Citizen Staff Connie Dornfeld
At left, looking for consistency, Carol Bralich, West Bend, left, judged the three brownie entry of Allison Schulz, 12, Herman Hornets 4-H Club, Monday morning. A seventh grader at St. Matthew's School in Iron Ridge, the daughter of Douglas and Rebecca Schulz, Iron Ridge, is a first-time fair entrant.At right, Jeni Tyjeski, 14, Leipsic 4-H Club, created an edible beach scene with sand of Rice Krispies and the pool of blue Jell-O for her Dairy Fun entry. A freshman at Beaver Dam High School, Tyjeski is a fair entry regular.
When Carol Bralich, West Bend, decides who will win the blue ribbon at the Dodge County Junior Fair, she looks for consistency in the Easy Bites samples.
Teacher of Family and Consumer Education at Badger Middle School in West Bend, Bralich said, "I look for consistency in all three samples and I expect that the exhibitor understands the recipe and can tell me what she/he learned in making the product."
She also judges Fun Recipes.
"With some of the more creative entries, sometimes it boils down to the level of difficulty and the choice of recipe they brought," Bralich said.
On dehydrated foods, Bralich said she looks at texture. "
If it is too moist it could spoil. Moisture could breed bacteria. And, if it is too dry, it will snap apart."
Monday was a busy day for Bralich as she judged entries of boys and girls ranging from 9 to 16 from throughout Dodge County.