Holiday Almanac December 3: Mailing Gifts

For more information on the Holiday Almanac, go here. Or to see what I've been up to on past Holiday Almanac days, check out this page.

As you have no doubt already determined, I am an expat living in the UK. This means that all of my family (except for my husband) still lives in the US, which means that every Christmas we are faced with the difficult task of determining who to send gifts to and who to sends cards to, and we have to remember to do so inordinately early.

Also, since we're from the US, an option we fall back on all too frequently is using our American bank account to order American gifts for our families and friends, thereby avoiding the customs and postage hikes that overseas packages inevitably get.

So it's always a bit of a pain to get overseas packages together, and while the Holiday Almanac recommends sending 'a coffee can of brownies' to close friends, I feel that my friends will certainly appreciate the gifts I have assembled more.

The verdict:

2 spoons out of five. I hate dealing with post offices and packaging and all that nonsense this time of year, but truly it is worth it to know you've sent your nearest and dearest something they'll love.

Holiday Almanac December 2: Chocolate-Covered Cherries

For more information on the Holiday Almanac, go here. Or to see what I've been up to on past Holiday Almanac days, check out this page.

When I was a kid, my mom always loved chocolate-covered cherries, so I always associate this time of year with having a kitchen full of them. They've never particularly been my jam (I'm not fond of chocolate + fruit, which is weird since I am otherwise so totally into chocolate), but, since I've never had a  homemade one, I figured now was as good a time as any to give them a try.

This 'recipe' is meant to be made with fresh or candied cherries, but I could find neither one at the supermarket, so I used the preserved cherries soaked in kirsch that we use to make old-fashioneds with. I wasn't sure how they would work since they're soaked in liquid, but after drying them off on a paper towel to get rid of any excess liquid, I coated them in chocolate and they worked just fine.

the verdict: 

4 spoons out of five. If you like chocolate-covered cherries, you'll love these and definitely give them 5 spoons. I don't love chocolate-covered cherries, but they're insanely easy and definitely delicious (they'd be perfect on top of a dense chocolate cake, or even stirred into brownie batter).

the recipe:

Chocolate-Covered Cherries

the directions:

If using cherries soaked in any liquid, rinse and dry them well on a paper towel before using.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds.
Drop cherries into melted chocolate, one at a time, coating well. 
Place on a sheet of parchment to dry and top with flaky sea salt if desired.

the ingredients: 

3 oz dark chocolate (bittersweet is fine if you're using candied or kirsch-soaked cherries as they are super sweet)
1 handful fresh, candied, or kirsch-soaked cherries
Optional: Maldon sea salt to finish

Holiday Almanac December 1: Christmas Cards

For more information on the Holiday Almanac, go here. Or to see what I've been up to on past Holiday Almanac days, check out this page.

We’re starting out the month with an easy one: address all your Christmas cards, make gift lists, and buy the ingredients that you'll need for the baking you'll do later.

I love sending Christmas cards, and since I learned on my first Christmas here in the UK, it takes awhile for holiday cards to make it to the USA from over here, so I generally try to get them done early regardless.

Consequently, this was not a huge deal for me… especially since last year while working for a stationery store I stocked up on enough holiday cards to last me from now until 2025. Christmas cards are done, gift list is made, and ingredients for at least a few of the week's upcoming baked goods are purchased.

You may notice that not all of these cards are currently addressed. this is because it's impossible to take photos of cards that already have addresses on them, and this is not my firsst rodeo.

*Here’s a weird thing: you know how in the US, it’s polite to say ‘happy holidays’ instead of ‘merry Christmas,’ since not everyone celebrates Christmas? Well, in the UK, a holiday is a vacation, and no one says ‘happy holidays’ this time of year. My office is having a Christmas party, the shop windows all have ‘Merry Christmas!’ written in them, there’s a Christmas market known as ‘Edinburgh’s Christmas’ that has taken over half of this city, and the cards you send out are Christmas cards, not holiday cards. While I try to remember to alter my usage depending on the nationality of those who I am speaking to, this month is definitely going to be a bit of a hodge-podge as I am an American living in the UK and using an incredibly old ‘Country Christmas Holiday Almanac’ as my guide. Take no offense! You can participate in most of these activities no matter what holiday you celebrate, even if you’re more of a Winter Solstice-type of holiday-er.

The verdict:

5 spoons out of five. Send out Christmas cards. Everybody loves getting snail mail, and there are so many cute ones nowadays that you really don't have an excuse. Plus, getting this kind of behind-the-scenes stuff done early means I don't have to deal with it later in the month when I'm up to my eyeballs in baking.