Would You Like A Slice Of Mold?

I HATE TO COOK & I HATE TO BAKE, so me going to STATE for a DEMONSTRATION in COOKING for 4-H is hard to believe.  I was a junior in high school when I won 1st place in the Bread & Cereal or The Bread & Nuts or The Bread & Whatever Category for the Parish where I grew up.  If I said Parish you know I'm from Louisiana.  It was a hard time for me and my brother & sister.  You the know the common story, divorced parents and a step parent who really doesn't want a bunch of kids. I loved my High School English Teacher.  I would have done anything for her.  She was a really good teacher.  Teacher if you are reading this blog, I'm sorry for all grammatical & puntcuation errors, I like to write like I talk (it's my excuse that I am using these days.)  She was in charge of all of us 4-H'ers in High School (Poor Thing).  She needed someone to do a demonstration so I volunteered.  The 4-H Coordinator for the Parish came to my house and helped me write my demonstration,  The item she choose for me to demonstrate was PINEAPPLE & CARROT QUICK BREAD..... YUCK!!!....  I was too shy to tell her I didn't like the recipe (imagine that).  I would practice and  practice and practice and practice.  I had a knack for total memorization, but I couldn't in a MILLION years EVER talk "off the cuff" as they say.  To my surprise I won 1st place.  If you won 1st place that meant you were off to STATE to compete with everyone in Louisiana in that catagory.  Getting back to my home life, it was miserable.  My step parent didn't want to be bothered with getting the ingredients I needed and really never wanted us near the kitchen to be honest.  We were to stay in our bedrooms mostly.  Outta sight, Outta mind I guess.  Well I knew STATE was getting near so I baked the Quick Carrot & Pineapple an ENTIRE WEEK (unrefrigerated) before STATE because that was the only time I could get my ingredients and get into the kitchen.  My dad brings me to Crowley, Louisiana where the school bus was being loaded with a bunch of teenagers headed to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the STATE competition.  All the parents were happy & giddy, making sure their child had EVERYTHING except for me.  When I arrived in Baton Rouge I realized that a lot of the girls that I was competing with had their mothers.  Their mother's made sure their child had access to a kitchen for their "prized recipe".  I remember one girl in particular had a chef hat on, a matching apron, and SHE WAS MAKING PIZZA.  But there is Desiree with her 1 week old (not refrigerated) PINEAPPLE & CARROT QUICK BREAD...YUCK!!!  I didn't have the right ingredients neither.  My step parent wouldn't go buy me some baking powder, so I used Flour.  My demonstration was not the 1st one to be seen for competition that week.  My demonstration doesn't take place until 3 days later making my PINEAPPLE & CARROT QUICK BREAD...YUCK!!!...10 DAYS OLD.... Finally it was my turn to do my demonstration.  I "Nailed It"... using my fake "baking powder".  The judges wanted to taste my "Creation".... I PANICKED... I might lack common sense, but I knew enough to know that my "Creation" had molded.  With shaking hands, I slice my "PINEAPLLE & CARROT QUICK BREAD..YUCK, YUCK, YUCK!!! and gave it to the judges.  I saw the look on their faces.  The judges looked at each other and mouthed, "it's spoiled".  So they then tell me to go to the kitchen and bake what I just demonstrated.   I shyly left the room, found the dorm kitchen and baked my "Creation" that lacked baking powder.  It didn't rise at all, it actually deflated.  I then went back to the judges and gave them a Good Ole' Slice of Desiree's "Creation".....Now I was doubeley MORTIFIED..... No, I didn't win 1st place, I didn't even place 20th...... but the Pizza Girl did....... SHE WON 1st PLACE!... Since then I have stayed away from combining Carrots & Pineapples..... NEVER to be eaten TOGETHER again, especially in a BREAD.....YUCK!!!