Gingerbread Architects!

Six years ago the girls and I made a gingerbread house. This year it was definitely time for another one. So, out came the old pattern and recipe and we started up our very own home building project!! The first thing to do, obviously, was to make the gingerbread dough. It has to be very, very stiff . . . we had to take turns holding the bowl so another person could stir the dough!!





The dough was soon complete and ready to be rolled out.

When the dough was rolled out, we placed the patterns on top, cut out the pieces and then transfered the pieces with foil under them to the cookie sheets. But, you musn't forget the most important part! What's that, you ask? The windows, of course!! Crushed up Life-Savers will melt and they make cool "stained glass" windows. We had two windows in the front, one on each shorter side of the house, and two in the back. There was also a little window in the front door.

We made royal icing out of egg whites and powdered sugar. After the gingerbread pieces baked and cooled, we were ready to assemble! We had to use cans to hold the walls up while the icing dried and "cemented" the walls together.

On the way home from church we stopped and got a little strand of 20 clear white lights to put inside the house so that it looks like a light is on in the house. When we got home we proceeded to complete the house. The roof, walls, and chimney had finished cementing while we were gone. We covered the top with royal icing and then covered it in frosted shredded wheat. Then we covered the chimney and put Werther's candy pieces on it to make it look like a rock fireplace.

Josiah wanted to know what the blank stare (in the picture above) was about. I have no idea . . . I think that's the look of intelligence . . . well, anyway. ;)

We took cinnamon gum and piped frosting on it to make it look like shutters. Mini pretzel twists when around the yard (which had royal icing snow). The pretzels hold up because they're stuck in the icing. That stuff is amazing. It gets hard and nothing moves. It's like glue. The path leading up to the front door is all Skittles.

We piped icing on the "shingles" and then sprinkled coconut all over the top and all over the yard to make it look like snow. We even used the icing to make icicles off the roof overhang!!

We had such a good time together. It was one of those fun, fun memories that will not be soon forgotten. We laughed, sang Christmas music together, bickered (I know, you thought we were perfect . . . sorry to burst your bubble), and made funny discoveries (like did you know that pretzels and skittles taste really yummy together?). The title of my blog and the verse that it is based on really speaks of what the Lord has given me: great things. I am so grateful to Jesus Christ for bringing redemption to our fallen race and making it possible for families to live and love together. I wouldn't trade "great thing gift" of family for all the gold in the world!!