At top, numerous baked good entries were checked in the Youth Homemaking Division check in held Tuesday night at the J.K. Northway Coliseum. Pictured are from left are Jan Muery and son Alexander. Volunteers from left are Randa Lawson, Cindy Strubhart and Jeanie Alexander. Above, Grace Zepeda, right, and Julie Catter were among several volunteers Tuesday as part of the livestock show events. (Photos by Gloria Bigger-Cantu) Fourteen-year-old Michael Catter said it took all of his willpower Tuesday night to not eat the giant brownie cookie he was carrying to enter in the Youth Homemaking Division of the Kleberg Kenedy County Junior Livestock Show.

Michael, a student at De La Paz Middle School, said he practiced baking the giant cookie, which was about the size of a dinner plate, five times.

“It has whipped chocolate frosting with one-third peanut butter,” Michael said while standing in line to check in his entry at the J.K. Northway Coliseum. He said the cookie was a secondary project because his main project was entering a goat in the livestock competition.

Michael, along with numerous students and parents, stood in line waiting to hand their entries to one of the volunteers during checkin time.

Riviera resident Jan Muery and son, Alexander, carried cookies, candy and bread to enter in the competition. She said her four children each had an entry and enjoyed sampling one another’s recipes. Muery said they had to make a schedule for cooking in the kitchen Monday night.

Alexander, 11, said the mocha truffle candy was dipped in melted almond bark, similar to a chocolate.

“They enjoy baking and cooking,” Muery, who works as a physical therapist, said. The family has lived in Riviera 12 years, and her husband is currently stationed in Kuwait. She said the children had also entered goats in the livestock show.

Rene Landeros said he was the official sampler for his 15-year-old daughter, Stefani’s, baked goodies. Stefani described her entry, a three-layer chocolate and vanilla delicacy, as a checkerboard cake. Stefani, a Santa Gertrudis Academy High School student, said her grandmother bakes a lot.

“This is a family recipe,” she said of her entry.

Seventh grader Maisie Lomas entered a pineapple upside-down cake for the first time. She said she practiced baking the cake for three months.

“It’s different and everybody has liked it,” the 12-year-old, who was with her mother and brother at the event, said.

Youth Division co-superintendents Carla Meyer and Stacie Tyra said they had an increase of entries this year compared to last year.

“Everything has been going smoothly,” Tyra said.

Thirty local and area volunteer tasters judged all entries Wednesday morning. Both the adult and youth homemaking exhibits and awards were displayed that night.

Meyer said Friday there were 436 youth baking entries and 21 adult baking entries. She said a silent auction was held Thursday night that brought in about $14,000 from the entries. Meyer said 42 Rosette winners received purple ribbons in each baking category.

Besides the baking entries, the Youth Homemaking Division also included competitors in sugar-free desserts, preserved foods, creative arts and accessories, decorative arts, industrial arts and photography. Participants competed at the elementary, junior and senior age levels and had to be members of 4-H, FHA, FFA or enrolled in homemaking or agriculture classes.