Tasty Treats

            As some of you may know, the month of Feb. is Career Technical Education Month, and what better way to celebrate then with chocolate! Recently, students all over Baldwin County were asked to volunteer in the Local Chocolate Cook-Off to make their best chocolaty dessert.

            The students were required to create a chocolaty treat to compete for 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd place prizes. Their creations couldn't contain any accessories such as napkins, place mats, flowers or figurines. No one could assist the students during the contest with their dessert. Their recipe to follow had to be typed on an 8.5"x11" piece of paper, folded to make a standing tent recipe. All of the desserts were judged on the morning of Thurs. Feb., 5.

            Jesse Newsome placed 1^st for her Chocolate Italian Cream Cake. 2^nd place went to Katie Jones for her Chocolate Lovers Cheese Cake. There was a close 3 way tie for 3^rd place. The winners were Brianna Myers, Julia Mewbourn, and Tiffany Graves. Haley Frichter received Honorable Mention.

Mrs. Linda Urquhart, GSMS Registrar, said, "They did absolutely fantastic! I would love to have the recipes for some of the ones I tasted because they were so scrumptious." First place winners from schools all over Baldwin County proceeded onto the county level competition at the Spanish Fort Middle School on Wed. Feb., 11^th. There, they presented their desserts to judges who judged them based on flavor, texture, appearance, effective presentation, and whether or not they had two typed copies of their recipe.

            The cacao (kah KOW) tree was discovered 4000 years ago in tropical rainforests of America. The pods of this tree contain seeds that can be processed into chocolate. Some of the first known people to have made chocolate were the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America. The Mayas and the Aztecs also mixed ground cacao seeds with many different seasonings to make a frothy, chocolaty drink. Later, the Spanish conquistadors brought the seeds to Spain, where new recipes were eventually created. The frothy drink soon became popular in Europe. Since then, new discoveries and technologies have changed the texture, look, and taste of chocolate, but it still remains one of the world's favorite sweet snacks.

By: Shelby Simpson; 8^th & Sydney Taylor; 8th

Chocolate cook-off winners: (from top)Julia Mewborn, 3rd, Tiffany Graves, 3rd, Brianna Myers 3rd,
Katie Jones 2nd, Jesse Newsome 1st, Haley Frichter honorable mention
Photo by: Caroline Tilley