It all started at a Palisade Olde Fashioned Christmas meeting last year when the vision of building the Gingerbread House Contest to one with many entries and categories came into being and into my hands.

A Gingerbread House Contest and Showcase just seemed to add the aroma and feel of a true old-fashioned holiday that takes you away from all the hustle and bustle.

So, off we set with last year’s contest with hopes creating this into an event that adds to the memories of Christmas past, present and hopefully for many years to come.

Those who entered last year did just that. We were overwhelmed with the charm and beauty of the entries, not to mention the number of participants.

We interviewed last year’s participants who shared their gingerbread memories, offering hints for first-time builders.

Frances Blackwelder won first place in adults category last year and was a “first time” gingerbread house builder.

Blackwelder, who works at Vista Engineering, used AutoCAD software to visualize her plans (yes, modern technology came into play for this centuries old tradition). Then she had her plans cut to scale on mylar.

Using her pocket cookbook’s recipe for gingerbread, she began making what ended up being four batches of dough, one batch at a time.

Once the sections were cut and baked, she poured the sugar windows and allowed all the pieces to dry for several days.

The assembly also took several days, as she let each part dry after it was put together.

“Once my mountain lodge was assembled, it looked pretty drab before the decorating and addition of accessories” Blackwelder said.

If you’re making a gingerbread house with the help of children, Blackwelder suggested putting the structure together one day, letting it dry and then let the children decorate as desired, allowing each layer to dry completely.

Blackwelder also wanted to remind those entering the contest all that everything has to be edible on gingerbread houses.

For the contest, gingerbread kits are allowed for children.

When asked how she decided to enter last year’s contest, second-place winner in a children’s category, 9-year-old Victoria Talbott said: “My grandfather came home with a kit and said we were entering and so we did, and it was really fun to make.”

This year Victoria and her grandma Claire Talbott are going to make a gingerbread house from scratch.

Winner in her category last year, 17-year-old Jessica Lane, also used a kit, but it her a month to complete the house.

“I really had fun, couldn’t believe I won, and I was especially proud of the first place ribbon,” Jessica said.

She said it was sometimes hard to find the exact candy she wanted for decoration, but “it was also a great way to use up the leftover Halloween candy.”

Last November, Anna Fasken, 15, had a Palisade High School geometry project assignment to build some type of farm. While her classmates used materials from craft stores, she decided to use gingerbread.

“I learned that making gingerbread houses take a lot of patience, and I had to make sure everything was to scale, incorporating the angles and principles of geometry that taught me a lot,” Anna said. “Something that helps when you are putting walls up is holding them there with canned food. Sounds crazy but it works better than sitting there and holding them till they dry.”

Fasken got an A on the project.

Enter the gingerbread house contest and showcase
For the entry forms and contest details, go to www.palisadecoc.com or stop by Enstrom Candies, Toys for the Fun of It, Wine Country Inn in Palisade or Palisade Chamber of Commerce.
The contest and showcase will be Dec. 13 at Palisade’s Olde Fashioned Christmas.
Entries are to be checked in from 8 to 10 a.m. with judging from 10 to 11 a.m. at Palisade United Methodist Church located on Main Street in Palisade.
The showcase opens at 11 a.m. and goes to 6 p.m. Winners will be “gingerly” moved to the new Wine Country Inn for display Dec. 14–21.Advice for house builders
The 2007 contest winners offered the following advice:
• Look over contest rules if entering.
• Decide the size and design you want to make that falls within the guidelines.
• Get all the ingredients together before you start. That saves lots of time and frustration.
• Get the base for the house (which doesn’t need to be edible, but the snow does).
• Google for gingerbread house recipes. There are many, all similar. The dough is not really good to eat because it is usually stronger on spices. The same goes for the royal icing needed for decoration.
• Make leftover dough into other decorations for your creation.
• Make sure you allow every step to dry thoroughly when putting the house together with icing.
• If you fall into the category of “kits allowed,” be sure to add your own touches to make it unique. The kids did last year and they were wonderful.
• Create a house as a family or group.
• Don’t let the container of icing get dry.
• Have patience. Don’t rush.
• Don’t stress. The idea is to have fun and not worry about perfection.
• Let your creativity flow.