Gingerbread Home - looks like a bird house!

Asa child, my family would make gingerbread houses. We would buy one of those per-packaged kits which would come replete with icing, jujubes, and smarties. We would take a box, cut it, then line the base with tin-foil snow. After opening the candies, we (my siblings and I) were given specific instructions NOT TO EAT ANY OF THE CANDY.... Very stern!

And thus it was that our gingerbread house was made, somewhat bi-yearly, and would sit on the end-tables, uneaten (under threat for any who dared eat it before Christmas - thanks Dad). And as the days would pass, the house would become harder, and harder, and it's candy decorations (specifically the smarties) would begin to disappear piece by piece, until the day, CHRISTMAS, when the house was deemed free to eat, and was so hard it had to be tossed... a waste of food, and time. Alas, this was not in vain; the memories lasted!

And so it was that my gingerbread home tradition starts, in the dust of crumbled cookies past.


This year, as some of you may have read, I moved into my new home. This newly-built paradise, on the shores of Rainy Lake, Ontario, has become my pride and joy. In a previous post, I showed off my
kitchen and some other small quips about new-home ownership. Today, I wish to share with you all my Christmas Gingerbread Home (not a house, but a home).

Sadly, in my artistic vision, I did forget to post a door, and was stuck making a rather sad looking gingerbread bird house, but who is judging?

The roof was inspired by a card design that I received.

And of course, I could not simply make one Gingerbread house, I made several - I believe some 10 small ones or so....

And the house? Well, It met with a somewhat orthodox ending on Christmas Eve.... my mother-in-law had some troubles smashing the little structure, but with some coaxing and a butterknife, she succeeded in felling the home.

 But, as always, Photos will live on. Here is a photo of the house on my sweets tower, prior to our House-Warming/ Yuletide /End-of-the-World party. Did anyone notice how the world DID NOT end? Did anyone thing otherwise? I was certainly glad it did not end!

And, just to finish off... here is a close-up of the small Gingerbread houses... they were teeny-sized houses which fit on the end of cups. The idea was actually from NotMartha.com. If you ever find you have more time than you know what to do with, and you feel like being a Holly-Homemaker (Suzy?), check out the site. She has great ideas!

So, to close, here is a picture of my father-in-law sipping his morning coffee, eating gingerbread on Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope your Holidays were as relaxing as mine were!

Hot Summers, Cool Bevvies -- Rhubarb Slush Recipe

IT HAS BEEN HOT! I mean, 35 degrees Celsius (95 for those in the U.S.). I think I've been swimming 5/7 days this week. It is a good thing I'm careful about swimmer's ear! What can I do to beat the heat? Well, a cool bevvie certainly helps! This Rhubarb slush is sure to be a hit to cool you off! Shout out to a lovely lady by the name of Olga who introduced me to the recipe! Thank you!

(Already half drank at that point... long photo shoot).

You too can make these slushies. How? Recipe time! (see the bottom for the recipe)

Take 8 cups rhubarb (chopped), 8 cups water and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Boil this down until the rhubarb is soft.

Strain out all the pulp, leaving the liquid (about 4 cups left)

Add in and stir 2 cups of sugar (3 if you like it sweet) and 1 large package of strawberry, raspberry or lime jello. I used lime and raspberry. ♥

Put into an ice-cream pail and freeze. When done, put 2 scoops (with an ice-cream scoop) of the rhubarb slush into a glass, add club soda or ginger ail. Works good with 7-up too, but it will be sweet. For the adult version, add some vodka! SOOO GOOD!

Rhubarb Slush

8 cups rhubarb
8 cups water
1/2 c lemon juice

boil down rhubarb, water and lemon. Once rhubarb is soft strain out the liquid (throw out/compost the rhubarb).

1 large jell-o pack (jiggily kind) Rasberry, strawberry, lime.
2-3 cups sugar.

To the liquid mix, add sugar and jell-o, stir until completely dissolved.
Allow mix to cool slightly, then place in an ice-cream pail. Freeze overnight.

Place 2 scoops of rhubarb slush in a glass, fill remainder with club soda or ginger ail (add vodka :)

ENJOY!

Honestly, given the cool summer we had here last year, I am super excited to finally be able to enjoy the heat and sun! It gets quite cold in the winter. Summer balances me out.

I guess I'm still pretty crazy though :)

Please be sun-safe, wear sunscreen!