I love Christmas

[aimeekitty]

I'm not going anywhere for Christmas this year... so I really wanted to do Gingerbread-house making. Here's the party we had tonight! (Angie, Crisso, Derek, Mitch and I)
Also, you can see the nice mossy color we painted the den a while back. I hadn't posted photos of it really.
Christmas tree! (now... just how many Disney ornaments are on that thing? :P)


Decor:
kindergarden-style paper snow-flakes and santa-dressform!
the "hearth" with Mommy' Vi's old angels. :)

then the party from tonight:
we started off with chips, guacamole, salsa and cream cheese icing-sugar-cookie-trees while watching Elf. :)
then we had Crisso-made turkey, stuffing and green beans (I made the sweets, crisso made the FOOD-food)
some photos of sweets including red velvet cake
I have to say I'm a little dissappointed in the red velvet cake. I think I overcooked it slightly.

and then we have fun with SUGAR SCULPTING! (while watching Muppets!)
I got the idea from Martha Stewart to get some Marzipan to sculpt for fun. We made primary colored marzipan and made penguins, snow men, elves, wreaths and all kinds of things. It was totally fun. I highly recommend it... it's basically like sculpting with EDIBLE PLAYDOUGH.
we also made gingerbread houses the way my mom used to, with graham crackers. :) I have been wanting to do this for YEARS. I hadn't done it since before college really. So I was very excited to do this. :D We had a lot of fun.

BTW, if you want to try your own gingerbread house making, all you need is graham crackers, various candies, and this icing recipe:
------------------
Royal Frosting (like for Ginger Bread Icing)

Combine 3 egg whites, at room temperature, one 1 lb package confectioners’ sugar, sifted (about 4 ¾ cups) 1 teasp vanilla, and ½ teasp cream of tartar.

Beat with electric mixer 7 to 10 minutes or till frosting is very stiff. Keep frosting covered with damp cloth at all times to prevent crust from forming. Makes 3 cups.

Spoon into pastry bag or into wax paper cone and cut tip to make bag and have fun.
------------------


....
me making a marzipan elf (while wearing an Elf shirt):
Crisso and Derek making tiny marzipan snowmen

The resulting houses:
Derek and Crissos:

mine:

I also made a cyclops penguin:


marzipan friends to take to give to coworkers tomorrow! Beware fellow Futurama-slaves! the penguin-snowman army is marching!
(most of the penguins are Crisso's... aren't they aardman-like?)

Comments

[cassu-bean.livejournal.com]

Those all look so yummy! I've always wanted to make a ginerbread house, I never have. ;w; Yours make me want to make one even more!
I love the marizpan rose in the last photo.

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

try it! :D I added the icing recipe. (for "house cement") :)

[cassu-bean.livejournal.com]

Thankies! Yes this year I will totally make my first gingerbread house!

[scruffyrebel.livejournal.com]

OMG...*DEVOURS*

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

definitely a "cheat day" :D

[thundermew.livejournal.com]

That's too cute, I totally have to try that.

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

do it! :D must have more photos of sugar xmas fun! :D

[missnightshade.livejournal.com]

This is full of win! :D

[ajmeow.livejournal.com]

Those penguins are freaky. Especially the one-eyes one. WTF. =D

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

have you seen the wallace and grommet movie with the evil penguin? :D crisso's penguins were based on that.

the cyclops... I missed with the gel icing, and figured, wtf, cyclops! :D

[twoswallows.livejournal.com]

Wow! What a wonderful idea... I might try and make a house of my own. :D I love the little cyclops penguin.

[kellyhime.livejournal.com]

What a fun looking party! I don't know if marzipan would survive long enough around me to be sculpted though. Yum! ^_^

[pumabaerchen.livejournal.com]

Awww what a cute house ^-^
The little penguins are adorable!

[muted-hitokiri.livejournal.com]

That's adorable! I love the marzipan pocket dragon and the cyclops penguin. ^^

[karisu-sama.livejournal.com]

Looks utterly delicious, but also almost too cute to eat! :d

[celticgeekess.livejournal.com]

Cyclops Penguin RULES!
^_^

[twotone]

Squee, penguin cyclops! And yes, the two-eyed penguins look deliciously Aardman-esque.

[junemermaid.livejournal.com]

Ha ha ha when I saw the main pic in your LJ I actually had to click under the link to make sure that was, in fact, a cyclops penguin and not just a weird angle XD

[allende.livejournal.com]

This is all too adorable... It's like something from the Nutcracker, or Hansel & Gretel. (And oh my goodness, so much sugar! XD) You must have had a great time making all of this.

It's such a charming idea - makes me want to do something fun and Christmassy too. :)

[mattymorgs.livejournal.com]

Use of the word, let alone the actual use of the product of marzipan nets you six points! Cha~chaaan! (>'-')>(6)

[supinternets.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the awesome ideas! I really want to try the gingerbread house and the marzipan! :)

[howlnonyanko.livejournal.com]

Penguins for the win <3 They are SO cute!

Thank you for the recipe! I've never, ever got to make a gingerbread house, but I think I can make that frosting and buy graham crackers XD Too cool!

I don't know how to make marzipan, though.

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

you can buy marzipan at certain grocery stores... cost plus has it for one!

[howlnonyanko.livejournal.com]

We have a Cost Plus around here :) Thank you! *dreams of blue penguins*