Our Winter Wonderland Gingerbread House

When I was a young girl, I remember visiting my Great Aunt and Uncle's house a few days before Christmas. They lived nearby and we actually visited them throughout the year, but some of my most vivid memories of my visits are of their home during the holidays. I loved the way their home was decorated with old world charm and most especially they always had a REAL Christmas tree as opposed to the artificial one we always had. Sometimes the tree was still living with its roots balled up in burlap and set into a large aluminum basin to be planted outside after the New Year. It stood in their home with purpose, as if it were reveling in finally knowing its fate and was proud to be put to the task. But even more vivid in memories is the way their home smelled during the holidays. To this day, I can close my eyes and recall the wonderful scents of their home. It smelled of snow and pine and sugar and spices. Just lovely. I'm quite certain I had my first nibble of a gingerbread house right there in their family room beside that proud Christmas tree. I think these happy, charming Christmas memories of my Aunt and her house have a lot to do with why I always want to make a gingerbread house for Christmas in my own home. I don't always get around to it every year, but it's always on the list.

This year, I had grand plans of making a gingerbread house from scratch like I did a few years ago and then sharing the whole process here with step by step photos, but I realized at one point last week that it simply wasn't going to happen. I even bought a fresh bottle of molasses, too. Alas, even with the best intentions, plans can easily fall by the wayside. We still managed to "make" a gingerbread house this year, though, by using a kit that I had from last year that we didn't get around to assembling in time for Christmas. Talk about plans falling by the wayside, eh?

My youngest daughter and I assembled and decorated our gingerbread house on Sunday. It's so adorable, if I may say so myself.

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We used the sugar candy that came with the kit, but also embellished the house with gumdrops, candy canes, starbursts, smarties, and licorice. The latter three are left over from Halloween!

We laid the finished house on a silver cake stand, and filled the edges with granulated sugar for a snow covered ground.

Then we sifted about a tablespoon of powdered or confectioner's sugar over the house so it would look like a dusting of fresh snow had recently fallen. And that's how we built our own little pre-fab winter wonderland gingerbread house. :)

Even though the gingerbread kit was bought in December 2008, the expiration date on the box is August 30, 2009, which isn't even really that long ago. I think I may just take a bite of the house and take my chances. ;)

Just not the big orange gum drop in the back of the house . . .

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What holiday sights or scents bring to mind vivid Christmas or other holiday memories for you?