Well one of us had to win!

It’s summer holiday time and the living is easy! I got into the swing of my one week holiday by leaving work early and getting pampered at my new favourite salon. The lovely Emilie (the first adult I’ve met with the same name as me and spelt the same) was a master with scissors and a comb and left my hair soft and perfect for a week of fun in the sun.

With a fresh do and a fresh attitude on life I hurried to Maitland Ontario to get ready for my very first food competition. I worked until the wee hours of the night in my cute dress and 1950s style apron. At one point I was called the ‘typical 1950s housewife” when I hurried to greet our friends at the door with a casserole in one hand and an oven mitt in the other.

My hard work paid off on the day of the competition. After running to help Billy plate his ribs, rushing home to pick up my cheesecakes (with the help of four volunteers who gingerly carried my topsy cheesecake “flowers” from the house, in the car, and to their destination), literally running to help Matt plate his ribs and then sitting down to half enjoy some dinner (all the while worrying about my cheesecake melting and being a table full of balls with empty flower stems sticking out of flower pots). When it came time for cheesecake judging my wonderful volunteers helped me bring the pots to the presentation table and the only thing left to do was try the other 11 cakes to see what my competition was.

During this whole time I found 3 separate groups of people huddled around my display discussing in wonder at how it was done. When I spoke the responses I got ranged from “are you in business?”, “now we get why you’re with Billy! You both have the same enthusiasm about food”, or “Can you make this for my wedding?”. Needless to say, even if I didn’t win, I got my share of complements to make all the effort worthwhile. But I didn’t have to console myself for long because soon after the tasting the judge announced to a crowd of 60 onlookers that I was the Cheesecake Champion! I wore my ribbon for two days straight.... When I came down from the “stage” I walked straight over to Billy (the two time rib champion now third place winner) and said “well one of us had to win!”.