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You are here: Home / Lifestyle / Candyland

December 4, 2009

Candyland

Fun-filled holiday-themed evening!!

As judges of the 4th Annual Orange County Chamber of Commerce Gingerbread House Competition, we were treated to a nice dinner at the Saratoga Grill, my very favorite Hillsborough pastime beforehand.

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I was excited to have a delicious glass of zinfandel

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And some scoooooooooonnnnessss!!! The Saratoga makes the BEST scones. Totally crumbly and sweet.

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You just have to have one when you visit the "Saratog" (our nickname for the restaurant)

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For dinner I ordered an old favorite – the Honey Almond Salmon, which came with a side salad and some roasted potatoes. I shared the potatoes with Matt and had a bite of his stuffed shrimp!

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The salmon was so succulent and sweet!

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I flip-flopped between pro and point-n-shoot cameras. Notice the difference! I couldn’t get either right. Pro was too blurry (needed the lower aperture for the low light) but the P&S was too blah!

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Deck The Blog For Oprah

This is the first post in the Deck The Blog For Oprah series!! You’ll find my headshot already up on the site. SO. EXCITING.

We walked from the Saratoga down to the historic Burwell School for the gingerbread judging!

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The houses were all so gorgeous and impressive!

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Second place in the adult competition was themed the "Three Little Pigs." If you look in the windows, you can see the pigs dancing around!

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And the winner was this General Store. It was so intricate with real "glass" windows made of gelatin and elaborate details all over

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Thanks so much to the Chamber of hosting us as judges! And congrats to all the winners.

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We hopped across the street back to my parents’ house when the competition was all over. I’m beat!! But you-know-who was geared up for a beer tasting for my family and me.

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He and his brew buddy, Conor, each made a brown ale of similar style. Matt blindly let us taste them both and give our opinions. Sorry Conor, but we all preferred Matt’s Moose Drool clone!

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I’m off to read a little Wicked in bed!

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Comments

  1. Food Makes Fun Fuel says

    December 4, 2009 at 10:03 pm

    That salmon looks scrumptious.
    And judging those houses must have been so fun! They look way better than the ones I’ve made as a child haha

    Reply
  2. Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says

    December 4, 2009 at 10:12 pm

    So cool!!! How did you get invited to this?! I love making gingerbread houses 🙂 See ya!! (literally!!)

    Reply
  3. Karla says

    December 4, 2009 at 10:14 pm

    WOAH!! Those gingerbread houses are amazing!!!!

    I love the three little pigs houses!!

    Do people eat them?? I hope not!! They’re too cute to eat!

    Reply
  4. Light Delight with TouTou says

    December 4, 2009 at 10:19 pm

    oh that ginger house looks soo interesting , I wish we have the same exhibition here!

    Reply
  5. Lisa (bakebikeblog) says

    December 4, 2009 at 10:21 pm

    Oh my goodness – those gingerbread houses are AMAZING! What talent!

    Reply
  6. alyssa says

    December 4, 2009 at 10:21 pm

    that’s SO funny! i won third place in a gingerbread contest last night and our theme was three little pigs! i’m putting our pictures up soon on my blog. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Deva (Voracious Vorilee) says

    December 4, 2009 at 10:31 pm

    So much creativity – I love gingerbread houses. It looks like an exciting time 🙂

    Reply
  8. Jen (Running With Cake) says

    December 4, 2009 at 10:37 pm

    How fun and so very festive to judge a gingerbread house contest. I’ve never made a gingerbread house before – it looks too hard 😉

    Reply
  9. Sam (Merit to the Carrot) says

    December 4, 2009 at 10:39 pm

    Scones for an appetizer? Perfection. And so are those Gingerbread houses! Congrats on the Deck the Blog… that’s so exciting 🙂

    Reply
  10. Shannon (The Daily Balance) says

    December 4, 2009 at 10:48 pm

    LOVE the gingerbread houses 😉 – esp the three lil pigs!

    I’m watching the Gingerbread house Challenge on Food Network right now!

    Reply
  11. Priyanka says

    December 4, 2009 at 10:52 pm

    The difference between the slr and the P&S is so apparent! What a fun challenge. Love all of them!

    Reply
  12. Julie @savvyeats says

    December 4, 2009 at 10:54 pm

    Those houses are adorable! Fairly certain I don’t have the patience to make something so intricate 🙂

    Reply
  13. Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says

    December 4, 2009 at 11:05 pm

    What a great dinner! That salmon sounds SO good!

    How fun with the gingerbread house contest! Those are seriously some amazing houses there.

    Reply
  14. Bronwyn says

    December 4, 2009 at 11:14 pm

    Wow those gingerbread houses are absolutely amazing! So cool

    And congrats on the Oprah “deck the blogs”!

    Reply
  15. Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) says

    December 4, 2009 at 11:34 pm

    That salmon looks GREAT!

    Love the gingerbread houses!!! So pretty. The winner is fantastic. What a fun evening! 🙂

    Jenn

    Reply
  16. Ameena says

    December 4, 2009 at 11:40 pm

    The salmon looks SO good!!

    Reply
  17. candice says

    December 4, 2009 at 11:44 pm

    I like the idea of a restaurant that serves free scones. 😉 That salmon sounds delicious! Those gingerbread houses are adorable (and well-crafted!). I’ve only made a graham cracker house before that was posing as a gingerbread house. It was in first grade, and it fell apart. Good excuse to eat more candy, though. But gelatin windows?! Wow.

    Reply
  18. Good Taste. Healthy Me says

    December 4, 2009 at 11:44 pm

    those gingerbread houses were so cool! That must’ve been tons of fun.

    Reply
  19. SweetiePotato says

    December 4, 2009 at 11:50 pm

    Wow! Those gingerbread houses are amazing! Very pretty! And that’s awesome that they have you’re little picture up 😀

    Reply
  20. Meagan says

    December 4, 2009 at 11:57 pm

    Those houses look like so much fun!! I love the red cottage one! 😀
    (& I love Saratoga!!)

    Reply
  21. caronae says

    December 5, 2009 at 12:03 am

    I love love LOVE gingerbread houses, it’s one of my favorite holiday things. I like the big blue one!

    Reply
  22. Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says

    December 5, 2009 at 12:20 am

    Yay for Christmas-time!

    Reply
  23. Cynthia (It All Changes) says

    December 5, 2009 at 12:31 am

    I love intricate gingerbread houses. So pretty and edible 🙂

    Reply
  24. Madelin @ What is for Breakfast? says

    December 5, 2009 at 12:38 am

    Wow those houses look amazing, what skill! Very impressive 🙂

    Reply
  25. Chelsea (Chelsea's Chew and Run Fun) says

    December 5, 2009 at 12:40 am

    Gingerbread house judging is just the cutest holiday activity ever. They really are remarkable! Love the idea of doing a “Three Little Pigs” theme.

    That salmon looks perfect!

    Reply
  26. Hillary @ Nutrition Nut on the Run says

    December 5, 2009 at 12:49 am

    A gingerbread house contest sounds like so much fun. Maybe you can hop on over to my blog (Nutrition Nut on the Run) and judge mine! : )

    Reply
  27. Allyson says

    December 5, 2009 at 5:06 am

    A gingerbread house competition sounds like a dangerous place to be! I always want to Hulk-smash gingerbread houses and eat until I pass out.

    Reply
  28. Anne [email protected] Weigh of Life says

    December 5, 2009 at 6:29 am

    I’m so excited for you and Oprah.com! Those gingerbread houses are incredible. People are so talented!!!

    Reply
  29. Jessica @ JJsVinBlanc says

    December 5, 2009 at 7:01 am

    The gingerbread competition looks awesome – love the festive spirit it brings out 🙂 I’m with Allie, see you in a few hours!

    Reply
  30. christie @ honoring health says

    December 5, 2009 at 7:51 am

    Love all the gingerbread houses!

    Reply
  31. Emily Eats and Exercises says

    December 5, 2009 at 8:15 am

    That looks like a great competition to judge. I love that big blue house – it’s awfully impressive that all the construction stays together so well. And gelatin windows?!? Wow.

    Reply
  32. emptynutjar says

    December 5, 2009 at 8:18 am

    Salmon and fish of any kind is so wonderful. Goodness Kath, I feel such a compelling feeling to be jealous of all your successes 🙂 Instead, I am going to channel that its positive thoughts and say you are amazing!

    Reply
  33. Anne P says

    December 5, 2009 at 9:03 am

    Oh my gosh that is so much fun!! I have always been slightly obsessed with gingerbread houses… it’s so awesome to see the cool creations people come up with! 🙂

    Reply
  34. Lauren @ eater not a runner says

    December 5, 2009 at 9:09 am

    Those gingerbread houses are awesome! Looks like so much fun 🙂

    And congrats again on Oprah!

    Reply
  35. WendyF says

    December 5, 2009 at 9:18 am

    Those gingerbread houses were amazing. Its so festive. Congrads on the Oprah site as well.

    Reply
  36. Katie says

    December 5, 2009 at 9:20 am

    Those gingerbread houses are gorgeous! I wish I was half that talented. I LOVE the three little pigs one!

    Reply
  37. Susan says

    December 5, 2009 at 9:28 am

    SO exciting to see you up on Oprah.com!!! I hope someone eats those gingerbread houses. Pretty to look at – but really, candy should be eaten 😉

    Reply
  38. Krissy (Single Serving) says

    December 5, 2009 at 9:33 am

    Those houses look so adorable. My nieces are attending “Gingerbread University” today and are making their own houses. SInce they are 2 and 5 I don’t expect anything quite so elaborate. Sounds like a lovely night.

    Reply
  39. skinnyrunner says

    December 5, 2009 at 10:13 am

    omg i love it!! i would be in heaven with all that candy. such cute pictures of you two together!!

    Reply
  40. Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says

    December 5, 2009 at 10:14 am

    Those gingerbread houses are SO cool! The vegetarian restaurant that I used to work at makes GB houses around Chrismas too, and I used to love watching them get put together. It’s such a process!

    That’s funny– I drink out of that same duck jar “glass” all the time! Love it!

    Have a great Saturday!

    Reply
  41. Anais says

    December 5, 2009 at 10:43 am

    I LOVE the first and second place gingerbread houses, they are beautiful! Can’t believe you’re on Oprah’s website, that’s great!! 🙂

    Reply
  42. Angie says

    December 5, 2009 at 11:09 am

    What a beautiful dinner! And the gingerbread houses are truly amazing!!

    Love seeing you on Oprah’s website…too cool!!

    Reply
  43. Jason Richmond says

    December 5, 2009 at 11:15 am

    Kath – Thank you for judging the competition!

    My wife and I made the “3 little pigs” house – it was a lot of fun!
    I would like to thank everyone for all of the positive comments!

    If anyone is interested in entering the competition next year, give the Hillsborough / Orange County Chamber of Commerce a call – 919-732-8156.

    If you would like to see the houses in person, and have a vote for the “People’s Choice Award”, come up to Hillsborough tomorrow, Sunday Dec. 7. The Chamber will be having the “Candlelight Tour” ( http://www.candlelighttour.com ) from Noon to 6pm. The Burwell School will be open during this time.

    Reply
  44. Cait (Cait's Plate) says

    December 5, 2009 at 11:25 am

    Ah! That’s such a dream! I would’ve loved to have been there! That blue mansion house is AMAZING! I never understand how people are able to do that!!

    Reply
  45. Dawn (HealthySDLiving) says

    December 5, 2009 at 11:36 am

    That is so cool, I love gingerbread houses and those are definitely amazing! Congratulations on being an Oprah blogger–that really is a dream!

    Reply
  46. whitney says

    December 5, 2009 at 11:38 am

    The beer looks so refreshing and your salmon looks to die for but the scones beat it!

    Reply
  47. lynn (The Actors Diet) says

    December 5, 2009 at 11:39 am

    i love gingerbread houses….they really should have one you can eat too, don’t you think?

    Reply
  48. AnnQ says

    December 5, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    Congrats again on the Oprah blog…LOVE it!

    Reply
  49. lk - healthy delicious says

    December 5, 2009 at 12:12 pm

    love that blue house! so simple, but gorgeous!

    Reply
  50. Erin @ Big Girl Eats says

    December 5, 2009 at 12:23 pm

    That is SO fun! I just saw the best gingerbread house in Alabama on Thursday night. People are so creative. Honey almond salmon sounds like something I need to make stat!

    Congrats on being on Oprah’s site!! So cool.

    Reply
  51. Kristie Lynn says

    December 5, 2009 at 1:03 pm

    I tried Moose Drool for the first time yesterday. It is so good!!! 🙂

    Reply
  52. Jenna says

    December 5, 2009 at 1:56 pm

    congrats on being on OPRAH’s website!!!
    looks like a great night to get into the holiday spirit 🙂
    jenna

    Reply
  53. Carolyn says

    December 5, 2009 at 5:24 pm

    I thought your pro pics looked great!! I have a higher end point and shoot Canon and I have tried finding classes or workshops to learn more about it, but no luck. Your pictures make me drool!

    Reply
  54. Deanna - the unnatural mother says

    December 5, 2009 at 6:39 pm

    Congrats on the Oprah profile!! YEAH!!

    Reply
  55. Sarah says

    December 5, 2009 at 7:59 pm

    Those gingerbread houses are amazing!

    Reply
  56. Keith Coleman says

    December 7, 2009 at 10:10 am

    Katherine,

    Thanks to you and your husband for judging the Gingerbread House contest. It was good to see you and I know Sara enjoyed dinner and the judging with you and Matt.

    Reply

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    hi! Im Kath.

    I'm a Registered Dietitian, healthy eater, and mom of two from Charlottesville, Virginia. Here you’ll find a healthy mix of real-life meals made from whole ingredients balanced with the pleasures of life, including buttercream frosting and good wine. Plus a sprinkle of nutrition, home life, beauty, parenting, and travel.
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