Monday, December 7, 2009

My Town Monday: San Diego Gingerbread Houses



Sunday morning, I ate breakfast next to this gingerbread house. Mr. Summy and I were at the swanky San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina for Mr. Summy's office holiday party. Remember how I did not want to go? Well, I ended up having a really good time. We even won $150 in Target (my home away from home!) gift cards!!! Then we stayed over. Hence, the breakfast next to the gingerbread house.



In the lobby, there's a display of three gingerbread houses. If you look closely, you will see it's based on the story of the three little pigs! Adorable and creative. I love the angel pasta used to represent straw.

Each year, around the end of November to the beginning of the December, a hotel in our fine city hosts the San Diego Gingerbread City Contest for the Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County. (That's quite a mouthful! But a good cause, nonetheless.)

In interesting trivia...
-National Gingerbread Day is actually in June.
-The gingerbread man first showed up in the court of Elizabeth I of England when she had gingerbread men baked in the likeness of some of her guests.
-The Crusaders introduced gingerbread to Europe.
-Ginger has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years, especially as a digestive aid.
-In medieval times, gingerbread was more of a candy.

Totally changing tacks....



i so don't do spooky will be in bookstores TOMORROW!!! As in Tuesday, December 8!!! I am very excited. And a little nervous. It's a bit like leaving your child at school on the first day. Good luck, Sherry! I will be thinking of you. Choose your friends carefully. Be yourself. Have fun.

Please visit The Divining Wand where Larramie has gone to a lot of trouble to write a review/introduction to i so don't do spooky. You'll enjoy it.

And, of course, you'll want to visit our My Town Monday blog to see what the rest of the gang is up to!


sources:
http://www.beachcalifornia.com/beach/gingerbread-contest-sandiego.html
http://www.beachcalifornia.com/california/gingerbread-house-contests-california.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gingerbread_man
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gingerbread
http://www.godecookery.com/ginger/ginger.htm

Ginger Bread Houses on Foodista

13 comments:

  1. debraDecember 7, 2009 at 4:02 AM

    Love the gingerbread houses, Barrie. My kids and I used to get together with a group of folks and make them every year. Fun times and great memories.

    Good luck with the book. I am on my way to Larramie's now.

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  2. TeresaDecember 7, 2009 at 7:15 AM

    Very cool post, Barrie. I so would have been tempted to take a bite of a gingerbread house for dessert. You are to be commended on your restraint.

    Congratulations on your book launch!!

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  3. Tricia J. O'BrienDecember 7, 2009 at 7:31 AM

    I love that gingerbread village! As a child I would have stared into and imagined all sorts of wonderful stories.
    Happy, happy book release! I shall go looking for 'spooky' tomorrow.

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  4. pattinase (abbott)December 7, 2009 at 7:48 AM

    I just can't approve of things to lovely to eat. Only kidding, of course.

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  5. Charles GramlichDecember 7, 2009 at 8:29 AM

    congrats on Spooky! Just in time for Christmas. hurray.

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  6. AnonymousDecember 7, 2009 at 9:50 AM

    That is some gingerbread house!
    Enjoy your big day tomorrow!

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  7. larramiefgDecember 7, 2009 at 9:52 AM

    Ah, introducing "Spooky" was a labor of love!

    And those Gingerbread houses are gorgeous.

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  8. AnonymousDecember 7, 2009 at 4:02 PM

    I love gingerbread houses - the Grand Floridian (modeled after the "Del") - at Disney World always has this amazing life-sized gingerbread house.

    Anyway, "I So Don't Do Spooky" arrives at my house via UPS any day now. Woo hoo! Congrats on the book release - great timing for Christmas gifts.

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  9. Alyssa GoodnightDecember 8, 2009 at 6:22 AM

    $150 Target Gift Card?! Lucky, lucky! And I love those gingerbread houses!

    And CONGRATULATIONS on I So Don't Do Spooky--I'm excited for you and for the rest of us. I was kind of hoping that Sherry would be at my boys' school bookfair, but she's missing. I'll cross my finger for this spring.
    Have a great Release Day!!

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  10. laughingwolfDecember 8, 2009 at 2:58 PM

    grats barrie... nicely done, for xmas no less :)

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  11. Kelly H-YDecember 8, 2009 at 4:53 PM

    Those are awesome gingerbread houses! And, $150 in Target gift cards?! Heaven! :-) Congrats on the book release tomorrow ... SO exciting! Congrats!

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  12. Sherrie PetersenDecember 8, 2009 at 9:52 PM

    Very cool gingerbread houses and YAY for Release Day!! How exciting for you and Sherry (have I mentioned what a great name that is for your main character?) :D

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  13. TaniaDecember 9, 2009 at 9:57 AM

    I can't have a gingerbread house around here. The one time I bought one, my family woke up distraught to find only a pile of ginger rubble where the house had been.

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Comments are always welcome!