Some of the Prizes I Won At The Local                      Fair This Year

I got lots of ribbons this year, as well as some prizes for special contest I entered. Took first place in a three of the special contest. One contest was the Virginia Egg Council, one was for King Arthur Flour and the other was  Red Star Yeast. Prizes from the Virginia Egg Council included an apron, cookbook, a coupon for a dozen free eggs. The King Arthur contest was a seventy-five dollar gift card for their products. I choose a diamond cut bundt pan, two mini spring form pans and a package of Christmas stickers. For the Red Star Yeast contest I got a year supply of Platinum yeast. Love this because, I love making bread and rolls. I also got two cases of canning jars for taking "Best In Show" for a jam and a relish that I entered. I got two unexpected prizes just for entering, I received one in the mail already and I'm waiting on the other one to be shipped. The one I received is a  Wilton's cupcake decorating tip set.

Local Fair Results Are In!!!

I entered twenty three items in the fair this year. I got sixteen ribbons, including three "BEST IN SHOW" , three champion ribbons, four first place ribbons, not bad. My apricot-pineapple zucchini jam took "Best In Show" as well as first place. The zucchini relish took "Best In Show"  a first place and champion ribbon. The watermelon rind pickles placed first and champion. The vegetable basket took "Best In Show" for the third year also a champion ribbon. I entered the fresh fruit division with my cherry tomatoes and took first place. I had planted sunflowers to enter this year, but they missed blooming in time for the fair by two days. Guess I'll try again next year.  

More Fair Winners: This peacock wreath is another fair entry that took first place. I made this using lots of peacock feathers, which I embellished with rhinestones, artificial flowers, I made the peacock body out of polymer clay (my idea) and of course added more feathers for the tail and pretty cord for accent.

First Place Winner

Little More Detail

I have two male (males are prettier than the females, they are mostly brown) blue indigo peacocks, it takes them about two to three years for them to reach there full potential as far as there feathers and color. This summer they will be two years old. When the weather allows I will share some pictures of them, they should be beautiful. It would be neat to see what they look like at three years old.

ANOTHER FAIR WINNER!! This is a recipe that I made to enter in a special "Red Star Yeast" contest at my local fair. I think they turned out awesome. I took first place and won a year supply of Red Star Yeast, I love making bread and rolls, so this for me was a great prize. I started using this yeast a few years ago, learned about it through the fair. I love this product, works for me every time.

Red Velvet Raised Doughnuts

1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees 
2- (1/4 oz. packets) active dry yeast 
1 teaspoon granulated sugar 
3/4 cup milk, lukewarm 
1/3 cup vegetable shortening

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons red food coloring paste

4 cups all-purpose flour 

2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

chocolate melts

chopped walnuts

Filling:

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened

5 cups confectioners sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together well. Fill piping bag fitted with large round tip, inserted into doughnut, squeeze to fill each doughnut.

Note: Any extra filling will be thinned with the addition of more milk, to a glaze consistency. Used to glaze the tops of doughnuts.

1. Pour 1/2 cup of warm water into a small bowl, stir in the two packets of yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Allow the yeast mixture to set for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy on top.

2. Put the milk and vegetable shortening into another small saucepan, over medium-low heat, cook until the shortening melts and milk has tiny bubbles around the edge. Remove from heat.

3. Place 1/4 cup of sugar and salt into large mixing bowl of stand mixer and pour the milk and shortening into the bowl. Mix on low speed just to dissolve sugar; and allow mixture to stand until warm.

4.Beat in the yeast mixture, eggs, cocoa powder, vinegar, paste food coloring, and 1 cup flour on low speed until dough is smooth. Slowly mix in remaining flour.

5. Continue beating the dough on low speed until dough leaves the sides of the mixing bowl, about 3 minutes.

6. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand (I used kitchen gloves to avoid red hands) until smooth and elastic, 3 more minutes.

7. Form the dough into a ball and place in a large greased bowl. Spray top of dough with thin coating of cooking spray, cover top of bowl with wax paper.Set bowl in a warm place; let rise until doubled in size. This should take 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

8. Punch down the dough and roll out on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut doughnuts out using a star shaped cookie cutter. Let rise again on work surface, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

9. Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan to 350 degrees F.

10. Gently place doughnuts into the hot oil, working with one or two at a time, cook for about one minute on each side.

11. Drain on paper towel lined cookie sheet to remove excess oil.

12. After doughnuts have cooled completely, you want to fill each doughnut with the filling. Then after thinning leftover filling to glaze consistency, dip tops of doughnuts into glaze. Allow glaze to set up. Melt the chocolate melts, then drizzle tops of each doughnut, then sprinkle chopped walnuts onto center of each doughnut.

FAIR WINNERS!! A few ceramic pieces that I have painted, I also entered each piece in the local fair. Uncle Sam took First Place and Champion. The Indian Vase took Best In Show and First Place. The "Welcome Frog" took First Place and Champion.The white dots on the "Welcome" of Uncle Sam was done by dipping the end of a toothpick in white paint, a little time consuming but worth the effort. Uncle Sam also lights up.


"Uncle Sam"

"Indian Vase"

"Welcome Frog"

This was my entry in the floral class in the local fair last year. I took first place as well as reserved champion. I use a tree stump for the base, painted the face with acrylic paints, sealed with a spray sealer. I then glued on artificial greenery for the hair, then glued artificial flowers to the hair. Then finished it off with eye lashes glued onto the eyes, and placed a few rind stones to the face for added "Bling"! Everything I used for this project was bought at a local craft supply store. My original idea. Pretty awesome, everyone loved it.

"Garden Goddess"