Countdown

It's that time of year. There's lots of excited whispering and giggling and smuggling around of gifts in the making.  And as per tradition in our home, there's a bowl of nuts on the table.  A tradition that I sigh over and relent to every year, then tolerate the scattering of shells that inevitably results.  I should say, though, that so far the kids have been really diligent about cleaning up after their snacking selves.  So far.

Allison found a recipe for a gluten free gingerbread house.  Can you believe that we had never made a gingerbread house or cookies before?  Not even from a kit.  Having had poor results with gluten free recipes before, we decided to cut the recipe in half and try it out with gingerbread men first.  While the cookies were baking, Emily read the littles the story of the gingerbread man.

Then, at last, it came time for the decorating...

And then we all turned into foxes and gobbled those gingerbread (wo)men right up.  Yum!!  Definitely something that we want to turn into a tradition.  The cookies have a pleasing crunchy, firm texture.  I thought the dough was a bit too gingery, but once it's baked and topped with icing and candies, it seems just right.  Next attempt will be a house.  We can't wait!

A few more shots from last week...

That's almost as pretty as snow, isn't it?  I kind of like rainy days once in a while.  It makes me glad to be inside, warm and dry by the fire.

Saturday nights, every 5 or 6 weeks...

Little hedgehogs get converted back into neat, handsome gentlemen...

They prefer to imagine themselves as a corn field.

 "Mom, which head did you put on the combine?" :)