Fairs are coming up

The county and state fair hand books are on the internet now. It is almost like opening a Christmas present when I click on bigfun.org to see what is going to happen at the state fair and sacfair.com to see what I am going to to at the county fair.

The county fair used to be the weedkend of mothers' day but it has changed to be memorial day weekend. In the past I have baked with a teenager who is like a grand daughter to me, but she is in college now so may not have time. I have only been doing the county fair for about five years. I find it is a good way to practice what I am going to do at the state fair.

They do not have refrieration at the county fair so I can not do my favorite thing, the refrigerated pastries. I love to do fancy things with chocolate. The 2nd year I was to do the couonty fair my oven control broke and I could not turn it on. I looked on the internet and found things I could bake in my microwave. What an adventure.

I have a of printing my state fair entries, filling them out and taking them to the fair office a couple of days before they are do. I do not like doing it by computer, and I do not trust the mail. I like to know rthat they are there.

I will say I enjoy the look of the clerk when I turn in 20 or so entries. I really do not know what I am going to do this year because I am saving all my money for my trip to Florida. The deadline is May 7th the day before I get back.

Because of budget problems they are having fewer days to present our food. The cakes, bread, pies and pastries are all due on the same day. Confections and cookes are on one day. Special things like the $500 Chocolate Passion are on separate days.

I live in an older home that does not have very good air conditioning. It is hard to do chocolate and cream pies etc when it is 110 degrees out side. Once I emptied the top of my freezer and put my mixer in there to do whipped cream.

Two years ago I started renting a motel 2 miles from the fair that has a full kitchen. I got that idea from remembering a lady named Alberta Dunbar who used to travel from southern California and stay 2 weeks and bake for the fair. She used to win a lot of ribbons. I was sorry when she stopped coming because was an inspiration.
Every year I google her name to see what she is up to. She is still baking and was on Jay Leno because she won the Spam contest. She made a spam cheesecake.

I e-mailed my grand kids in Florida to tell them I have a blog. It will be a way to let them know a little bit about what goes on in my life. I really miss them and will be glad to see them when I get to Florida.

Well, this is my second blog. In thinking about doing a blog I was reminded of whn I was a young girl and I wrote in a green diary with a key. It was really exciting. Well things have changed. Now I am writing for the whole world to see. I hope I did not make too many spelling errors. I cannot see how to do spell check. I tried something and this diappeared, can not take a chance on doing that and have this disappear for good. So I am just going to push publish and hope for the best.