Dear parental unit on the phone,
Why don't you get the irony that I have no future plans to come visit you when you didn't make time for me as a kid, and didn't see fit to stop in for at least lunch or dinner on your annual trip from Texas to Georgia the 8 years I lived in New Orleans? You bend over backwards to see your spouse's relatives but wouldn't do the same for me? Bah humbug.

Think I'll stick to variations on muffins, that sounds like much more fun.
There's always currants and chopped nuts to add to gingerbread too.

This thread kind of reminds me of something I made at Girl Scout camp, "Idiot's Delight". It was a box of gingerbread mix, mixed according to package directions, pour into a dutch oven, add a jar of applesauce on top. Cook - use those campfire / dutch oven cooking skills! Looks terrible, but tasted good. We always wanted either whipped cream or ice cream on top too.