Last year they were all over the place for sides. Beans were the prevelent entry. It ranged from six crystal dishes with really meaty baked beans to someone that poured some warmed up canned pork & beans into a 9x9 container. Also,had some shrimp dishes, sausage snacks,appetizers etc.
Now the desserts were a whole nother matter. One of our entries was a multiple layered mousse/whipped cream deal in a huge glass snifter that just knocked our socks off. Lot of strawbwerry dishes, and at 100 deg outside, a peach ice cream that was sooo cold it gave us a headache!!
They had to have used dry ice or liquid nitrogen to keep it froze.
After knockin down the four meat catagories it takes a real glutton for punishment to hit those desserts. I noticed a whole lot of 9's at our table.
Go for the WOW factor.
ModelMaker
P.S. They put the dishes on a table after judging and you are responsible to fetch them after wards if you want them back.