Nicole Murray shows off her winning entry at the 2013 Books2Eat contest where winners were announced last Wednesday.
A last minute change of direction paid dividends for a Cheney elementary school student in last week’s Books2Eat, annual edible book festival sponsored by the JFK Library and a group of volunteer friends of the library at Eastern Washington University.
Nine-year-old Nicole Murray, a third-grader at Betz Elementary had her “Nail Art” marshmallow creation selected as the best entry in the event that drew some two-dozen entries.
Books2Eat is a just-for-fun event in which faculty, staff, students and members of the public are invited to make and submit something tasty to eat that does not need refrigeration, but something with a literary theme. At the conclusion of the display, entrants have the items judged for prizes by attendees.
The Nail Art theme came about because Murray was running out of time and had to do something quick.
The idea came from her mother, Sue Murray, but the work was all Nicole. “I helped her a little bit kinda’ just make sure she was dripping the frosting off enough,” Sue Murray said.
Her entry consisted of marshmallows dipped in frosting. The frosting is a from-scratch creation using food coloring to get individual colors, she said.
“We actually got the idea from a posting,” Sue Murray said. “My cousin actually posted it on Facebook.”
This is Murray’s second time entering the event that tries to bring attention to the JFK library. “Last year’s entry centered around sharks and the book, “I survived the shark attack,” she said.
“We’ve done this for several years and always enjoy the creativity of the entries,” Harriet Plucker said in a news release. Plucker is one of the volunteer organizers of the event. “We’ve had cakes illustrating 'A Clockwork Orange,' 'The Wizard of Oz,' numerous classic works of literature and always an oddball entry or two. It’s fun to see what comes in,” she added.
This year’s contest drew a real mix of entries that included some true works of art such as a “Hello Kitty” that had a portion made out of Rice-Krispies treats.
A stack of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, entitled “Alice in Wonderland,” drew both quizzical stares and hungry voters who nibbled at the pile.
An entry called “Cooking for your Dog,” with chow mix made with peanut butter in “chow mix” and Scooby Doo cookies was actually something the humans present enjoyed out of dog food bowls.
The “I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001,” consisted of Rice Krispies treats in frosting resembling the World Trade Center.
The “Watchmen” graphic novel was depicted in a sweet treat by a from-scratch cake smothered in yellow frosting with a smiley face.
Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.
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