50 Days; Gingerbread Houses

Gingerbread is another one of those smells that puts me in the Christmas mood! The spicy aroma just tickles the nose with its tantalizing bouquet that screams out CHRISTMAS!!! to me.
Now, the making of the gingerbread has been a tradition in the family household for as long as I can remember, BUT, the making of Gingerbread HOUSES is fairly new.

Fake Gingerbread house-
BUT you see what I mean when I say I use lots of candy

Now, I am sure most of you have seen made or made your own fake Gingerbread house to decorate- by that I mean you get all the decorating stuff and use a Milk Carton and Graham Crackers to be the phoe-gingerbread house, and then decorate the house that way, but I contend that that, although simple and less agitating,  is not a TRUE gingerbread house.

A true gingerbread house is not glued to a milk carton, but instead is made of gingerbread and is one that stands up on its own. I guess I would say I am a gingerbread house pureist because I would also go so far as to say that the Gingerbread House Kits- Like the one you got last year at Costco or pretty much anywhere else, is also cheating and not a TRUE gingerbread house- Sorry if I sound snobbish there, just the way I feel I guess ;)

A REAL Gingerbread House-
With lots of candy- Yes, my Creation

Now, the real way to make Gingerbread houses is to make and bake the gingerbread yourself, then cut out the parts you need, and try as hard as you can to make it stand up (and stay up) by using as much frosting as needed. Of couse, the frosting must be homemade as well. My trials for this particular part really show through. We always used the wrong type of Frosting- certain types of frosting work the best. Royal Icing is one that is supposed to work well. Then of course, once your house is errect, then comes the fun part- using all your favorite candies (Don't worry, I don't expect you to make the candy yourself to have  TRUE gingerbread house) and place them in the ideal spot to decorate your house.
My strategy is to put on as much candy as possible and my favorite candies, so that means I can eat as much of the candy later as I have decorated. Now, my sister's strategy is very different- to decorate the house with what is needed to make it look as real as possible whether that candy is good or not.

Of couse, I have to mention a story that I think of pretty much every time I think about gingerbread houses- Video Equipment.  One Christmas (1997, I think), we had just done Gingerbread houses and my sisters and I had a competition of who could make the best gingerbread house. (Yes, theirs won in the creativity/beauty factor- but mine sure tasted good) We had just received a family camcorder for Christmas and I am sure you can guess where I was- Filming the day behind the camera. And I am sure, if you know my sisters at all, you can guess where they were- In FRONT of the camera. After a short time, I figured out how to do the basic operations of the camera. Kelli wanted a crack at it. So, I had to hand it over. She started filming Kristin and the gingerbread house they made as Kristin was describing the house to the camera for all the future viewers. Kelli decides she wants to zoom in on the house and so she asks. "How do you go in?" Right away Kristin thinks she is asking about the house and proceeds to walk her first and middle finger upside down through their gingerbread house door and says "Through the door.... and you go out through the door". This is a story that was caught on camera and is brought up each year, even though it was 13 years ago. That is still a great Christmas memory that I will remember for years to come!
Kristin, how do you go in?
BTW, I would also have to mention the Gingerbread Junction at Sunriver Resort each year. To be totally honest, I have not ever been there, but I want to change that this year. From this press release- it says that Gingerbread Junction is available for viewing from Thursday November 25 to December 26th. (that's Thanksgiving- the day after Christmas.)

44 Days until Christmas!  What's your favorite way to make Gingerbread Houses? (Personally, I still think eating Gingerbread men tastes better)