I hope that all of you had a peaceful and happy Christmas! “The weary world rejoices” takes on new meaning this year, doesn’t it? Despite the fact that ALL of the packages I mailed back to the States have yet to arrive (three weeks and counting…), and all of our retail stores are shut down (in a pinch, chewing gum is an excellent gift idea!), we still had a wonderful time together as a family.
Grocery stores and bakeries are open, so I did manage to find this beautiful Bûche de Noël for us to enjoy with our neighbors for Christmas Day dessert. We voted as a family and went with the “vanilla with exotic fruits” flavor instead of the traditional chocolate orange. I served it with a bottle of sekt (Germany’s version of sparkling wine) and it was yummy.
We also enjoyed our traditional fondue dinner on Christmas Eve, which I always like to mention because it’s also a great idea for New Year’s Eve. I know Amy mentioned it in her Sunday newsletter yesterday, but you can read all about the recipes I use in this post.
It’s easy to find fondue pots for dirt cheap on Marketplace or in thrift shops; we have two just to make things a bit easier when I’m serving three courses but I can also see how it would also be helpful to have several if you’re hosting a large number of people.
I always love getting a new cookbook or two for Christmas; if you’re looking for a good one I recommend the new Barefoot Contessa or Joanna Gaines cookbooks. Now you know what I’ll be cooking in January!
Last but not least, if you have a gift card burning a hole in your pocket, here are the best sales right now:
Tory Burch — extra 25% off sale with code EXTRA
J Crew Factory — up to 50% off new arrivals and 75% off clearance (use NEW4YOU)
LOFT — 50-70% off sale styles (use WOW)
Nordstrom — half yearly sale through January 3rd
Williams-Sonoma — up to 75% off sale
Amy will be back on Wednesday with another post and then we’ll take a few days off for New Year’s. I usually take my decorations down around New Year’s, although I know many of you wait for Epiphany. Amy is much more organized with her decorations than I am, so be sure to take a look at this post if you want some great ideas!
Happy New Year, and thanks for stopping by!