It is time to sharpen your culinary skills!  Finch and Rose is sponsoring its second annual Iowa Birthday Cake contest.

The event is called:  "Decorate Iowa"  Celebrating Iowa's Birthday, and it is a cooking contest at the 2011 Iowa State Fair.  The event will take place on Sunday, August 14th at 10:30 a.m. in the Elwell Family Food Center.  The invitation from Finch and Rose State Literary Society is to bake and decorate a birthday cake to celebrate Iowa!  The cake should reflect Iowa in shape and/or decoration and should be 100% edible with no candles.  Each entrant should be prepared to speak about their inspiration for decorating this special birthday cake.

The blue ribbon winner will take home $100.00 in cash and a signed copy of, "Our State Fair, Iowa's Blue Ribbon Story" by Mary Kay Shanley.  The second place winner (or red ribbon) will take home $75.00 cash and the third place winner (white ribbon) will take home $25.00 cash.  The will also receive a signed copy of Mary Kay's book.  Mary Kay will be our guest judge this year and have copies of her book available that day.

If you have never entered anything in the Iowa State Fair, except the front gate, now is your chance!  We would love to see Iowa's literary community represented in this funfilled contest!

Check out the Iowa State Fair website at:  iowastatefair.org and click on competitions.  The deadline to enter is July 1, 2011.  You can find the information you need on the website, download or copy the entry form, fill it in, send your $5.00, make sure it is postmarked July 1st and get your apron on!!!!

The Iowa State Fair theme this year is, "NOTHING COMPARES".  The contest is Division 25 Class 215.  If you have any questions, direct them to Michelle Bliss at:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

See ya at the Fair!

Kathy Holdefer
Adele Ver Steeg
Michelle Bliss