The Big Cookie

Back in the days of old, while still living in my hometown and raising up a flock of babies, a friend and neighbor gifted us with a homemade gingerbread house every Christmas. It was a confectionery dream-come-true....covered in coconut and pasted with all sorts of candy. Its' arrival was much anticipated and celebrated. Each year, the miniature house held court in the center of the kitchen table until Christmas Eve, when Rob, Carol Anne and Martha were allowed to pick it apart and eat it all up.

When I watch old home movies of Christmas' past, I can catch glimpses of those gingerbread houses as the video camera pans around the room capturing another sort of Christmas magic. The gift giver probably has no idea what an impact those houses had on our traditions or that years after we moved away, and after the "little" children had grown up and grown out of so many other traditions - they still reminisce about the annual gingerbread feast on Christmas Eve.

Three years ago, those "little" children gave me a book and a Kitchen Aid mixer and said "build it, and we will come". And I did. And they do. A new tradition has been born.

It is a project that last for DAYS.


There are templates.


There is the baking of the gingerbread.

Rolling it out, cutting it into a pattern.


Assembly. Oh, Lord, the assembly.


There are some bad words said. Disagreements. Hilarity.There is so much Royal Icing that I feel nauseous just from smelling it.


There are late night candy runs and gnashing of teeth. They all participate in the planning and construction - Rob (20), Carol Anne (18) and Martha (15). We stay up late for days. We spend time together.

When we get overly stressed about how perfect it should look, or a piece breaks off or the icing cracks - we remind ourselves that it really is just a giant cookie and we are perfect only in our efforts to love one another and enjoy the time we have.

Then, when it is complete, we proudly display it and take pictures and post them on Facebook. We laugh about the disagreements.

We don't eat it.

I mean, after rolling and beating and trimming and licking your fingers and eating the scraps as you decorate....I am sick of gingerbread....until next year!

I was thinking we should start baking the smaller house. Maybe do several. Give them away to friends with small children....help create a tradition and a million more memories.

Pay it forward.

~J