Monday, December 18, 2006


For the past two years, I have done a gingerbread house for our kitchen. Now, I don't do the whole baking and cutting myself. I buy a pre-made house, assemble it, and decorate. However, this year I didn't know if I would do it because my parents moved. When I was shopping this Saturday, I decided to get a kit and make a house. At first I didn't see a gingerbread house. There were trees and trains but no houses. Then I started digging...there it was, all the way at the back. So, I present to you Fondren Cottage!
This is Holly Cran Berry! She designed the house herself. The cobblestones lining the path to her peppermint door are made of tangy candy. Her roof is dotted with gumballs and candies. To prevent leaks in her roof, she so artfully added colorful gumdrops! After New Years, she invites anyone that dares to eat her house...she likes to move around a lot!



13 comments:

Anonymous said...

So cute, Claire! Congratulations on being done for the semester. Happy traveling; I hope you have a relaxing, fun holiday!

gail@more than a song said...

That is so cute! When I had all 4 kids at home we made/decorated gingerbread houses a few years. I wish there had been a kit then....we only used graham crackers for the house but then did the icing and candy to decorate them. I think the kits make them so cute and probably easier!

Erika W. said...

Oh, I should have gotten the house. I bought the train one, and while the kids enjoyed putting it together, the pieces didn't fit so well into the tray, and the engine kept falling in on itself.

One of these years I want to get adventurous and make the gingerbread...

Stacy at Exceedingly Mundane said...

That is soo cute Claire! You know, I've never done a gingerbread house, box kit or otherwise. It looks fun though! Does it taste good too?! :)

Hope you enjoy your week and have a very Merry Christmas. Be safe traveling!

Unknown said...

Jennifer - Thanks! I'm glad to have a little time off and it has definitely been relaxing thus far.

Gail - We never did graham craker/gingerbread houses when I was little. The first time I did one was when I was a senior in college! :-)

Erika - The tray I thought was helpful. Some I my pieces didn't fit great, but it worked better than having to hold the house togther, needing about 8 hands and only having 2!!!

Stacy - It is fun! Some of it tastes okay, I mean it is real gingerbread. But I don't know how many people would want to eat it after letting it sit out for 2 weeks!

Brilynn said...

I've decorated a gingerbread house for the past few years. This year I thought I'd be ambitious and make the dough myself. BIG mistake! I'm still considering going out and buying some...

Anonymous said...

I need help! I went to the store hungry a while ago and came home with a bag of fresh cranberries. Don't ask. Anyway, of course they're very bitter and I don't want to waste them and don't know what to do with them. Any suggestions for someone who is a non-gourmet cook?

Anonymous said...

So very cute!
I always say I am going to make a gingerbread house but never do.

Unknown said...

Brilyn - I THOUGHT about it...only briefly. Then when I remembered that that would mean measuring and cutting very precisely, I decided against it!

Sarah - I've never actually used fresh cranberries, although I was tempted to this Thanksgiving (and may actually do it at Christmas). However, you could use them in bread or muffins. You can do a quick search for "recipes with fresh cranberries" and find lots of links. OR if you like fruit type salsas, here is a link to a recommended recipe that I'm thinking about trying:
http://www.hambones.org/blogs/gail/?p=271#more-271

Peabody - Thanks! It's lots of fun...you should try it! Somehow, though, I think you'd probably go further than I did and make the whole thing yourself! :-)

Anonymous said...

Cute, cute! We're doing our gingerbread houses this week. I have done them from scratch and they take lots of work -- maybe one of these days I'll find the time to do it again.

Anonymous said...

My son did a graham cracker house one year, complete with a gummy person falling face first in the 'snow'. It was hilarious!

Yours looks delicious. I have seen those kits and been tempted, but never caved. Was it as easy as it looks?

Unknown said...

Alisha - I've never tried to make my own...I think I wouldn't be patient enough to do all the measuring. Then I would get frustrated because they didn't cook right, or something! :-)

Kate - The kits are pretty easy, especially the one I got this year. It had premade icing (usually they provide a mix and you have to make it and put it in a bad yourself). Just heat it for 10 sec, snip a tiny big from the end of the bag and pipe away! It was great! I LOVE the person fallng in the snow...made me laugh!

Anonymous said...

That's toooo adorable! LOVE the gingerbread house! When can I move into it? ;) j/k.