Round Two of GBH Update.... Roof 2: Marilyn 0

M

marilynfl

Moderator
So I've been wondering....is a gingerbread house technically a gingerbread house if it doesn't have a roof?

Roof #2 is thinner, but still bending. I have pulled out all stops by adding a styrofoam wedge underneath Royal icing and pretzel sticks cut on a bevel to push against the angle of the pitch. The styrofoam can't be seen, so I think I'm within the rules.

That's worked great...only now the entire roof is supported on just the 4 corners of the base. Plus I still need to add 3 pounds of white chocolate seashells shingles.

I just know this thing is going to collapse under the weight.

Larry suggested I tent the entire thing with a huge piece of orange fondant and write a notice that the building is being treated for termites.

 
Marilyn, You'll probably banish me to the outer limits of the world, but

I have to tell you that I saw a Gingerbread house, all baked and cut out, in a package at Sam's club the other day. All you have to do is decorate it!!! The package also contained some candies. It is made with real gingerbread. It was in with all their Christmas decorations. Do you think this would be of some help for you? Don't know if you have a Sam's club near you. Maybe this would be an answer to your problem.

 
Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts, Mis....here's the rules

1. The house must be made using a specific gingerbread recipe, one that "supposedly hardens" and will not get moldy. All I can say to that is "Ha!"

2. This fund raiser wants "larger" displays, with the minimum base size of 1 foot up to a 3 foot. I doubt the one at Sam's meets that criteria. Only crazy people meet that criteria.

The one currently on display in the mall to promote this event is 5 FOOT x 4 FOOT X 3 FOOT (BASE). See what I mean...crazy.

3. 90% of the exterior must be edible.

4. Structural support can be used, but not seen.

Therefore Your Honor, since my entire roof will be covered with chocolate anyway--and if I've interpret the law correctly--I'm making the roof support out of cardboard, rather than gingerbread. My roof is edible chocolate...while the roof's non-visible support is cardboard.

The house base is visibly gingerbread. Good enough for me.

 
We bought one of those kits several years ago

And had a ball building our gingerbread house. The pieces are really sturdy, you definitely would break a tooth if you actually attempted to eat it.

It sounds like you may need a good support system. Could you had an interior room or a fireplace chimney in the center?

As a side note, the kit instructions said that, after the holidays, you should slather with peanut butter and bird seed for a nice winter treat for your feathered friends. We did that and then sat back to watch the birds from near and far. Nothing. Next morning we checked to see if any birds had yet started enjoying it, only to find that we had created the largest ant winter vacation home in the history of NC.

 
I made a gingerbread castle once measuring

3 feetx 3 feet x 2 foot(height) while my mom went shopping and she came back home and almost fainted. We had to dedicate a whole table for the castle. VERY unconvenient when the entire family came for dinner two days later and we needed the table for table settings.

Oh well......so Marilyn, what kind of recipe are you using?? You need one witch doesn't raise too much, because it will make the cookie porous and it won't be able to hold the weight of your chocolate shells.

 
btw, what's wrong with the "termite tent" idea? I bet no one else will think of it...

and fondant is definitely edible... not to say you have to cover the WHOLE house, maybe just part of it smileys/smile.gif

 
I'm not sure we can laugh yet after Florida's 5 hurricanes just 2 years ago.

Termite tent would work. I have faith in Marilyn though, she won't let this little problem get the best of her!

 
oh dear, I certainly didn't mean to be insenstive to actual storm damage, so sorry. I remember

how much damage was done by those storms. we had one blow through here last thursday at 73 mph and those winds are more than unnerving :-0

I hope I didn't offend anyone or make light of what they went through.

 
I knew that was gonna sound like that and I truly didn't mean it that way. I

should have made a :eek:) I didn't mean to make you feel bad Randi. I'm sorry!

 
don't apologize, I think it was a very valid point and could upset someone who did

sustain a lot of damage. and someone who isn't familar with my humor. you were fine and I had a feeling, after I hit submit, of course, that I should have picked another reason for the roof to be lying on the ground next to the house. maybe something involving a class action suite against roofers? smileys/wink.gif))

 
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