"Will you take me to the Faire"

All growing up, the county fair was part of our summer. My mom was wonderful to help us finish our projects (that were usually started a day or two before they were due). For a few years Nadine had entries in the fair through her 4-H club. Then last year we skipped the fair completely. I missed it. So this year I decided to enter something. I haven't done that since a teenager. I was excited!

I decided to enter some cookies and flowers. And it was my younger years all over again, as I am making the cookies the night before - gotta have them fresh, right? I made my friend Rachel's Lemon Oatmeal Cookies, with a few changes. I always make changes, even to my own recipes. I had to pass on the flowers, because after the severe wind storm we had, all my flowers were, well, pathetic.

On Thursday I took all the family to the Fair to see how I did. And Whoo-hoo!! I got a blue and a high blue ribbon! (High blue means you are considered for a Sweepstakes ribbon in your category.) I gave a cheer and did my own happy dance when I saw my ribbons.

Since the flowers were a no-go, I decided to enter the Mayor's Pie Contest on Friday. Thursday night at 9pm I got home from the store with the ingredients to make a spectacular pie. I of course had to create my own recipe. You see, Paul and I had just been to the Cheesecake factory a few days before, and it gave me ideas. I made a Grasshopper Cheesecake Pie. It actually is tasty. I finished the mint cheesecake layer at 11:30pm and decided it would be a wise idea to look up the rules for the contest to make certain I wasn't supposed to pre-register. I didn't have to pre-register, but...only PEACH PIE entries would be accepted! What!!! Urgh. I've never been good at getting the instructions first.

Soooo.....The next morning I get home from the store at 10 am to start making my peach pie. Luckily I already had a recipe typed up for a pie class I taught last year. I made Cobbled Peach Pie. It's a yummy one if I do say so myself. My fab friend Maghann came over to give Paul some treats for watching her dog. We chatted while I was making the pie. An hour later, I'm racing to the fair with my slightly sad looking pie (my crusts always taste great, they don't always look so good). I look down to make sure I brought the recipe, and I realize I forgot an ingredient! I should never try to do two things at once! Oh well, too late now. I didn't put in the lemon juice, so the pie would be a little bland. I just laughed at myself. This was turning out so typical "Teresa".

There were 10 adult entries. I was nervous and excited as we waited for the Mayor and Fair Royalty to decide. My pie was numbered "1". As they met to discuss the winner, I saw the mayor say "definitely number 1" and the others shook their heads yes!! Now I was ready to hyper-ventilate! After all the disasters, was my pie going to actually win? Yes! I won! I was happy and laughing at myself at the same time. I got a large, gorgeous ribbon and some kitchen towels that say "Harvest Peach". I couldn't believe it, but then again, like I said earlier, it's a really tasty pie.