Or not.
Ok, lets get real here. I love cooking and baking. I really do. But I also like shortcuts. And when it presents itself to me and doesn't cost too much more than doing it myself, well, I'm all in there.
Exhibit A:
As is the case with the gingerbread peep and tree in the above picture. I have a friend who is doing her baking apprenticeship at NAIT and she asked me whether I want to buy gingerbread cookies, since they are making them that week. (You can buy baked goods at the main campus at NAIT). I thought about all the rolling, the many pans I use, the baking racks set up all over my dining room table to cool the little cookies and of course, the inevitable few gingerbread peeps that get tossed into the garbage because I burned them.
It really wasn't a rocket science decision. I said yes. Just the mere hours I would save in cooking and cleaning is worth it. AND, hate to tell you, they were not expensive at all. The price tag was really reasonable for the 3 dozen I bought. I may never bake gingerbread cookies again, however, my friend won't be in the baker's program next year so I'll have no idea when they bake gingerbread cookies at NAIT. Time to look at neighboring bakeries for good deals on gingerbread!
Exhibit B:
Gingerbread houses. Last year, my hubby actually MADE the gingerbread schoolhouses. Yeah, I know, crazy loco!
I'm not that interested in all that work. I love the gingerbread house kits, that come with all the icing and candies. Also, my kids are only interested in the icing and candy too. It's well worth the price tag to buy the kits. And this year, it was even better. Safeway had pre-built houses. The kids didn't have to wait for us to assemble the house and wait for it to dry before decorating. (Kids are so impatient). All they had to do is put on the icing and candies that come included with the kit. They absolutely LOVED it. AND, so did I. All I did was color the icing to their favorite colors and snap some pictures.
Ah, the holidays are so wonderful and relaxing :)
(Safeway has them on sale this week. The pre-built gingerbread house kit is $9.99 and you can find it in the bakery section).
(Safeway has them on sale this week. The pre-built gingerbread house kit is $9.99 and you can find it in the bakery section).
Your kids are just beautiful Maki! I love those two pictures. I bought a pre made kit from Costco for the kiddies and they made theirs this past weekend. You were so smart to colour the icing (love learning from other moms). I cheaped out and bought one kit for the both of them...teehee. In my defense though, it also came with a Christmas tree and my little one is still too young to make his own.
ReplyDeleteI have always made my grandmother's recipe for big fat gingerbread boys and no other will every replace it... through I can relate to your thoughts of cleaning the kitchen...but when it coes to gingerbread houses, buying them is the ONLY way to go. I have tried to make them too many times and the tears flow easily on those days. Kids don't care and they don't eat them anyway... the memory is all in the decorating and it is SOOOOO much fun to do this for them. Your children are precious with their little houses. What wonderful fun!
ReplyDelete:)
Valerie
Oh I had to laugh at "the holidays are so wonderful and relaxing" !!!
ReplyDeleteI work at NAIT - I can tell you when they bake them next year!! :) I literally am about 2 minutes down the hallway from where they sell their goods, and I purposely avoid it most days otherwise I'd be buying goodies every single day!
Great shortcuts! Very useful tips!
It looks brilliant wether bought or just decorated! (which does make more sense now that I think about it..lol)
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone!
ReplyDeleteHey, Kristin, I might just take you up on that offer next year :) I know NAIT is having their cookie bake sale on friday during the day and have my friend stocking up for me!!!