The 2006 Kentucky State Fair

The 2006 Kentucky State Fair

Friday, September 08, 2006

The State Fair, re-visited

Well, last year at the State Fair, I was excited about entering something for the first time, and we ended up with a Second Place Ribbon, which I thought was pretty cool. This year, we did another cake, and even tried some other culinary creations.

We didn't win anything this year, but it was fun, and we got to eat the leftovers, LOL. ;~}

The Scarecrow-Pumpkin cake is what we call this creation of ours. Follow the pictures below to see a bit how we assembled our cake, and what he looked like at the Fair.

The original idea was for a scarecrow, but that metamorphosed into a pumpkin with a scarecow hat and hair. In the Fair, there are a multiplicity of different categories(or classes) in the Cake division. Just as last year, we chose to make something for: Novelty Cake, non-professional class. The entries in this particular cake category are judged on artistry, practicality, and creativity.

We used a concoction called Royal Icing for the scarecrow's facial complexion. The icing starts out as sugar white when mixed up, and we add food coloring to get the shade we desire, then we use a frosting knife to apply it. In the process of frosting our scarecrow, it started looking like a pumpkin, so that's when we decided to call him a Scarecrow-Pumpkin.

The backside of his fruity, hairy head...

His hair is a combination of Fruit Roll-Up snack candies and Twizzler strands. His eyes, nose and mouth are Fruit Roll-Ups that we cut into shapes. His hat is ice cream cone cups, partially dipped in colored chocolate. I think the hat is his best feature! ;~}

Jill's talent and creativity really made this a fun, happy-looking cake, and the bow she made for him just completes the look, along with the added touches of straw made out of clay.

On display at the Fair...

On display at the Fair...

Our Spicy Pumpkin Butter was entered into a special category called any preserves or butters not mentioned. --There are classes for apple butter, peach butter, strawberry preserves, etc., but no category specifically for pumpkin butter, so it fell into a miscellaneous class. We're still not sure how the miscellaneous class gets judged since there's a variety of things that get lumped into that category that don't fit anywhere else.

The Garone Supper Bread was a special entry into the Fleischmann's Yeast Contest. The basic requirement for the contest stipulated that you use Fleischmann's Yeast as an ingredient in an original baked recipe. Our bread was incredibly tasty, and the name comes from Jill's mother. Garone is shorthand for Garlic, Rosemary, and Provolone. --Three of the ingredients we used. It is a great bread recipe, and Jill invented it along with the attractive twist presentation.

The judge in the background is giving our bread the once-over...

Grandma Medley's President's Choice is the signature dish that we entered in the KC Masterpiece Memorable Meals Contest. Just as in the Fleischmann's contest, you were required to use the manufacturer's product in the recipe. Our dish is a chicken and rice bake that is very delicious, but don't just take my word for it! If you want the recipe, email me, and I'll give you wire-transfer instructions for the fee.

Go back to last year's Fair

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