Saturday was our annual Johnson Gingerbread Competition with Eric’s family. We show up at Eric’s parents’ house with only the structure done, and do all the decorating at the same time. This year’s theme is “EPIC ADVENTURE”, and we all made our own gingerbread from scratch! Now it’s time for you to help us determine who wins the competition. Check out the photos below with all the special details highlighted. Cast your vote in the survey and then please leave a comment letting us know which one you like best and why. If you think you know who made which one, please DON’T leave that in the comments. We’d like to keep that a surprise until the results are announced. You can also check out the 2009 gingerbread competition and 2008 gingerbread competition.
#1
EXPLORING EGYPT
Two pyramids, each side uniquely decorated with candy and frosting. 
Hand carved camel cookies to carry you on your adventures exploring Egypt. 
The pyramids rest in a bed of crushed vanilla wafer sand. 
The Eye of Ra tops the pyramid and keeps watch over all of Egypt. 
A red licorice bow adorns a cookie star.
#2
NOAH’S ARK
No ark is complete without a rainbow, and it’s even better if the rainbow is made of candy. 
Inside the ark, graham cracker cages hold the pairs of animal crackers. 
Candy animals on a Christmas wreathed ark. 
Finally we know the real reason gingerbread men no longer exist. SHARKS!!! Should have headed for land little gingerbread men. 
An ice cream cone Christmas tree covered with green frosting and candy sunflower seeds decorates the ark.
#3
LORD OF THE RINGS: MINES OF MORIA
Marshmallow Fondant Gimli and Boromir fail to notice the black licorice Watcher in the Water emerging from the sea of melted Jolly Ranchers. 
The Fellowship of the Ring tries to decipher the riddle to enter Moria. 
Once the riddle is deciphered the Fellowship may enter, but will be faced with a steep climb up and down chili bean steps. 
The mines are ancient, one wrong move and an entire staircase could topple over, a threat nearly as scary as… 
…a fiery Balrog made of gummy devils, butterflies and bears and armed with a red vine whip.
You guys are AMAZING!!! I think I like that ark the best, though they’re all completely spectacular!
I belong to a creative and fun family. I love you all.
Such a fun family! Merry Christmas to you all!
I concur, you guys are truly amazing. What a fun family event! Congrats to you all, they are all beautiful. Happy Holidays!
I liked the ark the best but was hard to decide on it or Egypt.
You guys are amazing – what fun!!
You all create works of art each year ; ) Sharks coming
after the gingerbread men?? That’s just WRONG. Merry
Christmas!
I so enjoy being a part of this. Your contest has become
one of the many things I anxiously anticipate during the holidays!
Happy Holidays to you and your family!! See you at First
Night….the theme is Good Bunny Bad Bunny this year and we’re
going for a Guinese World Record for the largest Bunny Hop; help us
make the record!!
The LOTR one is AWESOME! I’ve sent it to a few friends. All of them are really impressive, though. I’m still using milk cartons for my gingerbread houses!
This is awesome! i wish my family had this sort of fun and crafty tradition
I voted for the best one (the one that diana and I made) heather and john should be happy they have doubled their previous scores!
Soooooo much fun!!! I look forward to this every year.
Can’t say which I voted for because I figured out who made which ones. Thanks for including us in your fun, You Guys!!
Aesthetically I really liked the pyramids, but I just had to vote for LOTR, cause it’s LOTR!!!!
Woweee! Very Creative! What a Delight to see! My favorite is Noah’s Ark. Thanks for including me in the voting!
Christmas Blessings to YOU!
They are all so very cute, but I have to say that Noah’s Ark is my #1 pick. I think the rainbow did it for me!
You guys are adorable. Will you adopt me? Oh and as a random note, I made more stock this weekend, this time more seafood stock and some ham hock stock. I love that you have me in the stock making mood.
Amazing Epic Edible Adventures. Great family fun. I missed the voting, only saw one of the creations live.
Wow, those are all amazing! I think the mines I guess I’d go with the Mines of Moria in a close race …
That is to say: I guess I’d have to go with the Mines of Moria in a close race … I need to proofread better.
hi diana – funny enough I had just seen this post last week and thought it to be so adorably cute. and now, i see it again – and we just spent 5 days together in cancun! loved meeting you. you are totally and completely adorable!!!