[Sca-cooks] Was HATS OFF... Now is How we did it....

[kattratt]

LOL Ok the story short version...
BTW Thanks again Lady Olwen!!!! Ya'll who don't know this girl went on a
9 hour drive to an event that she was pretty miserable at.  BTW the next
time you want into a kitchen tell me when I am not trying to get all of
that stuff done... ;)
And I agree if they are going to be a Holes then screw them...
Ok Now onto the story...
Well we built this stained glass window for Passage East the Final.  We
finished that event and I noticed the Atlantian 12th night A & S
competition of edible architecture.  I thought Hrmmm that would be fun.
 But I didn't just want to make a gingerbread house I mean anyone could
do that right? So I said ok how do we WOW them? ... Open the thing up
like a doll house, make the furniture and all the things inside, and if
possible make it a reproduction.  So I began searching....
I searched the web and library.  The internet actually gave me my
answer.  I did a yahoo search on medieaval buildings, and after
searching about 5 sights, (Yes Stefan's Popped up as well) I got the
Weald and Downland Museum Website.

http://www.wealddown.co.uk/home-page-english.htm

It is well worth a look at.
Since we really didn't want to kill ourselves on this project, (we did
anyways but that is another story), we wanted to do a house and not a
castle.  I mean c'mon I saw what was thrown at Olwen as a future project!!!!
Well I noticed the Bayleaf Farmstead.  Nice and a descent size.   What
sold it was the "Virtual Tour".  Every room save for one was viewable.
 (I did point this out to the Museum Director).  So we had a house that
we could see the inside of.  All we needed was permission, yes we asked.
 Richard Harris the director of the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum
was very pleasant and forthecoming with both permission and
infornmation.  He provided the basic dimensions.
I double checked the web site for authenticity (Thanks go out to the
cooks lists members who answered!!!! You know who you are!!!!)   Then we
began drafting the walls in half inch scale.
Katrina found and modified the gingerbread recipe so she could work with
it.  (Had to be sucrose free) (Brown rice syrup instead of molasses and
fructose instead of sugar).
I then begged Lady Olwen for some almond paste, and started working...
After we decided to use chocolate we said period materials be damned, we
hauled out the Now and Laters as well as the Tootsie Rolls.  Sorry folks
I wanted other tastes in there...and I could have done the whole period
correct thing but Katrina spoke and that was it.
Hey sorry she is my life....
five weeks later we have it all constructed and I am assembling the
roof, one cut finger and I am reparing the roof!!!! LOL
Sigh never drop what you are working on.
All repairs completed the night before the event I send her off to bed
load up the cooler, pack my bags, and start to write the rest of my
documentation... (I fell asleep)
So we wake up at mumbly mumbly O'Clock to take the baby to his
Grandmother's House to be tortured for the weekend, and then head to
12th Night.  Very Nervous and concerned about said baby....
We meet Olwen at the Hotel about like I was expecting.... The surprise
was that they parked beside us....
"Any of ya'll know Olwen?" "I AM OLWEN"
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Hugs!!!!!!!!!!!!
"I AM NICHOLA!!!!" "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"  HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Long story short the house opened up like a Doll House, It was tasty, it
was fun, and I don't want to do it again.   LOL
Ok not at least for a week or two....
Well ok there is this project that I am looking at........
LOL
Nichola



Olwen the Odd wrote:

>
> There are picture aplenty and I invite Nichola to regale us all with the
> tale of how the project took life.  Then set a pointer to view this
> truely
> remarkable work.  So find an easy chair friends and set your pointer
> to the
> tale, inspect the pictures and share all the enjoyment and
> appreciation of
> these fine artisans.