Can you get a gingerbread house with food stamps? Not necessarily. If you plan smart and realize that it isn’t how much you spend but rather how much time and effort you put into it, you can make a gingerbread house on your own with some simple items from the grocery store.
Can You Get Gingerbread Houses with Food Stamps?
You can get gingerbread houses with food stamps in many states. In most states, you can use your Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to buy ingredients for gingerbread houses as well as other holiday treats.
In some states, SNAP recipients can only use their benefits on food items or hot foods. In these states, SNAP recipients can only use their benefits on ingredients for gingerbread houses that are used to make a hot dish that is then eaten by the household.
For example, if a family wants to buy dough for making homemade pizzas with their food stamps, they can do so in most states. However, if they wanted to buy just the dough and not make pizza at home with it, they may not be able to do so in every state.
How to Build a Gingerbread House
Gingerbread houses are a fun holiday tradition for kids and adults alike. They’re also a delicious treat that you can eat after the holidays are over. But if you’re on a budget, building a gingerbread house can be tricky. Fortunately, there are ways to make it work.
The first thing you need to do is find cheap gingerbread cookie dough. You can buy it online or at craft stores like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby. You’ll also need frosting and candy to decorate your house with. This will add up quickly if you’re planning on making several houses or have multiple people helping with the project. It’s also important to remember that using real candy can get messy, so keep small children away when they’re decorating their house!
Once you’ve gathered all your supplies, it’s time to start building your gingerbread house! The process isn’t as hard as it looks — just follow these steps:
Make sure you have enough space for your house because once it’s built, you won’t want to move it again until Christmas!
Start by laying out your first layer of gingerbread pieces and pressing them into place firmly with a rolling pin covered in parchment paper or plastic wrap (to protect from
Cut, Bake and Assemble the Walls
Gingerbread houses are a fun way to celebrate Christmas. But they can be expensive.
You don’t have to spend money on gingerbread house kits and other supplies, though. You can make a gingerbread house with food stamps — or even if you’re not on food stamps at all.
First, you need cookie cutters in the shape of gingerbread men, elves and houses. You can also use any shaped cookie cutters; just make sure they’re made of metal or plastic so they will work with royal icing.
Next, you need to make royal icing. This is an icing made from powdered sugar, egg whites and lemon juice (or vinegar). It’s used to hold gingerbread houses together because it dries hard like cement — but it doesn’t taste like cement!
Stick the Walls Together
Gingerbread houses can be used as an educational tool for children, but they are also a fun activity for adults. The process of making a gingerbread house is time consuming, but it can be done without spending too much money.
You may have to buy a few items specifically for this project. These include:
- Cookie cutters
- Parchment paper
- Box grater and knife
- Flour sifter
- Frosting (or icing)
- Sprinkles, candies, and other decorations
Decorate Your Gingerbread House
The following is an excerpt from the book: Decorating Ideas for Gingerbread Houses by Betty Oppenheimer.
When planning your gingerbread house, you may want to consider the following suggestions:
Choose a large area of your room that can be covered with newspaper or plastic. You will need this extra space to spread out all the ingredients and supplies you will be using.
Using a pencil and ruler, draw a plan for your house on paper. It should include windows, doors, chimneys, and other details. You might also want to include a map of how you want to decorate it. This will help you keep track of where everything goes so that when you start putting it together, there won’t be any mistakes!
Using toothpicks or skewers, mark where each window and door opening should go on your gingerbread house base before baking it. This will ensure that when you are ready to add decorations these openings are already in place so that they don’t get covered up by icing or candy pieces!
When making an edible house, use food dye instead of paint because it won’t bleed through onto the surface below like water-based paints do when applied directly
Conclusion
Organizers are calling for about 1,000 gingerbread houses, 80 percent of which will be given away to families with kids. Anyone who wants to donate a house is asked to contact Melanie at the food stamp office or the Gazette.
