Building houses they can taste

Deirdre Newman

OCC CAMPUS -- Icing bags poised, children from the Boys and Girls Club

in Fullerton anxiously awaited their cue to start decorating their

gingerbread houses Wednesday.

Culinary students from Orange Coast College guided the students as

they transformed their blank gingerbread walls into intricately designed

facades.

This is the first year OCC has hosted the gingerbread event in

conjunction with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. The event

provided the underprivileged children with a fun way to spend an

afternoon.

“It gives them hands-on experience in preparing food,” said Danette

Kelley, Kids Cafe Coordinator for Second Harvest Food Bank. “They don’t

get that at home since most of them live in apartments with two to three

families.”

Before the students started, Melissa Simpson, instructor of culinary

arts, issued a caveat about not eating the gingerbread houses since they

contained ammonia to keep them sturdy and to keep the bugs away.

That didn’t prevent some of the students from licking the frosting off

their fingertips as they eagerly decorated their houses.

“I love it,” said Corina Stone, 10, as she iced out her windows and

doors.

Holly Eaves, 10, drew thick windows on her gingerbread house so

“nobody can break in,” she said.

After waiting for the gingerbread walls to dry, the students then

began the delicate process of putting the roofs on, all the while trying

to prevent the house from caving in.

Robert Bergman danced in excitement as his gingerbread house was the

first to be completed.

“It feels good,” Robert said. “I can’t even make toast at home.”

The final step was decorating the house with candy and then the

gingerbread houses were ready to go, a lasting souvenir of the students’

artistic experiences.