Gingerbread Houses Change…

We’re all sick! So we’re cancelling *our part* of the gingerbread houses. Everyone else is still going, we are just not so we won’t be providing the houses. Ya’ll bring your own or someone bring enough for everyone or just decorate graham crackers and have fun!

Sorry we’ll miss you- our Merry Christmas is not getting you sick.

Gingerbread Houses

Most of you know my history with Gingerbread… it’s shaky, at best. So this year, we’re going to make Graham Cracker Houses instead.

Now, don’t get your hopes up… even if we use graham crackers, the houses won’t look like the one in the picture. But the kiddos will have a great time, cleanup will be a breeze, and we can all split the cost by bringing a contribution!

I’m going to assemble the houses the day before so they’ll dry and the kiddos can decorate w/abandon. You RSVP # of children and pick what candy you’ll bring from the below list (or be creative!) by leaving a comment here.

Losco Park, Friday Dec 18, 10:00. Bring a sack lunch, too. Merry Christmas!

**Candy Needs**
mini Candy Canes
Peppermints
Gumdrops
2 containers white frosting
M&Ms
Mini Red Hots
Chocolate Nonpariels (those chocolates w/little white candy dots on top)
Twizzlers (gross tasting, but they look cute!)
box of snack size ziploc bags
roll of paper towels, baby wipes, 1 grown up pair scissors, and a whole bunch of Publix bags to take the houses home in w/o gooing up the car

Christmas Recipes

My favorite dessert is baklava. Not the soggy kind found in stores, mind you. The tightly rolled treats of crisp phylo enveloping finely chopped nuts all coated, but not soaked in, a simple syrup glaze. Mom made it each Christmas growing up and I have never had any that compares! Chris and I have made it a
few times, but it is very intensive since we hand-roll each piece so it’s been a few years (or should I say a few children) since we’ve made it. I do not continue the tradition Mom did of making lots of delish goodies (snowball cookies, candied nuts, cherry cordial cookies, all so tasty!) because of all the
work involved. But when I do pull out one of those recipes, it brings a smile to my face!

Today’s recipe brings a smile to my face without the extra work.

It’s so easy, you can pull a chair up to the counter and let your little ones do it or turn the recipe over to a budding chef! And it’s likely the only way your kiddos will be able to play with snow this Florida “winter”. Serve in a puddle of chocolate sauce for a pretty presentation!

Toasted Snowballs (from Susan Branch’s Autumn cookbook)

* Preheat the oven to 350. Spread sweetened coconut on a cookie sheet and bake 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally until toasted.
* Scoop ice cream into balls and roll in the coconut.
* Keep in the freezer until ready to eat!

p.s. Click on the photo to see Cooking.com’s recipe for snowballs.