This week we made a gingerbread house because the internet was all alight with rave reviews over what a fun family activity! So fun! So easy, because of the kits! Ours took two days. We had to take a break after our first attempt because SOMEONE threw a tantrum. It was me. But in my defense, I had never made that type of icing before and the recipe said to add five tablespoons of water, and then add by 1/2 teaspoon increments, if needed. "The icing will be thick" it clearly said. The 1/2 teaspoon increments is what really got me, because this was a huge bowl of icing. It seemed to me that a 1/2 teaspoon of water was a negligible amount. So I added water slowly and painfully and then tried to glue the house together by squeezing what was essentially a solid out of a cheap disposable pastry bag, and my hands nearly broke and bag burst and the stupid house fell apart when I went to put the roof on and I HATE THIS STUPID HOUSE AND WHOSE IDEA WAS THIS STUPID PROJECT ANYWAY.
Oh, right. Mine.
So I smeared the icing onto the gingerbread with my fingers, stuck the house together and called it a day. The next day I readjusted my expectations, thinned the icing out so that it would actually squeeze, did NOT throw a fit when the pastry bag burst again, and it was all fine. And then we took a photo and my children posed with completely relaxed and natural expressions.
Finally, there is this:
That thing is the jar lifter from the canning kit I bought this summer. Nora found it a few months ago and decided it was a perfect place to put her baby to bed. There is a part of me so impressed by her ingenuity that I almost don't want to give her the doll cradle we got her for Christmas. But I think I will anyway.
6 comments:
The finished house looks great!! I was not brave enough to attempt the gingerbread house this year, even though I really wanted to.
Nora is so grown up!
1. Great dress!
2. James also uses stuff from the kitchen in new and different ways. The potato masher, for instance, is his stamp. When I clip coupons, he does the very important clerical job of stamping the leftover pages as I hand them to him. He has been known to use the wine bottle vacuum sealer for something similar. That is, when he's not accidentally using it to give himself a hickey on the cheek 2 days before school pictures.
1. I love your gingerbread house!
2. I throw tantrums while doing fun family activities as well. (usually ones involving glitter, but also involving frosting.)
3. I think your Jack and my Jake must be related. I mean really. There's the hair factor, of course, but also the facial expressions in photos factor. Long lost brothers for sure.
My gingerbread house CAME with pre-made icing and that was really genius. Loooove that dress. So pretty.
I love "SOMEONE threw a tantrum. It was me. But in my defense...."
I also love "squeezing what was essentially a solid." And also, our frosting bag burst, too, and I didn't notice and I put it on the counter and then when I looked again there was a huge spreading puddle of what looked like Elmer's glue.
I also love "posed with completely relaxed and natural expressions."
I also love the canning equipment cradle.
And your party outfit! Geez, was Andrew preening at that party or WHAT??
Best gingerbread house ever. You look beautiful and don't even have frosting hanging from your face.
Lovr fr.YAM
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