quicko: gingerbread -- going, going -- (!!)

I was greeted at work this morning by a shocked American co-worker: the Australians wanted to eat the gingerbread house! They said that was what you were supposed to do with it! What to do! She had staved them off as long as possible, but the outlook was grim. No one approached me until the afternoon when suddenly a small host of teachers wandered over to see if maybe, just maybe, they could begin nibbling the gingerbread now. I was similarly aghast (but! but! how else will we leave it to admire until January!?), but decided that when in Australia I'd do as the Australians do. They insisted I take the first bite, so I hesitantly plucked off a freckle (freckle: n, chocolate candy covered in sprinkles). The floodgates opened and before I knew it hundreds of teachers had descended and shredded the darling house to smithereens -- they did not merely go for the candy as I'd naively assumed they would (I've seen Americans do that, though not usually before Christmas, unless it's not theirs and they're being sneaky), but massacred the entire roof, walls, everything. When I left, there was indeed little left at all.

And I must admit, I've had an idea: I am providing dessert tomorrow for my connect group. I am short on cash. I am going on holiday soon. I have a spare gingerbread house ...