Building and decorating gingerbread houses is a popular Christmas tradition for many families. Sometimes it’s hard to know if more candy ends up on the house, or in the children’s stomachs. My children always added landscaping around their houses, to insure they had a plentiful supply of candy throughout the holidays.

Gingerbread houses have evolved over many years. Ginger, a spice from the far east was first used to make spiced honey cakes and the English created ginger candy. When bread crumbs were added, gingerbread similar to what we know today was born.Medieval ladies gave gingerbread cakes to their favorite knights. Different shapes had different meanings, i.e. the heart was used to ward off evil. Craft people created special baking molds in the shape of animals, fish, etc. Today gingerbread houses and cookies remain very popular. READ MORE

Gingerbread houses are special in my family and it was interesting to start my handyman business, where houses take on a whole new meaning. I personally enjoy working on gingerbread houses, from mixing the batter and backing the pieces to whipping up the frosting for the kids to use in construction. With a gingerbread house I can easily see all the pieces and have fun creating something that is uniquely mine.

Our family’s gingerbread house tradition started many years ago, when my younger son was six. When his older brother started trombone lessons, Ryan decided he too must take music lessons. My best friend taught piano so off Ryan went for his weekly piano lesson … but some days he just wasn’t ready to sit still. One week he brought home our first gingerbread house, and every year since then, we’ve made at least one gingerbread house as a family. READ MORE