Royal Winter Fair 2012

Well, my daughter and I have arrived back home safely from the Royal Winter Fair. We had a fantastic time catching up with all of our friends both old and new. Aalia had a fantastic time in in the TD youth showmanship class, and placed 7th out of 14th. I thought that was great, considering she's only been in the ring 3 times with Veliraf PG Zea Mays. Zea Mays decided it would be best if she 'danced' around the ring, rather than walked. The judge decided to switch goats with some of the children, and Zea did the same thing with other kids- proving it's a goat thing, not a child thing :) The Royal Winter Fair is the last show of the year, so now is the time to dry up the girls, get them bred, and have some 'down-time' before the shows start again in the spring. This picture is of Aalia as she left the ring with the goat she loves. 

A Thing of Beauty!!

Really, honestly, it IS a thing of beauty.

My old mixer, which I really did like, finally breathed it's last gasping breath as I finished my Christmas cookies in 2010...... It had a good life, being bought-used- by my mother when she first married(50 years ago) and then was passed onto me. I had used it for about 10 years, and was quite fond of my 'antique'- but functioning Sunbeam mixer. I still have it- not having the heart to discard it just yet.......even though it has now been replaced by my beautiful fire-engine red Kitchen-Aid Professional mixer.

This mixer mixed up batch after batch of cookies- the recipe instructions 'stir in remaining flour'....totally and completely unnecessary with this baby!! Gingerbread, shortbread, sugar cookies, macaroons, waffle cookies, lemon-poppyseed rounds, all were made with ease.......and although I miss my Sunbeam- things around here will be really cooking(or baking) now!!!