What’s Out of this World and completely edible?

 

Okay, so it’s not really fair food fare, (no bacon, after all) but it is an entry in the edible structure category at the San Diego County Fair. Public Works’ own LeAnn Carmichael and family created this tableaux taking off on the fair’s theme Out of this World.

The scene features a flying saucer, aliens, R2D2 and even Easter treats-turned-extraterrestrial Peeps mesmerized by a slab of granite. That slab is a nod to all you 2001 Space Odyssey fans. Except for the flag, the sign and the board it sets on, all of it is completely edible down to the landing site of crushed graham cracker crumbs.

It would seem to be quite a departure for LeAnn who is a LUEG Program Manager involved in environmental reviews for County projects like roads, bridges and airports. But it turns out experience as a program manager comes in handy since she has managed this Home and Hobby entry for the family for the past six years.

“It’s a great family project,” says LeAnn. “And the kids love to see their work featured at the fair.” Their hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Over the years, they’ve earned third, second and first place finishes as well as Best in Show.

For those of you who decorate gingerbread houses every holiday season, watch out; this is how it all started. “We saw some over at the fair,” said LeAnn. “We thought we should do one too and enter it.”

Her daughter, Madison, was about 8 years old when the family first started entering the competition. She’s 15 now and still likes to take part along with her 10-year-old brother Robert. It’s fun, creative and yes, kind of messy. What’s not to like?

Over the years, the family moved on from gingerbread houses to structures that reflect the fair’s theme. Not to give away any secrets, but judges seem to like that idea.

Dad works on the structure part, and everyone else pitches in on the rest. That flying saucer? A giant sugar cookie, don’t you know, with tootsie pop legs and candy landing lights. The saucer’s dome is hard crack sugar. If you peer intently inside, you’ll see an eyeball peering back at you. It’s chocolate.

R2D2 looks like a toy, but no, Madison made it out of fondant. That’s a fancy word for a thick type of frosting made of sugar and water. It becomes a type of a paste that can be rolled out with a rolling pin then molded into various shapes. The scary octopus-looking alien was made of fondant too. The entire project took a weekend.

And of course, disasters happen! One year, the Rice Krispies structure melted. Another time, the beach sand of graham cracker crumbs spilled on to Dad’s lap as they were loading the entry into the car. But as LeAnn says, the show must go on and the project was duly submitted. Now, this fair entry veteran always brings extra plastic bags full of graham cracker crumbs, just in case.

While she always aims for first place, her husband and kids always go for second. Why’s that? Well, if you win, you have to sit out from entering the category for a year. So how did the judges vote this year? The entry took second. Still good enough for bragging rights and the family can enter again next year, a win-win in a way.

But in the end, it’s not about winning anything at all. “We live in a big city, but it (entering the competition) feels like a little hometown thing,” says LeAnn. “It really connects you with the community.” That connection, the family tradition, togetherness and funny near-disaster stories are treasured memories and the true prize for the Carmichaels.