Gingerbread Houses

Grocery shopping these days is a huge pain.  The grocery store I go to (the affordable one) is not close to our house and Costco (also not close) doesn't open until 10am.  I try to only go shopping one day a week 'cause it interferes with my workout and home responsibilities.  For the first few weeks of December the grocery stores were sold out of molasses - a key ingredient in gingerbread houses.  I checked for a few weeks and then got tired of waiting and ordered the molasses online through Walmart.com (free 2 day shipping).  I waited two days but the molasses didn't come and didn't come.  After about 2 weeks I was notified that the molasses was being returned to sender.  I think it might have broken in transit.  After hearing this I gave in and went to a different store on a non-shopping day and paid a lot more for molasses than I could have but I finally got it.  I tell you all that because the missing molasses put me way behind in making our gingerbread houses this year.  I finally got it the last week of school before the break and there were a bunch of different kid activities going on that week.  After the kids went to bed I baked and baked gingerbread house pieces and one night we found time to assemble and decorate the houses.  I wanted to make the houses and I like doing it but I wish I had gotten an earlier start on it.  Next year I'll stock up on molasses before Halloween.

House pieces for five gingerbread houses.

I made two batches of royal icing.  The first batch I used just to assemble the houses.  Then I let them harden a few hours.  I made up another batch later for decorating.  I had been collecting candies to decorate with.  Usually we have cinnamon Santas, red hots, Christmas M&Ms, gum drops, small candy canes, hard candy, gummy bears, sometimes lifesavers and usually something colorful like spree or skittles.

I think everyone had fun making their houses

And eating a few candies along the way

Here are a bunch more pictures

I'm glad we found time in the busy December schedule to get these done.  Matthew was at a Pinewood Derby workshop for scouts for most of the time we decorated, so he got to decorate all on his own once he got home.