Zeno's Bar & Grill

I didn't buy the frozen cookie dough. The mix in Aisle 5 required the addition of an egg and oil, plus mixing in a bowl. Definitely better.

Shocking but true: I used to be the one making a gingerbread house from scratch at this time of year, with everything edible (even the "glue"). I used an architecturally correct Swedish pattern that I designed myself after consulting a vintage Swedish cookbook (disturbing, I know.) Technically, this was pre- my Perfect Mom days, since I didn't have kids when I started the tradition. However, clearly the seed of something frightening was there.

After the Great Collapse of '01 (the house, not me), I decided that the upkeep on a Swedish Chalet was simply too much for me. So, I moved on to modular construction homes or pre-fabbed units. While sturdy and convenient, not to mention cost-effective, they simply lacked the charm of my former digs.

This year, I'm trying something new, which I like to think of as the housing development Model Home approach. I have a gingerbread mold and I'm going to use a Krusteaz gingerbread mix. If I like it, I can make an identical one next year. And the next...and the next...

--Melanie