Sweet homes on the market
Every year Annette Brooks learns a new decorating trick or two from the creations donated for Gamma Epsilon’s annual Gingerbread House Display.
“It’s just so fun seeing them and how creative they are,” Brooks says.
The houses will be showcased starting Friday on the second level of River Park Square. The public is invited to see the houses from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Each house is decorated and donated by a local artist, student, baker, cake club, restaurant chef or other volunteer. This year some of the houses will be decorated by KXLY-FM’s Teresa Lukens and her children, members of the Tiers of Joy cake club, and students in the Spokane Community College culinary arts program.
Bids for the gingerbread creations will be taken during a silent auction that ends at 5 p.m. Sunday. The money raised will be donated to local charities including the Salvation Army, Ronald McDonald House, the Inland Northwest chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Women’s Health Services Network and Gamma Epislon’s “Woman in Transition” scholarship.
Children also can decorate their own graham cracker house during the showcase. For a $5 donation you can receive a pre-made house and a bag of decorations and icing. Gamma Epsilon will also offer small decorating kits that can be taken home. “Some of the parents have told us they’ve been every year and they look forward to it,” Brooks said. “That’s what we hoped when we started this, was that it would become a holiday tradition.”
There will also be a live gingerbread house decorating demonstration on Friday at 5:30 p.m. A Wilton Cake decorating instructor will be sharing tricks and tips for dressing up the houses.
Some cheese please
Impress your holiday guests with a cheese plate from around the world. Cheese experts from Switzerland, Spain, England, Holland, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Germany, Greece and other far-flung reaches of the world will be at Huckleberry’s Fresh Market’s Annual Cheese Extravaganza on Saturday. Huckleberry’s is at 926 S. Monroe St.
From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. the cheese experts will be available to answer questions, help you create a gorgeous (and delicious) cheese and fruit plate for your holiday party or show you a quick and easy appetizer. Experts from the Spokane Wine Co., inside Huckleberry’s, also can suggest pairings of gourmet cheeses and wines. For more information, call 624-1349.