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September 28, 2007

Too pretty for a wicked witch OR St. Nick

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I cannot get over the exquisite detail that Floyd County resident Barbara von Claparede-Crola put into this beautiful little gingerbread house. For days, von Claparede-Crola has been toiling away in her kitchen, baking gingerbread cookies and this gingerbread house using the same authentic German recipe she learned from her mother and grandmother in her home country.

Barbara isn't doing it to make money or even to earn praise, although I think she deserves quite a bit of back-patting. She is a member of the board for Opera Roanoke and has created this sweet little abode simply to delight the donors who attend a party after tonight's opening performance of Engelbert Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel" at The Jefferson Center's Shaftman Performance Hall.

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The cookies, which she cut into the shapes of boys, girls, acorns and other traditional shapes, will be given out free to each person who attends the 8 p.m. show tonight or the 2 p.m. show on Sunday. Because they don't want crumbs in the theater (aside from the crumb trail Hansel and Gretel must follow), you'll have to pick up your cookie after the performance.
Barbara's little house is decorated with more than 14 different kinds of candy, from M&Ms to candy corn to mints to Tic Tacs, which are all glued on with brightly colored frosting.

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The roof is dusted with coconut snow and if you bend down and peek through the tiny front door, you'll see a fireplace with a banner above that reads "Merry Christmas."
Of course, it's a little early in the season for gingerbread houses and Christmas, but keep an eye out in the Extra section this Christmas for more information about the von Claparede-Crola family gingerbread house tradition. I might even be able to wrestle a recipe from Barbara. But something tells me that might be a hard job.
Have a sweet and savory weekend!

Comments

# 1

[September 28, 2007 2:53 PM]

Nona

Wow! This is really gorgeous. I have worked on a gingerbread house project and I know what painstaking, eye-straining, back-breaking work it is. Nothing I ever made came out this beautiful. Kudos to you, Barbara!

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Tidbits

  • This 'n' that -

    September 18: If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, if you know somebody who does, or if you're simply interested in learning more, stop by the co-op on Thursday, September 18, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. You can meet Cleo Libonati, RN, BSN, author of "Recognizing Celiac Disease," and get her to sign a copy of her book for you. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Cleo has more than 30 years of nursing experience and has recovered from celiac disease herself. She wrote this comprehensive guide to help others who suffer from it or who care for others who do.
    For more information on the book and author: www.recognizingceliacdisease.com
    For more information on the event: info@roanokenaturalfoods.coop or call 343-5652.

    September 26: The Peacock Harper Culinary Friends Group at Virginia Tech is hosting a lecture titled "Virginia Wine Coming of Age" at 11:30 a.m. at the Inn at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. The speaker will be Susanne Beckner of Villa Appalachia winery in Floyd, who will talk about the historic pairing of wine with foods of Virginia. Pre-registration is required by September 19. Cost is $35, which includes an Italian lunch and four wine pairings. Go to www.culinarycollection.org for more info.

    All month: Omega Lane Farm in Rural Retreat is having "Pick Your Own Tomato Day" every Sunday in September from 2-5 p.m. Folks can come on farm and pick as much as they want. The price is 75 cents per pound for organic heirloom tomatoes.
    Info: Omega Lane Farm, 139 Omega Lane, Rural Retreat, VA. 24368. (276) 686-5843

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Food writer Lindsey Nair shares successes and failures in the kitchen, passes on recipes and restaurant news and generally muses about her very favorite thing to do: eat. Read more about Lindsey

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