Here is the Marketman & Family 2006 Gingerbread Edition… A Winter Scene in New England. And after attending the first Misa de Gallo this morning, a fitting post for today… Set on about 12 square feet of styrofoam, there are roughly 
three levels ranging about 5-6 inches from the lowest point to the highest point. I mention this because so many Gingerbread creations are on a flat base… we found this year that the hilly landscape really added to the visual interest. On the left of the scene is a red Vermont or New England style barn. It isn’t too visible but the dough was quite red because of food coloring. We also went a bit wild on the décor and laughingly refer to it as the ridiculously OTT (Over The Top) barn. While is it bizarre looking, oddly, it is apparently a New England 
tradition to paint some barns in totally bizarre designs (presumably to add visual interest to the landscape in a stark cold winter and/or to find the darn thing when everything else is buried under snow). This barn has a field with several horses contained within a picket fence. The back of the barn is a sharply rising mountainside with several “evergreen trees†growing out of it. The is a guy on snow shoes in the woods overlooking the barn. Beside the barn is casually strewn bicycle and on a bench up front is a “Lolo†feeding birds. The small figurines are made of resin, and each year we add to the collection…
Up in the center of the landscape, about 6 incheselevation, on a bluff overlooking everything else, is a log cabin. The Kid thinks of it as her personal winter 
getaway, and we fondly call it an “Amanbinâ€, after the luxury resorts in the Aman group, combined with cabin (“Aman†or “peaceful†and “bin†for “cabinâ€). It is made of pretzel walls with large gingerbread panels for the roof. It is also very chicly decorated in red white and black, totally done by the Kid and friend. I imagine it would have at least 500 thread count per square inch cotton sheets and a goose down comforter to rival the fluffiest you have ever seen. There are several folks on sleds sliding down the hill in front of the cabin and if you look closely, there are even sled marks in the snow. Beside the cabin are several real stones uses as outcroppings to a more authentic mountain feel or look. There are also miscellaneous rabbits and or squirrels here and there. The whole scene has over 40 artificial evergreen trees to really make it feel like a Vermont. Pets figure with dogs in several spots…
To the right of the landscape is a classic New England Style Church and 
dual purpose meeting house. Traditionally a white clapboard affair with a stunning steeple, our version was earmarked for a cool green and white theme with gummies, M&M’s, spice drops, jelly beans in several hues of green and lime. Flanking the entrance to the church are functioning streetlamps that are battery powered, their wires imbedded below the snow… and which are powered up every night. Right beside the church are several resin figurines with a bookseller and coffee stand. And finally, off to the front of the church is a newly acquired resin “Produce Seller†or fruit and vegetable stall…after all, how can Marketmanila not have a market??? It’s a bit ridiculous to have freshly picked produce advertised in the dead of winter, but never mind, it is fantastical at any rate… Behind the market are the garbage cans, complete with scavenging racoons! Oh, and by the way, the total count of white winter “snow†icing? About five kilos or more worth of powdered sugar and several dozen egg whites!!! Happy Holidays everyone!!! Stay tuned for more posts in the days ahead!
24 Responses
What can i say? This is just awesome! or is aweYUM more fitting?
It is truly amazing, gigantic, great illusion and tasty! Your inception of building a gingerbread house started when The Kid was only one year old. As she grows, your gingerbread house is getting humongous and elaborate not to mention spectacular and breathtaking. Overtime you accumulated a vast wealth of knowledge, skills and experience from laying out the theme motif, drawings and designs to mixing and cutting out molds of dough for the various parts of the house; to the tedious task of putting the pieces together and the merrymaking of decorating. Hurdles met including Mother Nature – our humid and unpredictable weather and did not thwart your creative talents. Instead, you drew up an ingenious and innovative approach utilizing styrofoam as a structural support which worked out really well A herculean job turned into a bliss with Mrs. MM, The Kid and her friends and your able and well-trained crews. It was contagious and far reaching that infected The Kid’s school which brings joy to the unfortunate children at the hospital. For these children you epitomize Santa Claus! With your far flung site, countless of your lurkers/viewers/bloggers are having gingerbread houses and cookies nirvana at this holiday season. Having said that, I confer you the Ambassador of Gingerbread Houses and Cookies in our Motherland. Great job MM!
That’s absolutely gorgeous, and the level of detail is amazing. Next year I challenge you to do a Pinoy-style gingerbread village! Happy holidays! =)
incredible edible village
Wow you’ve outdone even yourself this time, MM! That is a stunning masterpiece! Merry Christmas to you and yours! :)
WOW!!! ang ganda MM. congrats and merry christmas to you and your family! : )
aridelros, in theory, the gingerbread and candy is all edible, but in practice, since it stays out several weeks, I would be wary… The resin pieces (people, sleds, lamps, etc.) are not edible…
Marketman, that is definitely capital O-T-T! hehe. I made a single gingerbread house in a kid’s class at living well and it was exhausting. With all the small snowy details, the candies, and the kids! haha!
What a magical scene! So realistic, I thought I was looking at a real winter scene. congratulations on a job well done!
Wow! It reminds me of winter in New England! Your gingerbread is spectacular!
Bravo, MM!!! This beats the creations of Disney chefs.
WOW! I got goosebumps just looking at this “winter wonderland”
This is a stunning,amazing,beautiful,gorgeous and spectacular creation!
If there was a worldwide competition for gingerbread houses,yours will definitely win hands down.
Thank you MM,Mrs.MM,The Kid,and crew for sharing this beautiful masterpiece!
So pretty!
What amazing attention to detail, MM! This project truly makes for wonderful Christmas memories. I am still trying to gather the guts to start our gingerbread house project with my 4yo son. Just like the Kid, I have beautiful memories of gingerbread houses built by my mom when we were kids. I want to start that tradition with my kids but I am afraid of the destruction that my 18mo girl might cause!
hanep
This is absolutely amazing! Not only does it look wonderful…it is also a wonderful family tradition :) Happy holidays to you and your family!
What can I say but just a simple WOW! =)
hello marketman,
just one curious question – how do you guard against ants? i would love to create my own gingerbread house but i am deathly afraid of bugs that may be attracted to all the candy left out in the open.
thanks,
elisha
elisha, for some reason, the spices in the gingerbread and the intensity of all the sugared icing results in NO ANTS… I can’t scientifically explain it but you will probably not get ants…and we have ants and roaches in our home… :)
Happy Holidays Marketman and family. Great visual post for the end of the year.
WOW! Galing! Aliw naman sa details, lalo na dun sa racoons heehee.
my favorite? the garbage bin scene! gives it just that extra touch of reality. beautiful, MM!!
wow! how cool is that! your attention to detail is amazing – complete with the garbage cans, raccoons, and all! something you don’t commonly find in village scenes/gingerbread house creations but totally realistic. kudos! and again, thanks for sharing with all of us your wonderful creations, ideas and recipes. and i do love the capiz parol you posted. merry christmas to you and your family!