A Gingerbready Christmas

It's turned out a gingerbready sort of Christmas. First Jemimah felt a need to try her hand at gingerbread men (and gingerbread ladies, and gingerbread babies as well).

Here's the gingerbread recipe she used (watch the language).  It worked really well.  The dough was easy to roll, and the gingerbread was a little bit soft inside a nice crunchy exterior. Oishi. 8 minutes, exactly, did the trick.

Meet Mr and Mrs Claus. (They were a bit suntanned from their pre-Christmas holiday in Tahiti.  It looked nice and warm, and they decided on the spur of the moment to go.  Just the two of them.  They're spontaneous like that.)

Next Jemimah and the Princess Pea turned their hands to gingerbread houses for the gingerbread family to live in.

They are both much more talented than me and they did rather a fine job. Yes?

Then, coincidentally, the  Myer Windows this year featured Jan Brett's Gingerbread Friends, which was a most very pleasant surprise, and made everything seem sort of meant to be. In a Christmassy sort of gingerbready way.



Of course, seeing the windows lead to reading the book.  Which was very fun, as reading to the family always is.  It was a new story to us, and Jan Brett's pictures were just wonderful!

It was kinda cool being able to purchase one of Jan Brett's picture books in an Australian store. Because of the windows, of course. For some reason her books have never taken off Downunder, and I've never seen one for sale here before.  Fortunately, some of them are on YouTube.  Here's Jan, herself reading Gingerbread Baby.





I love this too - plus, I went to Stockbridge earlier this year with the beautiful Richele. Isn't that cool?



The Night before Christmas is now the next book on my 'must have or I'll just die' list.

I just adore the way she tells a second story in the borders.  In Gingerbread Friends, it is the story of Gingerbread Baby.  A completely different book.  That is just so tantalising!

Doesn't this make you want to bake warm spicy gingerbread yourself?  It makes the kitchen smell so good.  If you live somewhere that you can get Golden Syrup, then do give the recipe we used a try.  It's fantastic.  The rest of you will need to settle for Molasses, I guess.

If you don't have time to make and decorate a Gingerbread house, you can decorate a virtual one here.  It is a whole lot easier to clean up after than a real one, and Jemimah and I had quite a lot of fun with it.  Perhaps you will too.

The countdown to Christmas Day is really on now.  4 more sleeps.  Are you getting excited?  (I am.) Have you finished your Christmas shopping?  (I have.  Feeling smug.)  Have you been feeling gingerbready this year, or have you been baking something else or doing something extra crafty?

 I'd love to hear about what you've been up to!  Come and talk to me!