Photo by Bill Croney, the Northfield News Karen Boyce of Veterans’ Place puts the finishing touches on the gingerbread house that the residents of Veteran's place are giving to Mayo Manor and Mayo Nursing Home. The only gingerbread to be found is in the planks of the front porch the rest of the house is made of pretzels, Triscuit crackers and Nuts. Karen Boyce and the residents of Veterans Place have constructed a very detailed gingerbread house that they will present to Mayo Manor and the Mayo Nursing home.

The Holiday “house” is more gingerbread in name than in fact.

The house is a log cabin style and the “logs” are pretzels. But that’s not the only edible variation on the gingerbread theme.

While pieces of foam board were used to create the overall shape and hold the pretzels in place most of the other materials could be eaten.

The chimney and the “rocks” around the porch are made of nuts. The candles in the windows are candy corn and the roof is made from Triscuit crackers. There is some real Gingerbread, though. The planks of the porch floor are made of the seasonal treat. The snow is really a special frosting that is called snow icing. It is a little stickier than regular frosting and it can be used as a glue as well as to simulate snow and to make icicles.

The house is mounted on a two foot by three foot piece of MDF (medium Density Fiberboard) and can be easily moved once it gets to Mayo Manor.

“We asked that the people at Mayo Manor take it over to the Nursing home side so the residents there can see it, too. It’s not heavy and two people can easily move it.” Karen Boyce said.

Karen Boyce is no stranger to gingerbread house construction so when one of the Veteran’s Place residents (who declined to be named) came up with the idea she jumped at the chance to unleash her gingerbread house skills.

“I did this when my boys were little. We used pretzels once to make a log cabin and we even used graham crackers to build a miniature gingerbread village. We used gum drops in that one. You can use lots of things you just have to have some imagination,” Karen said.

Everybody had lots of fun constructing the gingerbread house but there was one point of contention. “The roof,” said Karen. “I thought we could use Necco wafers but I was out voted. When I showed a picture of a house with that type of roof the Guys thought it looked “too girly”, she added. “It’s a Guy thing,” said one of the residents who did not wish to be identified. We were trying to figure out what to use for roofing material and I was eating a Triscuit. That’s when it came to me. That’s what we could use. I think it looks great. It almost looks like shingles or shakes,” he said.

No matter what the materials are, the residents of Mayo Manor and Mayo Nursing home are sure to enjoy their gift from Veteran’s Place.