Christmas time and candy-based contruction has been a tradition in my family for a long time. Here's our efforts in 1982.
Naturally,
my sister placed herself front and center for the photo. In my family we always used graham crackers as the basic building blocks and added frosting and candy. As the years progressed our skills increased and our ability to include as much candy as possible improved. This one is from 1989, when only my three youngest siblings were living at home:
Note my younger brother's M&M paved yard, showing the height of candy excess. He had also probably filled up the inside of his building with candy. Through the years our productions became less about candy encrusted houses, and more about grand visions requiring the hands of a surgeon and the soul of an artist. Here's 1996:
Note my older brother's rather spartan marshmallow man tableau. Also from 1996, my grand igloo:
Now it's time for me to pass on the tradition. A friend offered to make real gingerbread panels and even glued them together beforehand so all we had to do is start adding candy.
Grant started off strong but soon became more interested in placing the candy in his mouth.
Cole really got into the spirit of the thing and did almost all of his own candy placement.
Here are the final products, with Grant's on the left and Cole's on the right.
Of course, now they're both very interested in un-placing the candy.
Ma even provided the ideal tools for candy removal.
Cole is quickly becoming adept and levering out even the most stubborn pieces.
He's a regular little Hansel.
Naturally, my sister placed herself front and center for the photo. In my family we always used graham crackers as the basic building blocks and added frosting and candy. As the years progressed our skills increased and our ability to include as much candy as possible improved. This one is from 1989, when only my three youngest siblings were living at home: 
Note my younger brother's M&M paved yard, showing the height of candy excess. He had also probably filled up the inside of his building with candy. Through the years our productions became less about candy encrusted houses, and more about grand visions requiring the hands of a surgeon and the soul of an artist. Here's 1996: 
Note my older brother's rather spartan marshmallow man tableau. Also from 1996, my grand igloo: 
Now it's time for me to pass on the tradition. A friend offered to make real gingerbread panels and even glued them together beforehand so all we had to do is start adding candy. 
Grant started off strong but soon became more interested in placing the candy in his mouth. 
Cole really got into the spirit of the thing and did almost all of his own candy placement. 
Here are the final products, with Grant's on the left and Cole's on the right. 
Of course, now they're both very interested in un-placing the candy. 
Ma even provided the ideal tools for candy removal. 
Cole is quickly becoming adept and levering out even the most stubborn pieces. 
He's a regular little Hansel.
5 comments:
Those are Mahvalous! I loved seeing the historical record of early Hansel and Gretel candy talents. Candy removal is almost always immediate with adept tactics for covert success.
Cole and Grant are genetically predisposed from both sides for artful pruning, extraction and grafting. Of course, there are always evidentiary crumbs left behind. The crumbs at my house always left crumbs in the wake of their destruction.
Wish we could have been there for the artful grafting.
Not only should you have pointed out La being in the front of the picture, but that you are slowly pushing me off the table. What! I wasn't good enough to be in the picture since I hadn't made a house that year!
...Wow, those are old pictures. Love the hair! And you are brave to have attempted making them with your boys. I really should try to make one with our little one. Someday. Hey maybe when mom comes for Christmas... ☺
That any candy actually made it to the houses is miraculous in and of itself. Pretty impressive likewise that they decorated so well! The title for this post was great.
Cole and Grant are adorable - would you consider an arranged marriage for my girls?? :)
Cute!!
Aaaah. Nothin' beats the joys of pure sugar cane....
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