4:26 p.m., Dec. 6, 2007--Gingerbread houses with gumdrop roofs, M&M doors and coconut snow adorn UD's four dining halls with the help of students recruited by UD Dining Services.

“We invited students to help decorate 25 gingerbread houses and five trees that will be used to dress up the dining halls throughout the holiday season and then be donated to a charity,” Robert A. Lo Furno, Dining Services district chef, said.

Students gathered at Pencader Dining Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 4, and were asked to let their imaginations soar as they chose from a palate of marshmallows, nonpareils, mint sticks, ginger snaps, candy wafers, fruit jellies, jelly beans and jelly rings, pretzels, gumdrops and pinwheel mints to make the houses reflect the holiday spirit.

Carl Zampine, executive chef, and Steven Ryan, catering chef, oversaw the project. They used kits to prepare and assemble the houses and trees for the students and constructed a winter scene complete with gingerbread house and trees surrounded by snow made of icing and enclosed by a peppermint candy cane fence.

Sara Trinker from Easton, Pa., and Tala Said from Darnestown, Md., both freshmen, worked on a house together. Both said that they liked the idea that the houses will be donated to a charity.

Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson