Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Gingerbread House Throwdown, Year Three

Because of my work schedule and the timing of when the boys came home, we weren't able to do this until Christmas Eve - normally half the houses would have been eaten by then, but they looked pristine on Christmas morning, which was a first.  If you're new to the blog, we team up - Jeff/Sam and Max/me - to decorate a gingerbread house, and then decide on a winner.  In throwdowns One and Two, Max and I were the losers.  So this year, I started planning for a victory by "pinning" gingerbread decorating ideas on my Pinterest board.  Max and I reviewed them a couple of days before the challenge and promptly forgot most of them, dang it - we were ready to win this year, finally!

The decorations, minus the mini-marshmallows, which I'd planned on using on the base as snow.  Oops, forgot to get them out of the pantry.
As usual, Jeff and Sam immediately started cutting holes into their house...
While Max made me just watch as he thinks our loss last year was partially mostly to blame on my wonky roof decorating...
So fine, I helped myself to some candy while I waited!
Tasty!
See the cool chimney I built out of caramels?  Pretty cool, right?  Oh, and the boys, posing nicely for the camera as usual...
Sigh...
 I thought this shot and the one below were funny, just because I have no idea what we all were looking at.
I mean, really - what WERE we looking at???
The WINNERS!!!  Max and I declared ourselves the winners by default, since the other team (aka The Losers) used a non-candy decoration on their house - a Lego Santa.  Nope!  Invalid item.  We win!!!
Invalid Santa - I allowed the foil since it had been wrapped around chocolate.
 
 Winning house on the left, losing one on the right.
Side view - ours would have really looked cool had we remembered the "snow" on the ground!
Aptly named losing house - but they didn't know HOW bad Santa was going to be to them when they decorated it!
 I was pretty happy with the caramel chimney!
 And so was Sam...

17 comments:

  1. "Bad Santa" indeed - love your cool house!

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  2. I love how the front door of your house is a mad face! Love the idea of the caramel chimney!!

    Love the memories your making!

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  3. I love the caramel chimney, but did you notice the scowl on the winning house? To ward off Grinches perhaps?

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  4. You were correct re: the Santa and probably should have deducted for the foil because all must be edible.

    Hurray for the win!

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  5. What a great tradition! Of course...now to figure out how to make veggie houses a practical item to work with...

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  6. Very creative. I am going to steal that chimney idea for next year.

    Staying MOtivated MO

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  7. I love this family tradition of yours. In fact I was thinking the other day if you had the contest this year and I'm glad you did.

    The house you and Max made this year is definitely the winner. I love it.

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  8. Cool family tradition. Gingerbread houses fascinate me. Wonder how they got started?

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  9. What an awesome tradition! I want to do this! I haven't made a house like that since I was maybe 10, soemthing I will need to remedy! :D

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  10. What a blast! For some reason, I see your house as an frowning lady with curled up bangs. Not sure what that says about me LOL!

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  11. WOW
    you all are quite the skilled G.B.Craftspeople!!

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  12. Oh Shelley, this is such a great post!!!! Congrats of your victory!!! Have a wonderful THurs.

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  13. What an awesome caramel chimney! We are so doing that next year! My kids do houses every Christmas :)

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  14. Yours turned out nicely, & I loved the caramel chimney. Cool.

    The opponent's house is a little ..um...well. I guess I would need to see last year's photos, but I was thinking they were all about precision in the past. Hm. Perhaps I am remembering incorrectly!

    Your boys crack me up.

    I think the ribbon went to the rightful winners this year. I can't understand where Paco is. I guess he is chewing on his new treats & toys.

    Happy New Year!
    Chrissy

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  15. Umm.... I think the judging was rigged!!!

    What a fabulous idea - I love it and I love the pictures as well. What a great tradition!

    PS. They look yummy, though not gluten-free sadly!

    Deb

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  16. Oh, just the frowny face of the windows made you guys the winner this year! Love that. And the crooked little chimney too!
    See, this is what I mean by your family being so much fun. It's so great that you all have this much fun together, even as the boys are grown. Merry Belated Christmas (again!).

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  17. Honestly. I can not believe I saw the words "...half the houses would have been eaten..." And I was not invited? :D
    I love your house! It looks so BA!

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