Happy Sunday, campers! We are less than two weeks before Christmas, meaning many of us are in the throes of wrapping gifts, attending parties, and cramming as many holiday activities into our calendars as we can. And as lovely and wonderful as that all is, it is also exhausting.
I hope you are finding time to recharge, and if you need, please take this as permission to say no to something. Cross a to-do off your list, RSVP not attending, whatever you need right now to find some calm in the chaos. Many of us get so focused on making magic for others this time of year that we forget this season is for us, too. (f)unfussy will be taking a break for the next two weeks to rest and focus on family; take care and enjoy the holiday season, and we will see you again in 2025!
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Here are a few things I am fussing over this week:
Christmas Markets
This weekend has been full of holiday happenings; and I am happy to report we finally made it to the Grand Rapids Christkindlmarkt. While I dream of one day touring European Christmas markets, this is a pretty magical experience in its own right. Vendors in adorable huts, glühwein, and lights galore create an ambiance that is reminiscent of that childhood glow of Christmas magic.
Jólabókaflód
How can something that translates to ‘Christmas book flood’ be anything less than wonderful? The Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflód (pronounced yo-la-boke-uh-flowed) is rooted in World War II, and today see’s Icelanders gifting each other books on December 24. They then spend the day reading their new books with a mug of hot chocolate. Books and chocolate, does it get any better? We are going to try some version in our house this year; if you are interested in trying as well, this article has some great ideas on where to start!
Christmas Cookies
Many of us will be doing some holiday baking in the weeks to come, myself included. I adore cooking, but baking is a completely different experience. I am not a precise cook, often making modifications and adjusting as I go based on smell, taste, and what is in my cupboard. However, that lack of scientific method does not apply to baking.
The rest of the year, any baking I do is limited to one of my tried and trusted cookie recipes (this one is my absolute favorite, using chocolate chips in place of raisins), or perhaps a pre-made mix of some kind. But every December, I join my friend Melanie in her kitchen and am reminded (by observing, not by Melanie!) that I cream butter and sugar wrong, need to weigh my baking ingredients, and should probably invest in an egg separator. Melanie is so sweet and patient with me; I appreciate her lessons almost as much as I appreciate the tin of cookies she sends me home with!
The tradition of Christmas baking can become a fixture in your home, and Jenny Rosenstrach has the most beautiful article on how baking together is doorway to Christmas. I resonate deeply with Jenny and her perspective on memory-making and the value of rituals, and have used her book, How to Celebrate Everything, as a springboard for many of our family traditions. Her recipe for Hubba’s Christmas Cookies are our staple sugar cookie (see the doorway to Christmas link for recipe, or better yet, buy her book!).
Joanna Goaddard, of Cup of Jo fame, does a Holiday Cookie Swap every year with her friends and family, and I am thinking she is on to something. What a great way to get to enjoy all sorts of cookies without having to bake each one yourself? So save that article for next year’s holiday planning, and maybe try making some room for her Passion Fruit Thumbprint Cookies in your cookie rotation?
If you are looking for more cookie inspiration, here are a few of my favorite holiday baking cookbooks:
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Christmas Baking: Festive Cookies, Candies, Cakes, Breads, and Snacks to Bring Comfort and Joy to Your Holiday by Joyce Klynstra and Laura Klynstra
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A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook: Cookies, Candies, Cakes & More: Vintage Baking to Celebrate the Festive Season by Karlynn Johnston
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Holiday Cookies: Showstopping Recipes to Sweeten the Season by Elisabet der Nederlanden
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The (f)unfussy (cook)book club will resume in 2025!
