Gingerbread Obsession.

Last year, while looking for holiday cookie recipes, i stumbled across a section on the Martha Stewart website dedicated to gingerbread. Truth is, i've never much liked gingerbread, and i've never been all that inclined to attempt a gingerbread house or little gingerbread men. However there was something about the pictures that drew me in, and i quickly fell in love with the idea of decorating in gingerbread.

So why do i love gingerbread? Decorating in gingerbread is very traditional, and there is something about making it that connects us with those that came before us. Making gingerbread and cutting out the cookies is fun for the kids, and brings us all together around the table. For a brief few minutes, there is no fighting or arguing. Just the patting, and cutting of cookies...and the fantastic smells of the gingerbread. Gingerbread is all natural, inexpensive and biodegradable. After the holidays it can be composted or fed to the chickens. There is nothing to store, which is incredibly nice when you are limited on space.

Every year, we can look forward to creating brand new decorations or repeating some of our favorites from the year before. This gingerbread suncatcher mobile is a new favorite.

Gingerbread oak and maple leaf mobile, similar to last years.

Ginger bread wreaths, made from mini gingerbread cookies. These look beautiful on the tree, or hung on a wall. The woodstove keeps the house dry enough that these will last for several months.

Gingerbread on the tree.




i made a garland like this last year too, and really loved it. When the sun is out, the colors really light up on the stained glass cookies. i have gingerbread all over the house. There is something about it's simplicity, that just makes me smile to myself. As much as i miss the summer and days of playing outside, i adore these days of winter while we warm ourselves by the woodstove, and sip hot chocolate while the sweet smell of gingerbread lingers in the air.