Tis The Season

I just wanted to share how much I love the holiday season. I don't love the cold weather but I do love the cute sweaters and boots that go along with it. I love winter jackets and fuzzy scarves. Since I live in Souther California I don't really have to deal with all that much "winter" so I can really enjoy it.

What I really love are the tastes of the season. All of my favorite spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger make their appearance at this time of year. Sometimes all together, and that is just bliss for me. Of all the tastes of the season I think my favorite is peppermint. Be it a candy cane, a peppermint mocha, or with chocolate I love-love-love peppermint! Everyone who knows me knows of my obsession with holiday tea. Not all tea, just one in particular, the Candy Cane tea. It is a wonderful blend of peppermint, vanilla, and decaffeinated green tea. Usually they sell it at Walgreen's (of all places) and I usually stock up for the whole year because I love it so much. Well this year they did not have it at Walgreen's and I was so sad until I saw that they were carrying a similar one at Trader Joes! I was a little skeptical at first but wow, I was so impressed I think I might actually like this one a little more than the Celestial Seasonings one! I am going back this week to stock up for the year!

When doing the weekly shopping this past Saturday I really stocked up on a bunch of yummy seasonal delights. I threw everything festive into the cart, cinnamon almonds, Candy Cane Tea, Gingerbread mix, Apple Spice Cake mix, sea salt caramels, spiral baked ham, and my new favorite goodie: Pfeffernusse! They are a German spice cookie. Pfeffernusse translates to "pepper nut" in English and they are AMAZING! They are soft on the inside, sort of like a sugar cookie with cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and all spice to name a few. There are no actual nuts in the cookie, but then the outside is covered in a powdered sugar wonderment. It is a little crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and just a big ol' party in your mouth! I think I am going to bake some from scratch and take them to holiday gatherings they are just so wonderful!

I partook in my first ice skating adventure last night. I don't know if it counts because it was on fake ice and I don't just mean the man made ice, I mean this rink was made out of recycled water bottles. I know here in LA we do things a little different but this was very different. It was sort of like skating on a giant cutting board. I know how knives feel. It was great for someone like me who is a first timer because it is not nearly as slippery as real ice. Once you got the hang of it it was actually quite fun. I ended up having a great time on my fake ice with real friends! I accompanied my skating with some hot chocolate and a chilly night and it really made me feel festive.

There are still so many things to do, but it is all worth the hustle bustle!

Cheers to a wonderful holiday!