The holidays are a time for traditions, and a few years ago, my roommate and I started one of my favorites:  gingerbread houses.  We grabbed a couple of the pre-baked kits from the craft store and spent an evening covered in frosting and candy and watching Christmas movies.  We've stuck with those little kits for the past couple years, and they are a great option for a beginner, but this year I wanted to take it to the next level and build the whole thing from scratch.