Build a magical gingerbread house

Site-Seeing with Jan Perry

It's time to think ahead to the holidays, and some projects need a head start. Suc h is the case with those magical gingerbread houses we all ooh and ahh over. If you've always wanted to create one of your own, these sites will help teach you the tricks.

http://wwwiz.com/issue04/wiz_d04.html. Before you bake a gingerbread home, spend a minute or two reading about the history of the spicy cake. This text-only essay by Tarla Fallgatter is worth the time.

http://www.gingerbreadlane.com. Looking for inspiration and some practical advice? A stop on Gingerbread Lane will give you both. There are two gingerbread recipes, a couple of icing ideas, a list of traditional and unexpected candies to use and a nice ''how to'' section that includes tested tips for preserving your masterpiece. View a 1999 creation - a stunning French street scene complete with Eiffel Tower.

http://www.necco.com/gingerhouse.htm. For traditionalists, a gingerbread house just isn't complete without a roof of Necco wafers candy discs. Get a free recipe booklet that tells all about ''Home Sweet Home.''

http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/xmas/food/gbhouse.html . A long address for a short site. If you want to have the fun of making a decorated house without making a major cooking commitment, try this diminutive dwelling that substitutes graham crackers for gingerbread.

http://banzai.neosoft.com/citylink/xmas/ging er. Another grand graham cracker concoction. This one can't be eaten, but in this case, that's not the point. Read Carol Blake's comments about the evenings spent decorating with t he family.

http://www.styrofoam-crafts.com/projec ts/gbhouse.htm. There's even a ''gingerbread'' house for folks who don't want to deal wi th graham crackers. This project uses Styrofoam for the walls and plastic candy for the decorations. Not exactly a true gingerbread creation, but then again, you can store this house without fear of mice taking up residence in it after the holidays.

http://www.thepartyworks.com/gingerbreadparty.htm. Can't decide which one to build? This one has instructions for them all. There are also photos - but they are too small to be impressive.

http://www.mordent.com/folktales/grimm s/hng/hng.html. Finally, to visit the original literary gingerbread house, stop here to read the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel.

Jan Perry is a freelance writer. Send questions or suggestions to her at SiteSeer2K@aol.com.