How this retired Phoenix teacher won 6 ribbons at her 45th Arizona State Fair competition

Competitive baker Mary Jane McHenry set out to win at least one blue ribbon. It's her goal every year at the Arizona State Fair.

Mission accomplished. This year she took home two first-place ribbons and four second-place ribbons for the nine entries she submitted.

The retired schoolteacher has competed in the Arizona State Fair culinary competitions for 45 consecutive years, although her history with fair contests started when she was as young as 6 years old.

McHenry estimates she's submitted about 315 entries in the span of her decades-long Arizona State Fair participation.

What were her award-winning recipes?

Over those years she's amassed a collection of state fair memorabilia, including seven grand-prize ribbons, an apron and a book of state fair recipes with two of her own printed in them.

McHenry, who lives in north Phoenix, won this year for her lemon citrus cookies and chocolate muffins.

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"I was happy to see (the lemon citrus cookies win) since I had made three batches to get them 'just right,'" McHenry said.

For the chocolate muffins, she converted a cookie recipe into muffins and received the seal of approval from her at-home taste testers — her husband David McHenry, daughter Tracy McBride and various friends.

Encouraging more bakers to compete

"I would like to encourage anyone who likes to bake or isn't sure about their baking ability to give it a try and enter the fair next year," McHenry said.

Brianda Martinez, an Arizona State Fair representative, told The Republic state fairs across the country are seeing a general decline in the number of competitors in culinary and homemaking competitions.

Many of these competitions require skills that used to be a way of life, such as canning and baking, that were passed from generation to generation, she said in an email. Now those activities exist as a hobby and fewer people have those talents and skills, she said.

To attract younger competitors, Martinez said the state fair tries to update the contests every year, adding categories such as salsa and cupcake decorating.

Reach the reporter at Priscilla.Totiya@azcentral.com or 602-444-8092. Follow her on Twitter: @PriscillaTotiya.

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