DAY 1 PEPPERMINT CREAM BITES DAY 2 GINGERDOODLE COOKIES
DAY 3 MINT OREO BARK DAY 4 BISCOFF ROLO POPCORN
DAY 5 EGGNOG BUNDT CAKE DAY6 GINGERBREAD TREES w/LEMON GLAZE
DAY 7 PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE BARK DAY 8 HOMEMADE HOT CHOCOLATE
I realize this isn’t a Christmas treat that you would take to a party and share with others, BUT it is a ‘memory making moment’ and in light of recent national events we have been reminded that no one is promised tomorrow and it’s time to get making those memories. I am posting this on a Sunday because we will be joining other bloggers tomorrow in a day of silence to honor those whose lives were lost and remind ourselves of the beautiful gifts that we have in each of our families.
I mentioned to Megan last week that we were going to be making gingerbread houses as a family with some friends. She wondered the next day how we did them and so I decided to share it here on C&C. My kids look forward to this little tradition each year and are so excited in the days leading up to it.
I have four kids and the idea of buying them each a gingerbread house kit or making my own gingerbread isn’t my idea of fun. So we have been using graham crackers to make faux gingerbread houses for several years now. This idea is nothing new. And probably neither is what I’m about to tell you…the secret weapon – hot glue. We’re never going to eat this pile of sugar anyway, so why not cut out the wait time and fast forward a little to what the kids are really looking forward to…the decorating.
And boy did they ever decorate it…my son had more fun that evening with a squirt can of frosting than he’d had all week. I enjoyed watching each one of my children as their little house became their very own…each of their little personalities shining through the marshmallows and sugar wafers.
Taking the time to assemble the house itself beforehand was the way to go, my 3 year old didn’t get impatient waiting to be able to ‘glue’ the chocolate goldfish on her roof, but it still left my 7 year old plenty of room to be creative. These are in no way perfect, but how fun would making a perfect gingerbread house really be?
What’s your favorite family Christmas tradition?
Ingredients
- Small Goldfish containers (sometimes found by the checkout at your big box store - we chose chocolate)
- Hot Glue Gun
- Muffin Tin
- Graham Crackers
- Red Vine Licorice
- Assorted candies for decorating
- Tubs of white frosting, green & white frosting in a can (it squeezes out like canned cheese)
- Small pieces of cardboard wrapped in foil or wrapping paper to use as a base
Instructions
- Empty goldfish containers, set aside to use in decorating. Preheat glue gun.
- Apply hot glue to one side of half of a graham cracker, quickly press onto one side of cracker box. It works best to put the glue on the cracker first. Repeat until all four sides are covered.
- Trim crackers in a triangle shape to fit on each end of the box. Apply glue to the top edge of the cracker as shown, then press on the triangle piece. Put more hot glue on the back as necessary. Repeat on other end.
- Cut red vines to fit each corner of the box. Apply glue to licorice and then press onto corner. Cut more red vines to fit the length of the box and glue above graham cracker on each side.
- Cut crackers to fit roof and glue underside of cracker first and then glue on ends and where the roof comes together. Leave to cool and set for awhile.
- When ready to decorate, place frosting on wrapped board and put house on top of that. Put candies, etc, in the muffin tin as an easy place to retrieve them from. Decorate as desired and take lots of pictures!!
Merry CHRISTMAS from our families to yours!
May the JOY, HOPE and PEACE be yours this CHRISTMAS!
We’ll be back on Tuesday with Christmas treat #10.
Totally clever!! I have never made a gingerbread house! Thats kind of sad!!! Great idea using the goldfish box and putting the goodies in the muffin tin!! I don’t think there is an age on making a gingerbread house, right? I bet I could get my family together to make one!!
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers recently posted..Hamburger Soup
This is how we used to do gingerbread houses when we were younger! There was no way my mom was Betty Homemaker enough to make actual gingerbread. Our glue was usually royal icing, but I bet the hot glue is much more reliable. I’m keeping that in mind for the future!
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen recently posted..Bittersweet Chocolate Peppermint Cookies