12/4/12 Betsy Crosswhite of Wilmette and her daughter Jenna, 3, put the finishing touches on their creation at the Gingerbread House Making program at the Community Recreation Center in Wilmette. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
12/4/12 Timon Jandora and her niece, Harper Nowlin, 3, both of Evanston, collaborate on their creation at the Gingerbread House making program at the Community Recreation Center in Wilmette. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
12/4/12 Griffin Tien of Wilmette and his nanny Elma Almaro work together at the Gingerbread House making program at the Community Recreation Center in Wilmette. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
Lily Pietrafetta 3, of Wilmette tries some frosting at the Gingerbread House making program at the Community Recreation Center in Wilmette. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
12/4/12 Lauren Pietrafetta and her daughter Lily 3, of Wilmette complete a snowman of marshmallow at the Gingerbread House making program at the Community Recreation Center in Wilmette. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
12/4/12 While her mom, Betsy Crosswhite continues work, Jenna samples the construction materials at the Gingerbread House Making program at the Community Recreation Center in Wilmette. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
12/4/12 3 year old Catherine Shean of Wilmette reaches to place a nilla wafer on her creation at the Gingerbread House making program at the Community Recreation Center in Wilmette. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
12/4/12 A completed house at the Gingerbread House making program at the Community Recreation Center in Wilmette. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
12/4/12 Shredded wheat and giant gumdrops decorated a roof at the Gingerbread House making program at the Community Recreation Center in Wilmette. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
12/4/12 3 year old Graham Rose of Wilmette places a marshmallow chimney on his house at the Gingerbread House making program at the Community Recreation Center in Wilmette. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
12/4/12 A snowman and chimney sit on a roof at the Gingerbread House making program at the Community Recreation Center in Wilmette. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
WILMETTE — Of the many challenges modern homebuilders face, the temptation to eat one’s construction materials probably doesn’t rank high on the list. Unless, of course, one is building a gingerbread house, where cement and stucco looks and tastes suspiciously like fluffy mounds of icing …