Icing (It's Not Just for Eating Anymore)

Yesterday afternoon was our annual Gingerbread Cookies Decorating Extravaganza.  

Things got off to a bit of a rocky start when I was baking the cookies to be decorated.  I've made these cookies one million times and I've never hit a bump.  Well, yesterday I did.  But I flipped those babies over and baked them upside down on the pans a little longer to get the bottoms done.  Voila.  Crisis averted.  Let the fun begin...

Over the past few years we ramped up the creativity factor.  Gone are the days where we'd just make simple  Gingerbread "boys" and "girls".

We were focused....

... detailed...

.... and very serious.

We also like to brag a little.

Hannah and I both made clowns.  I thought mine was better than hers.  She thought hers was supreme.  When the votes came in, she won.  But I was still proud.

Sasha worked her magic on a monster.

Mike decorates cookies from two extremes.   It's like he's either designing the greatest mechanical engineering feat of all time, or like he's Picasso exploring color and line.  A few times yesterday, he'd get started and when we'd ask what he was making he'd give an evasive answer like "I don't know yet.  I just start with a color and see where it takes me."  He's spreading his wings in his middle age!

Here are the finished products!

For your viewing pleasure, here are some of our "signature collections".

The Star Wars Collection

Featuring Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Yoda and Chewie

The NFL Collection

Featuring our buddy, Randall Spenst, Greenbay Packers fan Extraordinaire

The Crazy Monster Collection

Two Clowns and a Snowman Collection

Cookies on their Sides Can be Animals Too Collection

Featuring a Fish and a Pig

Little House on the Prairie Collection

Featuring Pa and Mary