Ribbon Sluts of the country, rise up!

The Great Minnesota Get-Together began its 12-day run this morning at
0600.

Several years ago they started making competition results available
online so that interested parties don't have to drag their sorry
carcasses to the fairgrounds at 0900 to check The Lists when the
buildings open. The Lists list the winners in each lot for canning and
baking. Chris and I used to be there when they opened the building
doors at 9:00 a.m. Now we can be more relaxed about our arrival and I
can know the proper demeanor to effect, jubilant, reserved, or pouty.
:-) Jubilant is way out in front.

Cutting to the chase, I entered the maximum number of canning entries,
20.

Gentleones, the envelope please.

Blue ribbons (first place) for Blackberry Jelly, Blackberry Jam, Stewed
Tomatoes, and Tomato Juice. The tomato products have won their lot for
three consecutive years each, thus prohibiting me from entering those
lots for two years. Well, FINE, then!

Red ribbons (second place) for nothing. Weird, but that's how it shook
out.

White ribbons (third place) for Plum-m-m-m Jelly, Raspberry Jelly,
Strawberry Jam (berry-smashing aided by the Blue Ribbon Grandchild),
Bread & Butter Pickles,

Pink ribbons (fourth place) for Crabapple Jelly, Pickled Boiled Dirt
Chunks (yeah, that's what the label said‹with the entry booklet name
following it),

No ribbon, but fifth place for Watermelon Pickles.

and a Gedney prize for Best Cucumber Pickle with Balsamic Vinegar.

Bombed in Grape Jelly (wild grape jelly, see my web site blog about that
one), Mint Jelly (It's lovely, but puny in flavor ‹ see my website blog
for that one), Strawberry Jelly (it vas so-o-o pretty, too), Peach Jam,
Raspberry Jam (harrummpphhh!), Rhubarb-Orange Jam with Candied Ginger
(some people don't know what's good), and Lemon-Apricot Jam (a reduced
sugar recipe that may be the best thing I've made all summer
long‹skroom!), Corn Relish (I don't get that either‹maybe somebody's
using the recipe I've published so many times and doing it better than I
do it‹fair enough‹or maybe they are not. Interesting, though.), and
H-hot Ch-cherry Blackberry Relish (OK, so it sounds weird and it looked
mooshy rather than relishy, it was still good, dammit).

Then there was the baking. . . . The most gorgemous loaf of plain white
bread I've ever baked came in‹somewhere in a galaxy far, far away; it
didn't place. It has won first; last year it beat out the White Bread
Queen's loaf, and this year? Bupkes.

Boy and Girl brownies? Bupkes. Zip. Both have won blue ribbons in
other years, though with not necessarily these recipes.

Banana Bread that needed its bananas to rot for another two or three
days I didn't have to be good? Fourth. A ribbon. Go figure. The
streak continues.

This is why I have so freakin' much fun doing this, even though I am
ready for a rehab unit somewhere warm with scantily lad handsome and
youthful men to minister to my aching bones and muscles and stuff ‹ it's
always a crapshoot.

Because of what began with some nasty words about fallen plums, I've had
my moments in the sun and expect a few more. I clean up nice and
generally show well. A basket of my stuff ‹ stuff *I* made‹ brought
$650 to a great charitable foundation last week. How good is THAT?

I'm scheduled to do an interview tomorrow morning for NPR's All Things
Considered (don't know when it will be broadcast, this weekend or
next?). I've been interviewed for a story in the New York Times. The
NEW YORK TIMES, fercryin'outloud! How much fun is THAT? Last Sunday I
got to encourage a little girl to learn to do what I can do. Sweet
girl. I hope she needs to call me for help; I would love nothing more.
Chris son has been emailing to his AZ friends all day; recipe requests
have already come in from a couple of them. What? Nobody's got a good
banana bread recipe except me? Unlikely.

It's the Great Minnesota Get-Together and as it is with so many things,
your interest and joy increases with the level of your involvement.
I'm involved. My interest is way up there. :-)

Somebody call Letterman or Craig Ferguson. Please. :-)

The beat goes on. (Shut up, Bubba!!)
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller, blahblahblog is back and
needs updating with Fair results and pics, but I'm tired right now.