Schutzenfest 2010

It was an absolute 'stinker' at this years Schutzenfest. It got up to 42°C and the temperatures didn't abate until today when they finally came down. It was 44°C yesterday, so I am glad that i wasn't at home and was in the cool of the work aircon. At least today we have had some much needed rain (it hasn't rained since before Christmas).

Anyway here are some pics of the extraordinarily small crowds and the Klemzig Oompah band doing their best to keep "Oompah-pahing" on stage and stay cool.

The plan for 2010

Although I have enjoyed the 365 challenge in 2009 I haven't been as committed to it as I would have liked to have been, so in 2010 I won't be posting photos everyday. I have found it quite challenging to do a photo each day and missed whole weeks and then in the end I was too sporadic. I have decided to keep this blog and just post some photos to it every now and then with the things photos that interest me and of what I am doing.

Thank you to everyone who has followed along with my blog so far and left comments. I am still following all the other blogs and I really hope that I keep up my commenting etc.

249/365 - Gingerbread Countdown, House no. 3

This is my final Gingerbreadhouse and the one which will be the most popular with the kids in the family I think. This one has Freckles covering the whole roof and yello, organe and green mini jelly beans running along the roof line. The windows are made out of green LifeSavers and the final touch is the plastic Santa standing outside the front door!

248/365 - Gingerbread Countdown, House 2 cont.

This is the other side of house no 2. and definitely still my favourite house that I've made this year. The windows on this side are just piped on with multicoloured cachous on the joins.

247/365 - Gingerbread Countdown, House 2.

This house is actually my favourite this year. Why? Because it is pink!

The roof is piped in a criss-cross pattern with royal icing with pink musk sticks cut to make stars. The Iciles are make from little blobs of royal icing. The corners and base of the house is covered in pink and purple mini jelly beans and the sides covered with Freckles and Chicos. I particularly like this house because of it's red stained glass windows made out of melted red Lifesavers and the window sills have silver cachous to add a bit of sparkle.

I can tell that I have got better at piping this year and have actually managed to make some shapes with the nozzle instead of just blobs! It's hard work though and my arms and hands were very sore the next day - it doesn't help that the icing you use for Gingerbread houses is designed to be like glue. I might just have to get a bit more creative next year....

246/365 - Gingerbread countdown, House 1 cont.

This is the other side of House no. 1 and it basically has the same sweets on it that the other side did. The only differences are the little Chicos stuck to the wall. If you have never had a Chico before they are hard to explain. They are like Jelly babies but have a really soft and mellow taste. Maybe someone who has had a Chico could explain it better.

The other additions to this side of the house are the musk stick stars on the window ledge and the stained glass windows. They are a bit hard to see in the light and I'll have a better example tomorrow.

You can made stained glass windows by getting some clear coloured lollies like traffic lights or in this case Lifesavers and then crush them up. You then cut windows holes into your gingerbread dough wall before it is baked, and fill with the crushed sweet. As the gingerbread bakes the lollies melt and harden to make pretty stained glass windows. :)

245/365 - Gingerbread Countdown, House 1

Ok for the last flurry of the year I've decided to share the Gingerbread houses I made for my family this year. making them is a lot of work and can be a tad stressful at times but the end result is worth it. I calculated it took me 13 hours to complete 3 houses from start to finish and boy was I tired by the end of the weekend.

I was very pleased that I managed to do most of it on my own except when I ran out of creative ideas and the other half had to be called in for moral support.

House No. 1.

This first house has pink musk sticks for windows and royal icing piped on for window panes. The top of the roof has mini jelly beans lined up (to hide the join in the roof) and the small multicoloured pieces of candy covered chocolate bits and I like using them because they look like fairy lights. The side of the house has a multicoloured Freckle and two Raspberry lollies stuck on for decoration. At the front door there are two small bushes made out of Raspberry lollies and green mini jelly beans. The icicles are royal icing piped on with a small nozzle.