Resistance is Futile

Yesterday I completed my assimilation into the Borg. I have become a FOODIE and have been designated 7 of 9 in the Foodie Cube.

You're probably asking yourself if maybe ReformingGeek is on a sugar high? Or has lost her marbles? You're afraid that she is about to commit "harry carry" with her apron strings or something? ReformingGeek surely needs counseling.

OK. Here's the story: I feel like a geek foodie and maybe those terms are synonymous. The reason I feel this way is that when you don't work full-time you have more time to do things like enter your favorite cookie recipe in a local newspaper's cookie contest. Yep. I did and I made the finals. Me and a whole bunch of other ladies and 2 men. One of the guys was very intense about this competition. He looked like he'd been thru it before and was very proud of his cookie!

Making the finals means that you get to bake two dozen cookies and take them to the judges on the designated day. That day was yesterday and me and the other foodies took over their yummies for judging. There was also an associated little "party" in another room. One plate of everyone's cookies were put out on a table along with the recipes. After some quick announcements the hostess yelled "GO" and it was a free-for-all.

WTF? It was like the day after Thanksgiving 5:00 AM sale at the local department store (not like I'd be there shopping that early) or a bunch of pre-teen girls that just found out that the Jonas Brothers were outside signing autographs (or living next door*).

I am so glad I have long arms! Some folks weren't so lucky. Most of these were short little-old-ladies. Poor things. They probably got squished in the crowd. Move it or lose it, Grandma.

Just kidding. I didn't stomp on your granny.

I brought a large baggie and filled it up with just a few of the cookies that I thought looked tasty.

Just to wet your appetite, here they are (minus a few that I ate on the way home...it was a long drive OK!) The iced cookie is supposed to be a fire hydrant. It broke while I was rummaging for my driving home snack. Oops. The white cookie is a coffee meringue. There are a few bar cookies, a chocolate-cinnamon biscotti, a yummy carrot cookie and a few others.



Later there was a raffle for stuff like cookbooks and shopping bags; fun goodies but nothing fancy although they did give away a nice stew pot. There was one lady that screamed when she won a Cupcakes cookbook. OMG! I guess she doesn't have a zillion cookbooks like me. Let me make sure I'm out of earshot if she ever wins the lottery!

Finally it was time to announce the winners. We were holding our breath waiting for our cookie and/or name to be called. My category was announced first. When they started with 3rd place and I had already sampled her delicious cookie, I knew that was it for me. Of course my cookie is great but it really was a tough competition. 2nd place came and went. I didn't remember what cookie won 1st place since it wasn't me.

My cookie is called a Margarita Mac-Nut Cookie and it's made with lemon and lime zest, lemon juice and a shot of Triple-Sec. It has tons of macadamia nuts.

After all winners from all categories were announced, I thought one of the male finalists was going to pop a vein. He really looked upset. I guess he was sure he was going to win. Sorry dude. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

I'm so very sorry for that last sentence. It seemed so appropriate at the time ;-)

The event judging party was fun and I know I will enjoy making these treats for the holidays. Maybe next year I can boast in a post as the winner in my category.

*The Jonas Brothers recently purchased a home within a few miles of where I live. Whoopie.

Please feed smiley a cookie!