Her mother’s kitchen wasn’t much different, with just the basics and and plenty of room to spread out.
So it’s no surprise that when it came time to set up the kitchens in her own home, Olinsky repeated her family’s tried and true formula — no fancy gadgets, lots of measuring equipment, rolling pins, plenty of counter space and a big dining room table. The only thing she added was a KitchenAid mixer.
Picture this scene in her Huber Heights home after Olinsky, along with her daughter, Rebecca and her 9-year-old granddaughter, Anna, decided to make a variety of baked goods and enter them in the Ohio State Fair for the first time.
Not that they all weren’t experienced bakers. Years ago Christine won first place awards for her chocolate chip cookies at the Montgomery County Fair. More recently, she’d received recognition in 2024’s Dayton Daily News holiday baking contest for “Chris’ Peanut Butter Sandwiches” with her recipe and a photo published in the newspaper.
Rebecca has always baked with her mom over the years, picking up more skills in 4-H through her foods and nutrition projects and winning county and state awards. She’s known for her yeast breads and won the President’s Jackpot Baking Contest with Red Velvet Cake years ago at the Montgomery County Fair.
By the time Anna turned 2 and was old enough to stand on a child’s kitchen stool, she had joined the team. Muffins are her favorite thing to bake and she’s looking forward to taking on a nutrition project when she starts 4-H next year. She’s already dreaming about having a baking business when she gets older.
Family history
Christine, who grew up in Toledo, majored in Home Economics (now called Family and Consumer Sciences) at Bowling Green State University, then taught high school for two years in Troy. After getting her Masters degree at Miami University, she taught at The Ohio State University and started her work with OSU Extension. People may know her as the Montgomery County Family and Consumer Sciences educator, a job she had for 30 years.
In many ways, her daughter has followed in her footsteps. Rebecca also studied education at BGSU and after receiving a Master’s degree at the University of Dayton, began her work with OSU Extension, first as educator in Greene County and is currently 4-H Educator in Montgomery County. Anna will be in third grade at St. Christopher School in Vandalia.
“Baking with family is the perfect time to be together,” said Christine. “We ‘solve the problems of the world’ when we get together. I enjoy sharing long time family recipes and learning new things together. It’s fun to watch a child — first, Rebecca and now Anna — as they measure, mix, roll and cut.”
Her husband, Marvin Olinsky, supervises. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s the retired CEO of Five Rivers MetroParks and was inducted into the Dayton Region Walk of Fame in 2023. Marvin’s all-important role of kitchen supervisor also includes taste-testing.
“The best part is being together but, of course, we do enjoy the final products,” Christine said. " Much of what we make is usually given away since none of us eat many sweets. So that’s another plus - sharing with other family members, neighbors and friends. "
Every Christmas, mother, daughter and grandma spend a day making holiday cookies together.
But this time the family members may have bitten off more than they could chew. By the time their Bake-A-Thon wrapped up, they’d made peppermint bark, candy buckeyes, berry scones, peanut butter sandwich cookies, zucchini bread, chocolate chip zucchini muffins, banana bread, flourless chocolate cake, Bubbe’s chocolate chip cookies, brown butter blondes and a cake roll. Whew!
And they accomplished it all in one day. Olinsky said it was a whirlwind.
How it worked
The game plan called for Christine and her daughter to share the mixer and oven, overlapping when necessary. Anna spent most of the day decorating the cake. They made four trips to Hobby Lobby during the day to get additional supplies. They had typed up the recipes and purchased the cardboards and plastic bags in advance so packaging was done at the end of the day.
That night there were two more cakes to make, so they did that at Christine’s home and at Rebecca’s home in Butler Twp. They made the two candies in advance and stored them in the refrigerator.
Since all of the foods had to be delivered to the fairgrounds on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, the trio determined everything would be freshest if made on Friday and delivered on Saturday, so that’s what they did.
“We couldn’t imagine delivering a pie, for example, on Thursday since foods weren’t being judged until Monday,” Olinsky said. “There are very specific requirements for everything. Some entries require six pieces; others need the entire item. So paying attention to these details is critical. Most items are delivered on cardboard or in aluminum pans. And although we spent the day baking together, the rules require that one individual be listed on each of the submissions.”
“Our kitchen is a mess when we are finished, but cleaning up is no problem,” said Christine. “In fact, I enjoy doing that myself so I send Rebecca and Anna home while I have my quiet time to clean up.”
Before choosing recipes for the fair, they checked out the entry booklets for details about how their entries would be judged. They discovered most would be judged on appearance, texture and flavor. For most categories, there are first, second and third place awards which come with money and/or a ribbon.
Christine drove to Columbus while Rebecca held the decorated cake on her lap. Everything arrived safely and they were complimented on how well prepared they were.
A day at the Fair
On Sunday, they piled in the car once again and returned to Columbus to see how they’d “faired” at the fair.
Anna was delighted to get a third place with her decorated cake on the beginner’s level. Christine received an honorable mention for her peppermint bark and Rebecca won third place with candy Buckeyes. In other categories, Anna received first place for a dress she entered for “special occasion youth sewing” as well as first place for a miniature fairy house she created.
“We weren’t as successful as we had hoped, to be but we had a wonderful day at the fair,” Olinsky said. “We watched a horse show, saw a concert by the All Ohio State Fair Youth Choir and Youth Band,” we explored the barns and saw dairy cows, poultry and the famous Butter Cow. And we ate yummy Fair food."
But overall, the family had such a good time together, they’re looking forward to repeating the process.
“I’m thrilled to carry on a generational traditional of family baking,” said Christine. “We have already started a list of possible food entries for next year.”
HOW TO GO
What: The Ohio State Fair
Where: Ohio Expo Center & State Fair, 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus
When: Daily through Aug. 3
Info: ohiostatefair.com
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