4-H Project Turn-in

Last Saturday, we turned in Camden's Fine Art project.  We did not stay for open judging, so we will have to wait until the fair to find out what she received.

We made her Prize Winning Lemon Blueberry Muffins on Wednesday night and turned them in the following morning.  I had feared doing blueberry because they are so temperamental.  But they are her favorite and she wanted to do them. To me, that is the purpose of 4H - teaching kids to learn to do something they want to do - not just pleasing judges.  I really liked the simple recipe so away we went.  She did a great job completing every step of the recipe with limited assistance, but I still couldn't take pictures since my hands (and eyes) were full helping her.  

They turned out nice, but, despite what I believe/said, I still couldn't help myself from worrying about the judging.  The bake was good, they tasted delicious, but the exploding blueberries and hard-to-stay consistent nature of them worried me.  I prepped her that she did well and no matter what color she got, she did her best.

I did have her attend the open judging for this because it is a good learning experience.  The judge immediately talked about how hard blueberries are to cook with and the various problems you can have.  I figured she was softening the blow for Camden, as well.

She complimented her on the subtle lemon flavor and the lemon-sugar sprinkle on top.  She asked her a few questions and really used this as a teaching moment for her.  Exactly what I wanted out of 4H.

When she was marking the card, I leaned over and asked her about our choice to use blueberries.  Would she recommend not using them in the future.  The judge reiterated the problems she has seen, but commented that Camden had "mastered the blueberry" and these were actually excellently prepared.  Blue Honors - or Blue Star.  This distinction makes her eligible for Reserved Champion and Grand Champion, as well as allows her to have her muffins in the action where she can earn a little money.

We will wait for Saturday to find out her final results in both projects.  I am very proud of her!