Gingerbread Fun

I didn't do my usual baking marathon this year. One, I just never found time for it. Two, I'm trying to make some healthy changes and lots of sugar filled goodies don't fit it. I figured I couldn't make them without eating them so I just went without.
But then I got the urge to make gingerbread. I have to say I really think I have a fabulous recipe for gingerbread cutouts. It's in the red and white Better Homes & Gardens cookbook that I got as a wedding gift. Sunday night I made the dough and cutout some gingerbread house pieces to take to my mom's. I thought it would be fun to make little houses with all my nieces and nephews... and it was!

I couldn't think of what candy to take and there wasn't much selection at Wal-Mart so we went with M&Ms and Sour Straws. I helped the little ones put their houses together and then put icing where they wanted candy to go.
Here's Brixton, 3, and Talon, 5, (my sister Amber's son) with their houses.

This is Joey, 5, and Kyoko, 12, (my sister Nikki's kids)

And Tailor, 15, (Amber's oldest) and Katie, 4, (Nikki's youngest).

And here are a few of the houses.

Brixton's on the left and Tailor's on the right. Tailor later added a couple of sleds and some snow on the ground around the house.

This one is Katie's.

She, Talon and Brixton seemed to really enjoy it. Ky didn't want to do it, but I told her she couldn't eat one unless she made one. She seemed to have fun but tried to act like she was too old. Tailor seemed to like it too, but I don't know because she didn't need any help and I got really busy helping all the little ones.

Brixton didn't want to eat his. He insisted that we leave it out for Santa... so we did.

My mom said we should do this every year. If we do then I'm going to need to find a pattern to cut out the house pieces because the way I did it this year took forever! I'm glad it was so much fun.