Happy Holidays 2007

The Gingerbread Housing Project

A Message from Carol Gore, President / CEO

During the holiday season, we want to celebrate the value a safe and affordable home brings to our families, friends and community. We also want to suggest you add some fun by including activities like building a gingerbread house to build conversations about the importance of family, home and community. It’s amazing what can happen when we take time to reflect on the importance of our homes and our communities. The strength of these foundations empowers us to accomplish our goals and achieve our dreams.

We witness this first hand through the eyes of over 1,500 people in our community who live in a home that was provided through Cook Inlet Housing this year. While not as simple as building a gingerbread house, our efforts took planning, preparation and perseverance as well as helpful hands from our partners and neighbors—helpful hands for pulling sturdy walls together, raising a sound roof, realizing a vision and making a home.

Next year we will bring another 121 new affordable homes to our community. We are thankful for your continued support as we work together to build colorful, diverse and innovative ideas for our neighborhoods. A colorful gingerbread house decorated with sweet and colorful candy represents the fun and creativity we want our families to enjoy.

Building a gingerbread house might already be a part of your holiday tradition. Some of you might even think about adding this tradition to your holiday season. Regardless, we hope you take the time to appreciate the good things you have in your life, as well as consider that the sweetest goals are sometimes nearer home than you believe.

A Quick History

Ever wonder why we make gingerbread houses instead of rutabagabread houses? Or where the gingerbread capital of the world is? Or what Shakespeare had to say about gingerbread? Check these sites out:

• The History of Gingerbread
• Gingerbread Throughout History

Recipe and Construction Tips

You can find recipes for gingerbread and Royal icing (to some folks, the ultimate building adhesive) all over the Internet. Here are some quick links, though, to save you some time:

• Gingerbread Village
• Gingerbread Lane
• Loreta’s Favorite Gingerbread Dough (there are lots of other interesting things here at the Gingerbread Patterns Home Page, too.)

From simple templates to Victorian-style ginger homes, there are plenty of plans and techniques to familiarize yourself with. Many sites have step-by-step photos, too. Of course, the most important technique is to simply have fun and not sweat the small stuff.

• Gingerbread Cottage
• Craft Elf (some great ideas for how to use candy)
• Martha Stewart (Recipes and templates…it’s a good thing.)
• Bob Vila (Yes, that Bob Vila…)

Have fun!