptarts for the heck of it)
Cake
First places - Bundt, Angelfood, cupcakes
Second place - Pound cake
Third place - Gingerbread, banana cake
Cookies
First places - Brownies (was considered for BIS), Drop, Oatmeal, Sugar
Second places - Peanut butter, Rolled, Snickerdoodle
Third place - Bar cookies
Pies
First places - Cherry, Apricot, Lemon meringue (this won BIS for the last four years straight, but I changed my crust recipe this year for the heck of it and got dinged), banana cream
Second place - Chocolate cream
Third place - Blackberry
Confections
First place - Caramel (was considered for BIS)
Second places - Hard candy & fudge
Fiery foods
First place bread (which went on to take Best in Show)
Third place cookies
Out of my 49 entries, I only had nine that fell out of the ribbons. I also won the Overall Sweepstakes. I did well, I've done better in the past. This is my first serious baking in my new ovens, it takes awhile to get used to them.
Oh and in Preserved Foods, I only had ten entries since I was without a kitchen during the height of canning season. But I got 4 firsts, 3 seconds, 1 third and 2 no place. I won BIS dried foods.
I won't know on my Photography until I pick it back up on Monday, but I'm not expecting anything. It was just a snapshot and the competition is STIFF, like 100+ in each class.
There you go, my fair for the year, now I can take a break and next week start canning/testing recipes for next year
