All too soon, Christmas is here! This year, I’m making a batch of candied pecan yams and brussel sprouts with prosciutto and white wine sauce. Part of the fun with staying in the kitchen is sipping on a glass of wine, while also doing a bit of tastings before all the guests arrive.

This year’s warm Christmas Day is joined by two of my sister’s friends and of course, the family. With Christmas music in the background, a fireplace in the making and a glass of raspberry champs in hand, I think the family’s ready for a healthy competition of building gingerbread houses. I kid you not, it’s a lot easier than it looks.

Each team had varying tactics. While others were set on designing the house, my dad stuck to building the foundation and making the house stand – even if it did take the entire tube of icing. Hands completely sticky and iced, confetti dots and gumballs stuck to his sleeves than on the roof, he was done in a matter of 20 minutes and left the house for my mom to design. In the meantime, my cousin Clifton was all about details in designing the exterior. He carefully squeezed the icing and aligned all the gum drops and licorice around each side of the house. WIthout testing it, he later realized the side of the house where he added a window and a door was really the rooftop. On the other hand, my aunt and I were all about designing the house partially and then moving on to the foundation. WIth a few collapsed houses and falling candy, we finally got it to stick. Our friends on the other side of the table stayed away from the classic design of windows, doors and garages, and instead branded it with their names. Clever.

When it came down to voting, Ricky and Zenaida were our two winners and each got Santa hats and reindeer antlers to wear for the evening – all in good fun.

Hope you too had a wonderful Christmas!