THE JOY OF A GINGERBREAD HOUSE
Everything You Didn’t Know About This Holiday Tradition
Of the many seasonal traditions that sweep our nation, few are as creative, delicious, and satisfying as building your very own gingerbread house. Whether you’re looking to create a simple table decoration or bake a tasty treat to nibble on, everyone can enjoy this holiday activity! THE ORIGINS OF GINGERBREAD Ginger was first cultivated in ancient China, then traded into medieval Europe. There, Europeans incorporated it into culinary traditions and used it to bake cookies into elaborate shapes and works of art, including figures of animals and people. The gingerbread house first appeared in the early 19th century in Germany. Although historians don’t know an exact date, it’s speculated that it gained popularity around the same time that “Hansel and Gretel,” the popular fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm, was published. THE LARGEST GINGERBREAD HOUSE In 2013, the world record for the largest gingerbread house in the world was broken. The house, topping out at 21 feet and covering 2,520 square feet, was built by Traditions Golf Club in Bryan, Texas, to raise money for a local Level II trauma center. To construct the house, builders created a recipe that required 1,800 pounds of butter, 2,925 pounds of brown sugar, 7,200 eggs, 7,200 pounds of flour, 1,080 ounces of ground ginger, and a few additional ingredients.
BUILDYOUR OWN! While you don’t have to challenge yourself to beat the Guinness World Record, you can still have fun creating your very own gingerbread village. Starting your gingerbread house from scratch can be a fun activity for the whole family to enjoy. Give the kids a chance to mix the ingredients, roll out the dough, and set out plenty of candies and frostings to use, and remember to have fun!
If you’re looking for unique gingerbread house ideas, take a look at 20 gingerbread house ideas at TasteofHome.com/collection/gingerbread-houses.
THIRD THURSDAY
DEC. 19: We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Christmas Extravaganza
After a long night at the police station, and a really, really good night’s sleep, Greg DuPont returns to his office to carry on with his day, knowing that a federal agent, and possibly a homicide detective or two, could be coming at any time to interview him. But the close call with his would-be abductors has changed his outlook on the whole situation: made it more personal, more urgent. In DuPont’s mind, the only move on the board is to put his own player in the game, dispatching one of his best two guys to get to the bottom of things in whatever way it needs to be done. Check out the entire chapter, catch up on prior chapters, enter the monthly $25.00 drawing, and perhaps learn a few things at DandBlaw.com or http://bit.ly/PilotMysteryCh7. The deadline for entry is Dec. 30.
JAN. 16: Starting the Year off on the Right Foot
FEB. 20: Tackling the Cost of Long-Term Care
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