The 8th Day of Christmas

On the 8th day of Christmas Fork and the Cork gave to me:



A Gr8 centerpeice idea: Make your own Gingerbread House (well,kind of)


It's a kit from Costco, is less than $10 (hurry, they won't be getting any more in), and it's a nifty little project for everyone. The kit comes with more gummies and candy than you would know what to do with, and not nearly enough coconut (snow), for ground cover. White and green icing are both included, but I stuck with the white due to this little issue: The not-so-commercial-strength pastry bag busted mid-frost due to my excellent grip strength. We went from "oh this is going to be so perfect everyone will think I am just amazing, like Martha", to "I think I will blame this little masterpiece on my four year old niece, Brooke".



So the last time I made a gingerbread house was in high school, in creative cooking class, Christmas 1992. I baked it all from scratch, and of course the sides didn't really match up, and it required extra globs of icing to cover it up. I remember looking at the finished product, thinking, huh. I should stick with cooking the peroshki (another cooking project I had previously excelled at).



Well, my creative cooking teacher, Mrs. Hansler, must have just watched A Charlie Brown Christmas, and she chose my little underdog of a project for the display case, in the main hallway, with my name on a little card next to it. Thank you Mrs. Hansler for that.

Comments

  1. JessicaDecember 20, 2009 at 8:03 PM

    ARG! I forgot to pick mine up from Costco on Friday, guess there won't be a gingerbread house this year.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Weekend cooking challenge #1

Image
As one of the newest endeavors of Fork and The Cork, I joined Mario's Weekend Cooking Challenge.  The premise is simple:  Once a month we cook the same recipe, compare notes, and discuss it in the group. Please post a photo of your finished dish!!! Many photos will be posted in the Martha Stewart Radio Blog!!! This Challenge was created by Mario Bosquez, host of Living Today, on the Martha Stewart channel of Sirius Satellite Radio.  The Challenge was a success, and my picture made it on Martha Stewart's Radio Blog!  Check it out at: http://theradioblog.marthastewart.com/2010/03/results-from-living-todays-weekend-cooking-challenge.html#more-4098 My picture is #3 out of 15, I am Listener Laurie.  The recipe was chosen by Mario:  Spinach Torta , by James Beard Award-Winning author Laura Schenone.  Spinach Torta via Hoboken This recipe is part of Living Today’s weekend cooking challenge. The recipe is adapted from “The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken...
Read more

Time for the Cork

Image
"Wine is mentioned in the bible more than 400 times, Lemonade, not once."  -- refridgerator magnet So we've covered quite a bit of ground with the " fork ", I think it's time we focus on the " cork ". Now, some of you may be wondering: what could a girl with the delusion of being a modern day flannel wearing June Cleaver, and a self proclaimed food nutjob/kitchen goddess with an obsession of 80's television sitcoms possibly know about wine ? Surprisingly, quite a bit . Besides my own affinity for, and self education of wine ( aka Wine For Dummies ), I have poured wine in a boutique tasting room (I even shared some with the guests), and learned quite a bit about the winemaking process, different varietals, and food and wine pairings. Johnny Carson once said: "Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often." ...
Read more

Spring Has Sprung!

Image
Is it me, or does this year feel like it's flying by?!! No complaints here, other than the weather in Seattle. I think our January and February were actually nicer than April and May! It may be cold, a little rainy, and way too windy, but it is light out until 8:30 pm. This makes it acceptable to grill and eat spring fare, even if we are bundled up in down coats, and that extra pair of gloves is still in the car! The farmer's market in my neighborhood of Edmonds , WA just opened a couple of Saturday's ago. After perusing my latest copies of Cooking Light, Everyday Food, and Coastal Living, I was inspired to put together menus for the next couple of dinners. Yesterday, I headed to the farmer's market first, with my list of ingredients. I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the produce was less expensive than the grocery store,  locally grown, and mostly organic. I picked up asparagus, arugula, tarragon, green onion, and basil. It is so fresh and fragrant , ...
Read more