Beth Anne Moon

Home for the Holidays

I have so may food memories growing up with my grandmother and mother in the kitchen that it was hard to pick just one. Both were great cooks and even better bakers. During the December break of my freshman year in college, I came home to not so much to do. My mother and I decided to put her baking skills to the test … a gingerbread house from scratch. This was in the days before the internet - so our blueprint for success was nothing more than a 1/2 page spread in Ladies' Home Journal. Needless to say, it wasn't much help. My major at the time was English - not architecture. My mother's was in business. We did what any college educated person does when confronted with an unknown (at least I do) - we put our kindergarten skills to work - construction paper, crayons and scissors. After several days of cutting patterns, shaping and reshaping dough, baking and rebaking - we finally had the makings of an outer shell for the house - all held together with an icing type glue and prayer. The decorating was probably the most fun - at least not as frustrating as the construction part. We used Charlie Brown, Lucy and Snoopy cookie cutters for the people and animals. Green gumdrops and cinnamon sticks for the trees and bushes, white icing for the snow on the ground and roof, and red cinnamon hots for the chimney. It was a success. I'm sure glad we took a picture because no one would believe us. Not so sure this would be my mother’s favorite food memory as I have my father’s temper. But we did have a lot of fun doing it after all was said and done. My mother and father join us tomorrow for the holidays. Little does my mother know, I’m planning another one.