HolidayDining Dining Guide and
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Unwrap happiness
Compiled
by
Abbey Salvemini
The holiday season is the ideal moment to discover thoughtful gifts for your loved ones. And with so many options just a click away, a little planning can go a long way toward easing the stress of the season.
From clever tech gadgets and cozy home comforts to fun finds for fitness fans, there’s something to suit every taste and budget. Here are some top picks to help make your holiday shopping simpler — and a lot more joyful.
Electronics
Amazon Echo Dot
We love the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) because it packs vibrant sound and smarter voice control into a compact, stylish device that fits seamlessly into any room. It’s the perfect gift for tech‑savvy friends or anyone looking to upgrade their daily routine — with hands‑free control, smart home compatibility and the reliable convenience of Alexa at their side.
Price: $49.99
Oura Ring 4 Ceramic
Sleek, durable and smart, the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic delivers 24/7 insights with sleek, jewelry‑like design. The Zirconia ceramic finish is tough, stylish and built to last. Plus, with features like 5‑8 days of battery life and advanced 24/7
tracking across sleep, readiness and activity, it’s a strong pick for someone who takes wellness seriously but wants something elegant on their finger.
Price: $499
Polaroid Now
3rd Generation I-Type Instant Camera + Film Bundle
The Polaroid Now turns everyday moments into instant, tangible keepsakes — no editing required. Its dual‑lens autofocus, self‑timer and double‑exposure modes make it perfect for creative fun, while the body crafted from 40 percent recycled materials blends nostalgia with thoughtful, modern design.
Price: $159.99
Health and Fitness
FEIERDUN
Adjustable Dumbbells
This set stands out by delivering a full‑home gym solution in one package — convertible between dumbbells, a barbell and kettlebells — so you can tackle full‑body workouts without clutter. With its durable build, non‑slip grips and solid safety features, it offers serious value for those who want to get in shape from the comfort of their own home.
Price $129.99
HOKA Running Shoes
The HOKA Clifton is a standout
Top picks for everyone on your list
choice for both men and women, offering plush cushioning and smooth transitions with every step. Its lightweight build and premium comfort make it ideal for someone who loves walking, running or just being on their feet for long hours.
Price: $155
LZYVOO Pocket Leggings
A gift that blends style and function; these leggings with pockets make a practical and stylish gift for anyone on the go. High‑waisted for comfort and support, with deep side pockets for phones, keys or cards, these soft, stretchy leggings easily transition from workouts to running errands — perfect for staying cozy and active this season.
Price: $39.99
Home and Kitchen
Ninja Air Fryer
A must have for any home chef, the Ninja Air Fryer offers a 6.5‑quart capacity and six versatile cooking functions, including air fry, roast, bake, reheat and dehydrate. Plus a Max Crisp mode is for perfectly crispy results with minimal oil. Its non stick, dishwasher‑safe basket and crisper plate make cleanup a breeze, turning everyday meals into convenient, healthier delights — perfect for gifting this season!
Price: $179.99
Aura Carver HD WiFi Digital Picture Frame
The Aura Digital Photo Frame is a standout gift for anyone looking to showcase cherished memories in a modern, effortless way. It offers unlimited photo and video cloud storage (no subscription required), making it simple to send moments from afar directly to the frame — ideal for families who want to stay connected.
Price: $149
UGG Men’s Beckett Robe
Perfect for anyone who loves wrapping themselves in comfort; this robe makes a luxe, cozy gift for the holidays. Crafted in ultra‑plush fleece with a relaxed hooded design, self‑tie belt and side pockets, it’s terrific for staying comfy on chilly mornings or cozying up on the couch during the evenings.
Price: $147.95
Aura Carver HD WiFi Digital Picture Frame
Amazon Echo Dot
Oura Ring 4 Ceramic
Men’s and Women’s HOKA Running Shoes
UGG Men’s Beckett Robe
Ninja Air Fryer
LZYVOO Pocket Leggings
Gifts that give back
Presents with a purpose
By Riley Sterling
Holiday time is often a flurry of excessive shopping and materialism. But for many, the spirit of season isn’t about piling presents under the tree or by the menorah — it’s about giving in a way that creates joy beyond one household.
As more people realize that who they give their money to matters, to buy gifts that do good, supporting companies and organizations with philanthropic missions. These presents carry more than sentimental value; they carry impact. If you’re looking for meaningful ways to show love this year, consider these gift ideas that give back.
Fair Trade Goods
Fair trade products — ranging from handwoven scarves and jewelry to coffee and chocolate — empower artisans and farmers around the world. Buying from organizations such as Ten Thousand Villages or Global Goods Partners ensures fair wages, safe working conditions and sustainable practices.
Eco-Friendly Gifts That Restore Nature
For the environmentally conscious, there are countless gifts that give back to the planet. Brands like Tentree plant 10 trees for every item purchased, while companies such as 4ocean remove a pound of plastic from the ocean for each bracelet sold. These gifts are a tangible reminder that small choices can help combat climate change and protect ecosystems — something future generations will thank us for.
Charity Subscription Boxes
Subscription boxes remain one of the most popular modern gifts, and many now come with a charitable twist. For example, Love Goodly curates eco-friendly beauty and lifestyle products while donating a portion of proceeds to animal welfare and cancer research.
Another option, Anchor of Hope Box, supports refugees, survivors of human trafficking, and artisans in vulnerable communities by featuring their handmade goods. Each month’s delivery is a new surprise with a story that uplifts.
Support Education
Education-themed gifts can make an especially powerful impact. Through organizations like Pencils of Promise, donors can purchase school supplies, books or even fund scholarships in honor of a loved one. Many nonprofits now provide digital “gift cards” that explain the specific contribution made — such as paying for a month of classes for a child — making the gift feel personal and purposeful.
Animal-Loving Presents
For pet owners or animal enthusiasts, gifts that protect wildlife or help shelter pets are perfect choices. The World Wildlife Fund offers symbolic adoptions of endangered species, complete with a plush toy and adoption certificate. Meanwhile, proceeds from products sold by Best Friends Animal Society go directly toward saving homeless pets.
Coffee, Tea, Wine
What’s Christmas without warm mugs and toasts with loved ones? Many beverage companies now combine delicious offerings with charitable missions. Grounds for Health, for instance, uses profits from its coffee sales to provide cervical cancer screenings for women in coffee-farming communities. OneHope Wine donates portions of its proceeds to causes ranging from childhood hunger to environmental initiatives.
’Buy
One, Give One’ Brands
The “buy one, give one” model has become a staple of socially conscious shopping. Companies like TOMS pioneered the idea by giving away a pair of shoes for every pair sold, and the movement has since spread to other essentials. Bombas donates socks to homeless shelters, while Warby Parker provides eyeglasses to people in need. When your loved one unwraps a gift, they’ll know that someone else in the world received something just as valuable.
Impactful Experiences
Not all gifts need to be wrapped. Experience-based presents can also support charitable causes. Virtual cooking classes taught by refugee chefs, tickets to benefit concerts, or workshops hosted by nonprofit organizations provide memorable moments while funding important work. These experiences often leave a lasting impression far beyond traditional gifts.
This season, when consumerism can feel overwhelming, opting for gifts that give back is a way to return to the season’s true spirit. The joy of giving multiplies when it touches lives outside our immediate circle.
By giving with intention, you’re not just celebrating the holidays — you’re helping create a brighter, kinder world.
Use your spending power this Christmas to pay it forward for a good cause.
Make Hanukkah special
Many jokes have been shared about the complexity of growing up Jewish surrounded by Christian friends and the overwhelming influence of Christmas come the month of December. Seemingly everywhere you look buildings, stores and homes are decked out in lights and decorations. But Christmas celebrants are not the only ones with reason to be festive this time of year, when Hanukkah is also cause for celebration.
In fact, because the basis of the holiday is rededication to the faith, it very well may be an instrumental celebration for families who may need to find their way back to the roots of their beliefs.
Hanukkah’s festive atmosphere derives almost entirely from home ritual and customs and is dominated by light as a metaphor for spiritual freedom. This is emphasized by special holiday songs, games and foods. While the holiday is steeped in tradition, there are many ways you can add a creative spin to your family’s festivities.
Light: One of the major tenets of Hanukkah is how light can shine and lead a person through dark periods. This is typically exemplified by the lighting of the menorah, which is prominently placed in windows or other visible areas of celebrants’ homes.
This season spend time with someone who may be dealing with an illness or the loss of a loved one. You may be the light that inspires this person each day. Give candles to friends and family members to symbolize the light that will shine in the future.
Oil: Another component of Hanukkah celebrations is the focus on how a one-day supply of oil somehow lasted eight days during the rededication of the temple’s menorah. Many ways to include oil in celebrations exist. Some people like to get creative in the kitchen, serving fried foods and desserts.
Think about giving gifts of oil, such as fragrant essential oils that can be used in potpourri or in the bath or shower. Working alongside their parents, children can see how a wick drenched in oil can serve as an efficient lighting source and decorate the home with these homemade oil lamps.
Bring light out of darkness: There are many ways to make this year’s Hanukkah a real “Festival of Light.” As Rabbi Arthur Waskow writes in his book,“Seasons of Joy,”“Hanukkah is the moment when light is born from darkness, hope from despair.”
Historically, this was reflected in the unlikely victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks, in the oil that brought light for eight days instead of one, and in the very act of lighting candles during the darkest time of the year.
Creative ways to celebrate
Before lighting candles, try taking your family on a night walk. Go outside together and feel how dark it is. Even if you’re in the city, the month of December has a special darkness to it. Then come in from the cold and light the menorah. Feel the contrast between the darkness outside and the light inside.
Eight thoughtful nights: With every candle comes a chance to gather around the menorah and talk about Hanukkah’s lesson. With some planning, a different topic could be discussed each night. Whether it’s the environment, antisemitism, tzedakah, or freedom, Hanukkah delivers eight invitations for learning.
Twenty-five: Bring attention to the number 25, which is significant when celebrating Hanukkah. The word Hanukkah can be divided into two: Chanu, meaning “they rested,” and Kah, which is the numerical value of 25. On the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, the Maccabees rested from their battle with the Greeks and triumphantly marched into the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Make 25 a part of celebrations by inviting 25 people to celebrate with you or ask children to make murals with 25 different adornments.
Charitable giving: Of course, everyone loves to receive gifts, but let’s not forget the satisfaction of giving them. Who hasn’t gotten joy from seeing someone’s face light up when a gift strikes just the right chord? Giving feels good. Beyond our family and friends, Hanukkah can also be a vehicle for giving to those in
need.
Gift-giving is now a component of Hanukkah celebrations, but it wasn’t always. Greater importance was once placed on the lighting of candles to publicize the miracle and evangelize the faith. Some impoverished people could not afford candles, and these people would go door-to-door for candle funds, or “gelt,” to be able to purchase candles and kiddush wine.
Some families prefer to give money rather than gifts to keep with the tradition of Hanukkah gelt. However, families also can incorporate charitable giving in their celebrations as a way to reinforce the customs of giving to the poor.
Rituals and tradition bring families together during the Festival of Lights.
What every kid needs to know about greed and thanksfulness
How gratitude beats greed every time
By Mary Hunt
If there is one thing that will ruin your kids’ lives, it’s greed. Teach them while they’re young how to pull the plug on greed and you will have prepared them in a very important way to not only survive but also thrive in the real world. You may want to start with this lesson.
Lesson: How To Defeat The Enemy That Is Greed
As you get older, you are going to discover an enemy that everyone has to deal with at some time in his or her life.
This enemy isn’t like the bad guy in your video game or the bully at school who tries hard to make everyone scared and miserable. Even though you cannot see this enemy, you can defeat it by the way you live and the choices you make. This is “greed.”
What is greed? The feeling of wanting everything you can think of is called greed. Greed is not a good thing. In fact, it’s like a very bad disease. It starts small and, if allowed to grow, it will take over your life.
Greed will make you a very miserable person.
Greed causes temper tantrums and makes people self-centered and arrogant. Greed is very sneaky. What greed feels like. You know that twinge of envy you felt when your best friend showed you her cool new phone? Or when another friend said really loudly at lunch how his dad is buying him a brand-new car for his 16th birthday?
How about the day you find the new Christmas catalog in the mail — the one with every cool thing in the whole world — and you want every single thing in it.
Multiply that feeling by 10 and you’ll have a good idea what full-blown greed feels like. It’s not good.
The problem with greed is that it drives us to do things that are hazardous to our futures. Greed
says it’s OK to have everything we want now and to figure out how to pay for it later. Greed whispers in our ears, telling us lies that make us unhappy with what we have, where we live or who we are. Greed is something everyone has to deal with, and the sooner you can learn how to defeat that enemy, the better off, and happier, you will be.
The Antidote For Greed “Antidote” is another word for “solution” or “treatment.” The antidote for a terrible ear infection is antibiotics. The antidote for greed is to be thankful for what you have already, not always wishing and hoping for things you do not have.
You prove your gratitude when you are willing to give away part of the “3 Ts”: your time, your talent and your treasure. Everyone, no matter how young or poor, has some or all three.
Time. You get 24 hours every day: 1,440 minutes or 864,000 seconds every single day! No more; never less. You can’t save some of that time today so you’ll have more time tomorrow. How you use your time every day is a reflection of your character.
Talent. This is what you can do. Everyone has special talents.
There are things you can do easily that others have a difficult time achieving. It’s your talent, and you have been blessed with it. It doesn’t make you better than others, but it makes you unique. You are one of a kind.
Treasure. This is what you have: your possessions. It’s your money, but also your toys, game systems, clothes, collections — everything that you own.
Become A Giver
If you have never been a giver, it may seem quite odd for me to suggest you should just give away any of your time, your talent or your stuff. But that is exactly what I mean.
If you want to make sure you are never defeated by greed, learn to be a giver.
When you give to others, it helps you to be grateful for what you have. Giving is the way to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Instead of misery, you feel joy. In place of dissatisfaction, you find contentment.
Being a giver looks different for each of us. Some are incredible prayer warriors, others are encouragers, planners, or have the gift of hospitality. Giving is about noticing needs and stepping in with love, even outside our natural
comfort zones. A life of generosity is truly a ife well spent.
Give your time.The way you give your time is to volunteer. There are lots of ways kids can volunteer to make their communities better.
Give your talent. Think of ways you can do those things you’re really good at to make someone else’s life easier or more enjoyable. Perhaps it’s your church or school. It might be helping your grandparents understand their new smartphone, or washing windows for a neighbor in only the way you can. You are amazing! Give your treasure. Giving away part of your money and other possessions is quite simple. Observe a need, then do something about it.
You can give to a homeless shelter, to a family going through difficult times, or to your church or other charitable organization. The options are limitless!
Become a giver. It will greatly improve your life.
By DiAnne Crown
Feel-good foods
Festive dining that’s both hearty and healthy
If your picture-perfect holiday meal is a turkey with all the trimmings, a roast or even a hearty, creamy stroganoff and a side of mushroom soup-fortified green bean casserole, and a “healthful” plate looks like a few pieces of curly kale sprinkled lightly with lemon juice and olive oil, think again. Here’s how to make your holiday season hearty and healthful.
Transform your favorite recipes
Consider your options before you go grocery shopping to keep the flavor and cut the fat. Let’s start with that stroganoff. The typical main ingredients are beef, onions, mushrooms, noodles, sour cream, Dijon mustard and butter. Replace beef with cubed chicken, half the sour cream with plain low-fat yogurt, and the butter with olive oil.
Dairy substitutions will work in other creamy dishes, and you may find it’s possible to replace all the sour cream with a whole or two percent yogurt and not miss it if you add just a little extra salt, or few aromatic herbs. Transform fat-filled, sodium-laden green bean casserole by sauteeing fresh or frozen petite whole green beans with diced bell peppers and onions. If that’s too far away from the real deal, toast a few canned French fried onions for a garnish. For the timehonored cornbread casserole, make the same substitution for sour cream, omit the cheese, and add an extra egg or two to stretch the dish with extra protein.
Portions, themed parties and new traditions
It’s normal to feel protective of our favorite holiday flavors and fragrances. So aim for balance. Keep the most special foods that would be missed if omitted, such as a favorite fudge recipe, eggnog or pecan pie; cut down on the portion size of those things, and reduce the fats, salt and sugar elsewhere. Serve fish. Countless elegant, delicious dishes are built around fish and shellfish. It’s quick and easy to saute shrimp with snow peas and thinly sliced green onions in a thin coating of grapeseed oil and add a light wine or lemon sauce before serving. Or serve a succulent 6-ounce piece of marinated salmon for a main course that is beautiful and flavorful. Start with a separate salad course to stretch out the meal and allow time for guests to start feeling full, serve the main course with ample vegetables and half a sweet potato drizzled with a little maple syrup or date sugar to
round out the meal.
Create a gathering with an international theme, and make it a potluck. Anyone in your group traveling abroad next year? Are you interested in a foreign country just because it sounds interesting? Design a representative menu of that cuisine at your holiday event.
To make it even more economical and fun, buy one set of the needed specialty ingredients to shared among your guests, then invite each household to choose one of the courses to prepare for the party. The recipe selection will be your job, so find healthful options and no one will notice much, if any,
difference. Add regional music and serve! If your international holiday party is a great success, you may have found a new tradition.
Make it festive
Everyone says it because it’s true: you eat with your eyes first. For your party, use nice dishes, arrange your table attractively and create a visual feast with color, shape and tantalizing aromas, no matter the dishes! A beautiful presentation with enough time to enjoy it will make even carrot sticks and lowfat herb dip enjoyable.
“Bypass the chips and other fried poundpackers and help yourself to a small handful of nuts, reduced-fat cheese and fresh fruit, or chilled shrimp,” WebMD paraphrases Dr. Arthur Agatston as saying.“Or serve a hummus dip with a holiday-themed veggie platter: red or green pepper, zucchini and jicama strips.”
Pay special attention to your food garnishes, colorful nonalcoholic beverages, and table accessories such as candles, napkins and flowers. These will all create the festive feeling of a joyful, satisfying meal together.
Your holiday meals can be both hearty and healthy!
• Antipasto Platter
• Mozzarella Caprese Platter
• Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail (40pc, 70pc)
• Stuffed Baked Clams
• Meat or Cheese Lasagne
• Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Vegetable Medley
• Garden Salad
• Penne Alla Vodka
• Linguine Frutti Di Mare
• Baked Manicotti
• Baked Stuffed Shells
• Baked Ziti
• USDA Prime Eye Round Roast Beef
• Center Cut Stuffed Boneless Pork Roast
Cornbread Stuffing Spinach, Onions & Bacon
• Brown Sugar & Spice Spiral Sliced Ham
• USDA Prime Stuffed Flank Steak Roast (+$20, +$40)
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Herb Roasted Potatoes
• Candied Sweet Potatoes
• Christmas Yule Log Cake
• 2lb. Italian Cookie Tray
• 10” Homemade Pie
• Homemade Struffoli
• Stuffed Flounder w/ Crab Meat in White Wine Sauce (+$20, $50)
(All Roasts Come With Gravy or Glaze)
• String Bean Almondine
• Eggplant Rollatine
• Sauteed Broccoli Rabe
• Sauteed Broccoli
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash
• Caesar Salad
• Giardinastro Salad
Package Includes: Dinner Rolls, Pasta Sauce, and Grated Pecorino Romano
Feeds 10-15
Not your great-aunt’s fruitcake
Reinvent the popular yet defamed dish
By Chelle Cordero
The very mention of Christmas fruitcake is often met with shudders of distaste and a rejection of the labor and love that went into its creation. A cake loaded with chunks of crystalized fruit and chopped nuts might sound like a nice holiday treat, but one bite of an ooey-gooey loaf with suspicious textures or a dry brick will surely leave a bad taste in your mouth. These tried, tested and, most importantly, enjoyed recipes will change your position on this Christmas dessert forever.
Stollen, also known as Christollen, is a German sweet bread containing dried fruits, marzipan, almond paste and sugar or honey. According to the Food Network website, historians have traced the treat back to around the year 1400 in Dresden. Each December, the city pays homage to its history with Stollenfest, a festival during which a giant stollen weighing multiple tons is baked and presented to the town. Despite the dessert’s long tradition, each baker has his or her own recipe.
You might want to reconsider fruitcake with this recipe, courtesy of bread baker and author Betsy Oppenneer.
Christollen
• 1 cup mixed candied fruit
• 1 cup raisins
• 3 tablespoons dark rum or orange juice
• 1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds
• 4 to 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• Oil (for coating bowl)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Prepare the fruit: Combine the mixed fruit, raisins and rum (or orange juice). Cover and set aside. Shake the mixture periodically to coat fruit with rum.
Prepare the sponge cake: In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast. Heat milk to 110 degrees F.
Add to the yeast, along with 1 cup flour and 1 teaspoon honey. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until light and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
In a mixer bowl, add the fruit mixture, 1/3 cup honey, egg, 1/2 cup butter, zest, salt,
almonds, mace and 2 cups flour to the sponge. With the paddle attachment, beat on mediumlow speed with paddle attachment for two minutes. Add remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Switch to dough hook. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until dough begins to clean the bowl. Then knead dough on medium-low for 4 to 5 minutes.
Place dough in an oiled bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour.
For one large loaf, roll dough into 9-by-13inch oval. Brush melted butter over the top. Combine cinnamon and granulated sugar, and sprinkle over half the oval. Fold dough in half lengthwise. Carefully lift bread onto parchment-lined baking sheet.
Cover dough with towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 degrees F, bake for 25 minutes.
Sprinkle stollen with confectioners’ sugar. Everyone knows most Christmas gifts are worth the wait. Same goes for the brandied fruit cake featured on the Country Cleaver blog. It takes two weeks to perfectly age and, interestingly, includes a hefty amount of brandy and fresh zucchini.
Brandied Fruit Cake
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup zante dried currants
• 2 1/2 cups various dried fruit (prunes, apples and apricots recommended)
• 3/4 cup brandy (and more for aging process)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
The day before baking, combine all dried fruits together in airtight container, and cover completely with 3/4 cup brandy. Shake jar to mix. Leave out to marinate overnight, turning the jar frequently to ensure even marinade.
On the day of baking, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, oil, vanilla and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, salt, nutmeg, salt and cloves.
Combine flour mixture into egg mixture, and stir. Add in zucchini, walnuts, pecans and drained brandy-soaked fruits. NOTE: Save the brandy for zesty hot brandy cider!
Spray two loaf pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. Divide dough between them, and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. As loaves cool, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon brandy.
To age fruitcake (two weeks is ideal), cut two pieces of cheesecloth, one for each loaf. Pour brandy into a cup, and soak cheesecloth. Wring out excess brandy, and wrap each loaf with soaked cheesecloth. Place wrapped loaves in two layers of aluminum foil. Store in cool, dry place. Check loaves periodically to make sure they haven’t dried. Sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons brandy throughout to keep moist.
Unwrap and enjoy. Makes 2 loaves.
These recipes are perfect to serve in your home. When packaged in a pretty paper or tin, they make a great hostess gift as well. You will be happy you dared to beat others’ preconceived notions this holiday season.
Transform this popular yet maligned Christmas treat to change your guests’ opinion of it forever.
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Whether you’re dining in, hosting an office luncheon, or celebrating at home, we’ve got everything you need to make this season merry and bright.
Holiday Parties • Office Luncheons
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Museum adventure
Give the gift of a holiday outing that’s just as fun and rewarding as it is educational
By Polly Jamison
A trip to the museum can be more than a stroll through the halls and a trip to the gift shop. With some planning, your child can also enjoy the anticipation and lasting memories of a wonderful museum experience. But this is no last-minute present. Careful planning can make holiday experience full of memories that will last a lifetime.
Make It Personal
Choose a museum that piques a child’s interest in a new subject or builds on his or her existing understanding of a favorite subject. Natural history museums, aquariums, art and history museums with or without special children’s areas can expand an interested child’s experiences. Special events in living museums present exhibits and experiences of past and future days, which can excite, enlighten and inspire children to not only reflect back but look forward to the future.
In choosing the museum, whether close to home — such as Nassau County Museum of Art or Long Island Children’s Museum — or Manhattan, or even as a destination experience on, for example, a family trip, carefully consider what you know of your child’s interests, learning ability and energy level. Plan for breaks, take along comfort items and decide whether this would be best as a visit with you and just one child or as a family.
Plan Ahead
See where the exhibits are located in order to time the length of your visit, considering the age of your child (and any grandparents who might be participating). You may want to focus on one or two areas of a very large museum for a more relaxing, in-depth visit, especially for younger children. For example, a natural history museum highlight could be the mammals, or ocean life, or dinosaurs, or a special traveling exhibit, and leave
the rest for another visit.
Find out if children are allowed to carry small backpacks in the museum. Collect, or print out at home, brochures, handouts and postcards.
Check out the museum gift shop. Children love gift shops, but they can be expensive. To avoid disappointment, be sure to understand the monetary needs for a gift shop visit.
Consider picking up or ordering a DVD featuring the museum and/or highlight exhibits. The brochures, stickers, pins, DVD and any other items collected or ordered online will go into an actual gift box for under the tree or by the menorah.
Make A Gift Box
Other than the experience itself, this is the most fun part of the preparation. Create a gift box presenting the museum visit as your gift, and include any or all of the following:
√ An invitation to the visit or museum event using the museum brochures, handouts, logo, etc.
√ A T-shirt to wear on visit day, either from the gift shop or hand-decorated using iron-on decals, logos and letters from your local craft shop.
√ A coloring book about the museum and a new box of crayons. Everybody loves a new box of crayons!
√ A small, inexpensive toy, book, pamphlet or puzzle representing the museum.
√ A favorite theme-related snack, such as fish crackers, dinosaur fruit treats, teddy bear grahams or astronaut ice cream.
√ A journal or notebook and stickers for observations, questions and sketches. Design a pamphlet as a passport with places to attach stickers or stamps as you move through the exhibits. This is a fun way to help keep children on track.
√ A simple map of the museum and exhibits so the whole experience <checkmark Money for listening stations, experiential stations, feeding stations and the gift shop.
√ A small backpack, if allowed, to hold items needed for the museum adventure — water bottle, snack, instant camera, outdoor exhibit items such as sunglasses, hat, magnifying glass or binoculars, etc. If the museum doesn’t allow backpacks, it can still be used in the car.
Wrap the box and attach a gift tag with a sticker, sketch or short
notation indicating the special surprise inside. Always keep a gift recipient guessing!
Want More?
Many museums now offer day camps, age-appropriate one- to two-hour exhibit experiences and even overnight sleepovers for adults and children. Check out local and state museums in your area. Very large regional and national museums such as the Smithsonian offer a wide range of experiences for family events with advance reservations.
All children enjoy the anticipation and experience of a shared event, and special mementos that remind them of their visit. A museum experience that builds brainpower and family bonds is worth every minute of your preparation to make it a success.
Create a gift box filled with creative tools that your kids can use to have a memorable day at the museum.
Around the table
Make it the best holiday yet
If memories of last year’s festive season includes stacks of buffet plates, last-minute jaunts to the store for fresh rosemary or that burnt pumpkin pie, you may want to think about trying to de-stress your holiday this year.
There are plenty of small steps you can take, from making lists to shopping early, that will make things go much smoother. Most importantly, don’t forget to take the time to enjoy your family.
Arm yourself with a plan
Sit down and make a guest list. From the number of guests, plan your menu. Then you can create a complete shopping list and decide if you’re doing all of the cooking or if others will be bringing dishes.
Take inventory at least two weeks out of your dinnerware, kitchen tools and gadgets, spices and other staples in your pantry and don’t forget to count chairs!
Shop early
Grocery stores get more packed the longer you wait, plus you run the risk of some of your needs being sold out. Try to do your shopping early morning or late evening at least one week before. Of course, the perishable items such as your turkey, ham, rib roast, veggies, etc., will have to be the final purchases on the list.
Make it easy on yourself
You don’t need to create an over-the-top, gourmet feast that keeps you slaving in the kitchen. Choose dishes that you can make
several days in advance, and then pace yourself. Soups, casseroles, marinated salads and some desserts taste even better when they’ve had time for their flavors to fully blend.
This frees up your counter space and your to-do list. If you do have to make several dishes on Thanksgiving and Christmas, try to distribute them evenly between the stovetop, the oven and the microwave.
Also consider shrinking the menu. With the size of the feast on most of our tables, it really isn’t necessary to load your guests up on dips, snacks or appetizers. So keep it simple.
Perform a test flight
If you’re making a side dish for the first time or using ingredients that you aren’t familiar with, try them out beforehand so you’ll be prepared for success on the holiday. Ditto if you’re serving a new wine or using new equipment, like a brand new oven.
Add easy drama to your décor
You don’t need a total room makeover to create a holiday masterpiece. Just think color, pattern and texture. For example, fill vases or bowls with cranberries and sprigs of evergreen, or fill baskets with red apples, or jars with candy canes — the more sizes and shapes the better.
Manage the younger ones
Keeping the kids occupied takes time as well. Having a group of kid-friendly DVDs on hand is a no-brainer, but don’t stop there. Kids
can help in the kitchen with cookie decorating or in the dining room with setting the table.
Plan an after-dinner activity
Instead of sitting around and passing around plate after plate of leftovers, plan something for the family to do after dinner. Pre-purchase movie tickets for the opening blockbuster and fold them in your napkins. Your guests will love having the planning done for them.
Don’t sweat it
The true secret to being a gracious host or hostess (and keeping your own sanity) is to not let small problems ruin the day. If one of your side dishes burns, simply toss it out and enjoy the bounty you do have. If the turkey burns, order take-out. And don’t forget to laugh.
The holiday season is all about gathering family and friends together. With a little planning and the right attitude, you can pull off a fantastic event and enjoy being the holiday host or hostess.
Classic cocktails
Create iconic drinks associated with the holidays
By DiAnne Crown
Pretty, tasty, classic and with something for everyone, this beautiful cocktail, aromatic punch, Champagne sparkler and luscious cream treat will add flare to your festivities this holiday season. And for the purist, a brief look at port wine.
The Maxwell’s Plum
New York City’s legendary Tavern on the Green created this fruity, rich red concoction as an homage to the iconic restaurant of the same name. This “Step Back in Time” recipe from the Tavern on the Green cookbook serves two.
• 4 ounces plum vodka
• 1 ounce Triple Sec
• 1 ounce fresh orange juice
• 4 ounces bottled cherry juice
• 2 slices ripe plum (optional)
Chill two large martini glasses. In a cocktail shaker half filled with ice, combine all the ingredients except the plum slices. Shake energetically for 10 to 20 seconds, and then strain into the chilled glasses. Cut a slit in each slice of plum and slide over the rim of each glass. Serve at once.
Hot Cranberry Brew (nonalcoholic)
The Ravinia Festival, held in Highland Park, Ill., every summer since 1904 except from 1932 to 1935 due to the Great Depression and 2020 due to the pandemic, entertains more than half a million
guests annually. In celebration of the tradition, music and food of the popular festival, The Women’s Board of the Ravinia Festival Association published a cookbook of favorite recipes in 2008. The collection is just as elegant today as when it was published. This recipe makes four quarts.
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves
• 2 quarts cranberry juice
• 46 ounces pineapple juice
• 4 1/2 cups water
Place sugar and spices in 30-cup electric coffee pot basket (or reduce the recipe and use a large crock pot.) Add juices and water. Cycle as for coffee (or heat in crock pot until steaming.) Serve hot.
Poinsettia
Three ingredients simply mixed for a beautiful holiday drink — the Poinsettia. Thanks to The Spruce Eats for this recipe that serves two.
• 1 ounce premium orange liqueur
• 6 ounces cranberry juice
• 6 ounces demi-sec Champagne (can substitute cava or proseco sparkling wines if desired)
• Fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish
• Fresh cranberries, for garnish
• Chill the ingredients for an hour or two before mixing.
Pour the orange liqueur and cranberry juice into chilled Champagne flutes. Stir well. Top with the Champagne, add
garnishes and serve.
Eggnog:
For your holiday open house
Those delightful friends who come to celebrate, not count calories, will enjoy this decadent take on a holiday classic by Taste of Home. This version calls for amaretto for the taste of almond and vanilla; brandy or a combination of rum and cognac could be substituted. Or make it family friendly without alcohol. The recipe makes approximately nine cups, or 12 3/4-cup servings.
• 8 eggs
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup amaretto
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• Additional ground nutmeg
In a large heavy saucepan, whisk eggs, sugar and confectioners’ sugar until blended. Stir in milk.
Stirring constantly, cook over low heat about 20 minutes or until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and a cooking thermometer reads at least 160 degrees. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat immediately.
Stir in cream, amaretto, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and refrigerate several hours or until cold. Sprinkle servings with additional nutmeg.
Port Wine: A primer
A good glass of port wine, usually three ounces served just below room temperature in a stemware glass, often with a dessert or cheese course, can finish a pleasant evening with warm satisfaction. But not all port is created equal. The cheapest bottles on the shelf are much less rewarding.
Port is a sweet, rich wine made from indigenous grapes of Portugal. According to an article by Wine Folly:“There are several styles of port, including red, white, rose and an aged style called Tawny Port.” With flavor notes of raspberry, blackberry, caramel, cinnamon and chocolate, the article continues,“older, fine Tawny Ports have an even wider array of subtle flavors including graphite, green peppercorn, hazelnut, almond, butterscotch, and graham cracker.“
Look for wines aged for 30 or more years for this level of complexity. Try a few styles and price points. You’ll soon find your favorite.
Celebrate the season with a traditional holiday cocktail or a glass of a special pour.
Don’t delay in spending those gift cards
What to know before your balance disappears
By Mary Hunt
Once the holiday season winds down, many of us will finally catching our breath after weeks of shopping, celebrating and wrapping. But before you toss those empty boxes and stray bits of ribbon, take a moment to look through the gift cards you and your family just unwrapped. And think about those on your list who’ll receive a gift card from you. It may seem like such an easy solution to the gift giving dilemma — but is it?
Each year, Americans spend hundreds of billions on gift cards — and a surprising share never gets used. Billions of dollars’ worth end up forgotten in drawers, misplaced, or even tossed out with the holiday clutter. Funny how that happens.
Now that you have all these gift cards, there are some things you need to know about them and how best to use them.
Do Not Delay
Someone could not decide what to get you, so they gave you the gift card. It is your responsibility to get out there and spend it.
Not Cash Equivalent
A gift card is not cash; it is store credit. It will not work the same as cash. For example, let’s say you zip right down to your favorite electronics store to redeem your $100 gift card. You buy the latest gizmo you’ve had your heart set on. It’s on sale for $79 with tax. So do you get $21 in change? No way. You will get your gift card back with $21 credit.
In no time you decide this is not really what you wanted after all, so with receipt and unopened box in hand, you attempt to make an exchange. You can’t believe that now they will only give you $59 in credit for this returned item because the store’s policy is to refund only the lowest sales price during the past 30 days when an item is purchased with store credit.
Rip-off? Yes. But that is truly the policy in many stores.
And not to add more doom, but never forget that if the retailer for whom you are holding a gift card files for bankruptcy protection, the judge handling that case is likely to deem all outstanding gift cards null and void. How can they do that? Never forget you are holding store credit — not cash — and yes, they can do that.
Diminishing Value
It’s as clear as day that your gift card is worth $100. But when the clerk scans it, the store credit available is only $62. What?! How could that happen? Fees, my friend — those pesky fees. Here’s the deal: Many states still allow gift card issuers to charge dormancy, maintenance or inactivity fees, which can eat away at your balance.
The key factor is the state law where the card was purchased, not where you’re redeeming it. Even if it looks like a “new” card, it could be years old. And don’t forget that regifting trick. The card you got from Aunt Sue might have been given to her by Cousin Sam, who won it as a door prize at a Kiwanis Club meeting two years ago! Its value could be far less than the card’s face value. Even worse, in some states, gift cards can completely expire.
In the United States, gift cards are generally protected by federal law, specifically the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, which prohibits gift cards from expiring within five years of activation. However, states have additional rules that offer more protections for consumers. Here are some states where gift cards cannot expire:
√ California: Gift cards cannot expire, and fees are also regulated. The state has strong consumer protections for gift cards.
√ Connecticut: No expiration date can be set on gift cards, and fees are restricted.
√ Massachusetts: Gift cards cannot have
expiration dates, and fees are limited to dormancy fees under certain conditions.
√ Michigan: Gift cards must remain valid for at least five years from the date of purchase, and they cannot expire sooner.
√ New York: Gift cards cannot have expiration dates, and fees can only be charged after 12 months of inactivity.
√ Washington: Gift cards cannot expire, and dormancy fees can only be applied if the card has been inactive for more than a year.
States like Florida, Illinois and Virginia also have restrictions, typically limiting the imposition of fees and prohibiting expiration before a set time, but the rules vary based on the type of card and its specific terms.
It’s always a good idea to call the toll-free number on the back of the card to check its current value.
Usage Limitations
Some gift cards may not be used for purchases in a catalog or on the merchant’s website. Other limitations on gift cards include a prohibition against selling your card to another individual, or applying the value as a payment to a store credit-card account or redeeming the card for cash.
Remember, once you’ve used that gift card, let the giver know what you bought. It’s the least you can do and an easy way to say express your thanks.
Use it or lose it with these popular holiday gifts!
Family favorites
Preserving cherished recipes for generations
By Kristen Castillo
Do you remember grandma’s oatmeal cookie recipe so well that you have it memorized? Stop and write it down (and take a picture, too), so future generations will be able to replicate the recipe. Better yet, invite the whole family to share their favorite dishes in a cookbook. This is a gift that will be treasured forever
“I think it’s a great way to capture family history along with some of the best recipes from our family’s history,” says Rebecca Downing, whose mother created two family cookbooks for her kids: one representing recipes from the maternal side of the family and another with recipes from the paternal side.
Downing’s mother went back four generations in each book and included family trees as well. Each chapter is about a specific family member’s life and includes five to seven recipes and memories associated with each.
“It’s now up to my sister and I to add to the books,” says Downing, whose favorite family recipe is her grandmother’s rice, explaining, “whenever I eat it I am instantly satiated both emotionally and hunger wise. She always used to make double when I was there because it was my favorite!”
Sensory Connections
While most cookbooks are a source of new recipes and flavors, family cookbooks are all about well-known favorites.
“They present what is familiar, tried-andtested, and extremely personal,” says Nandita Godbole, author of “Not For You: Family Narratives of Denial & Comfort Foods,” a
cookbook featuring four generations of family recipes.
She says family cookbooks are “sensory memory keepers,” such as the smell of your mother’s kitchen on weeknights or your uncle’s house for Thanksgiving.
“These sensory recreations provide links and connections to events and people long after they have passed away,” says Godbole, who explains family cookbooks preserve the stories of loved ones for generations to come.
Culinary Challenges
Creating a family cookbook could be challenging. For example, not every family member may love all the recipes. Still choose ones that many family members enjoy.
Remember that recipes can change over time. Some ingredients used years ago may not be available any longer or may not be healthy, such as recipes that use lard. Make suitable substitutions if needed.
Next, don’t be surprised if there are disagreements about the ingredients or cooking instructions.
“People also remember things differently,” says Godbole, noting family members may argue “about whether a dish uses a particular kind of mushroom or a particular spice.”
Don’t worry if your family cookbook has a little drama.
“Without it, a family cookbook becomes the equivalent of serving a dish without salt,” says Godbole, noting food and recipes can be intensely personal.
Don’t Procrastinate
Making a family cookbook can be a lot of work but it’s worth the effort.
“If your family members are still alive, sit down with them and ask them for the recipe and listen to their stories,” says Downing, noting that it’s a cherished memory-making opportunity.
Melanie Potock, a pediatric speech language pathologist and feeding specialist, wrote a family cookbook,“Adventures in Veggieland.”
She says holidays are a great time to work on recipe collections. Ask each family to provide a copy of a favorite recipe for all the families in attendance.
“Let the kids decorate binders to hold the recipes and assemble each binder together at the table,” she says.“Each year, the family cookbook grows.”
Potock suggests the children add their own recipes for a kids’ section of the binders.“Take a photo of the child holding the dish to include with the printed instructions on how to make it,” she says,“It’s fun to see how much they’ve grown each year and it fosters a child’s love for cooking.”
Don’t want to craft your own books or binders? You can create recipe books digitally and have them printed for family members, as well.
Go, go gadget
By Sharon Naylor
Professional chefs swear by their favorite kitchen gadgets. During the busy holiday months, when you find yourself hosting dinners, baking for holiday parties and going out of your comfort zone with more challenging recipes, comfort and ease make all the difference. These standout kitchen gadgets and small appliances will save you time and money, allow your kids to get involved in food prep and bring a little fun into the mix.
Microplane Zester
Celebrity chef Ina Garten has raved about this tool for years. You can grate citrus zest, spices, hard cheeses, coconut, ginger or chocolate right onto a dish for an extra zing or onto a serving platter for presentation. The handheld tool is easy to grip and hit the perfect angle. And it can be easily cleaned and dried. As an added perk, zesting citrus releases a wonderful aroma into the air.
Spiralizer
Few kitchen gadgets cut grocery costs and labor time and allow you to enjoy healthy twists on your favorite meals. A spiralizer is an inexpensive tool that peels vegetables in a spiral to create faux noodles. Rochelle Bilow writes in Bon Appetit magazine online that most spiralizers function like a giant pencil sharpener: A firm veggie is held in place over a grinder with a clamp, and you simply use a hand crank to turn it.
You not only can save money by not buying precut vegetables but also can quickly run veggies through and free yourself up for other tasks. Chef Amanda Cohen explains that this tool “made some boring jobs a lot easier.” This holiday season, save the heavy carbs
The best kitchen tools and appliances for the holiday season
for dessert and throw some zucchini, beets, heirloom carrots or squash into the spiralizer. It’s a simple task your little ones might even enjoy.
Mandoline
A good-quality mandoline makes quick work of many kitchen prep tasks that are normally performed with a chef’s knife, like slicing potatoes and french fries. A mandoline is a flat surface with a stationary blade on the end. When running an item across the surface, it produces even slices, a feat that is usually a challenge for less experienced chefs.
The biggest caution with this tool: It is extremely sharp. In a Chicago Tribune article, writer James P. DeWan breaks down the three common mandoline blades. The main blade runs across the flat plate, and the thickness of the cut is determined by the distance between the blade and flat plate. A corrugated blade is used for waffle fries. And a stick blade can either be attached or moved into place for cutting sticks or juliennes.
This tool is most certainly for use by the careful adult cook only. It’ll get the job done quickly and create a pretty dish.
Immersion Blender
Ever try to pour a steaming-hot soup into a blender, only to send the top flying and the contents all over your kitchen? And the alternative of pouring batches of soup into the blender bit by bit to avoid the splatter is meticulous and time-consuming. You need an immersion blender, a hand-held blender that can puree soup, make homemade pesto, pulse a Bolognese sauce, whip up cream for dessert and more.
This powerful tool is lightweight, easy to
clean, compact and oftentimes two or three times faster than most hand blenders. Bon Appetit magazine online tested multiple brands. It recommends the Cuisinart Smart Stick 2-Speed Hand Blender for $60 if you’re “blending on a budget,” the All Clad Immersion Blender for $100 as a workhorse and the Electrolux Masterpiece Collection Immersion Blender for $230 as the top choice.
Air Fryer
There are plenty of air fryers out there that can give you crispy-enough results, but the very best air fryers churn out golden brown french fries, crispy-skinned chicken wings, tender fillets of salmon, and even whole roast chickens at the touch of a button.
Don’t let the term air fryer confuse you: These gadgets are pretty much just small convection ovens that use fans to circulate hot air around your food in order to cook it evenly and efficiently. They can take many forms; the robot-esque basket-style models probably come to mind, but there are versatile countertop convection ovens that add bake, broil, toast, and slow-cook options to the air fryer functionality. Some even dehydrate and steam too.
Nifty kitchen tools and appliances can bring creativity into the mix and improve your cooking experience.
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