The holidays are typically a time for big travel plans, big meals, and big celebrations with family and friends, whether you’re gathering with far-away cousins to open gifts in matching pajamas or caroling door-to-door with neighbors. Just like everything else, though, most holiday traditions are going to look different this year—but it doesn’t mean that the season has to be any less festive or memorable.
“I have a huge Italian family and 19 cousins, so I’m used to being around a big group of people to celebrate the holidays” says Rachel Quenzer, founder and owner of The Everyday Mom Life and Sugar Maple Farmhouse. “Like a lot of people, though, this year we’ll be staying home. And while at first glance, that might seem to be a negative thing, we’re happy we’ll get to focus on our little family and really slow down for this season.”
Follow Rachel’s lead by creating a few new traditions and gift-giving practices this year that can get the whole family involved, while helping loved ones feel connected to those warm-and-fuzzy holiday feelings no matter where they are.
Turn treats into kid-friendly traditions
Kitchens are where plenty of holiday traditions are made, and for Rachel, this always includes making sure her children, ages 5 and 8, are front-and-center.
“I think that it’s really important for kids to feel like they’re valued and have a say in things that are going to create their holiday,” says Rachel. “So the most important way to keep them hands-on is to really let them be hands-on, whether it’s making a special drink or Christmas cookies.”
Her cranberry nut pretzel bark—which includes layers of white chocolate, ROLD GOLD® Recipe No. 5™ Savory Butter Pretzels for extra buttery flavor and added crunch, dried cranberries and pistachios—is a perfect sweet treat to make with little helpers then share with loved ones, whether you’re wrapping it up in a festive box to mail or decorating with a ribbon to leave on a friend’s doorstep.
Outside of her cranberry nut pretzel bark, pretzels play a big role in Rachel’s seasonal kitchen—including being munched on by kids and adults alike as dinner is prepared. “You can put them in a holiday mix, of course, but they also work perfectly for so many of those desserts that are on our table every year, whether in a crust or to give a little bit of salt and a nice crunch to something fluffy like cheesecake.”
Cranberry Nut Pretzel Bark
Ingredients
- 20 oz. white melting chocolate
- 1 ½ cups of ROLD GOLD® Recipe™ No. 5 Savory Butter Artificially Flavored Pretzel Twists
- ½ cup cranberries
- ⅓ cup pistachios, shelled
Directions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt white chocolate in microwave stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Spread onto parchment paper to about ½-inch thickness.
- Gently press pretzels into white chocolate and sprinkle with cranberries and pistachios. Drizzle with remaining white chocolate.
- Let set for 30 minutes before breaking into pieces and serving.
Make (digital) face time feel special
There’s no doubt that technology has allowed us all to feel more connected across distances this year, and it’s no different when it comes to merrymaking.
Rachel’s family has been “video-chatting it up” over the past few months with family, which has allowed her children to engage in a more intimate way with relatives beyond a simple “How are you doing?” phone call.
Keep the spirit of seeing smiling faces going by setting a designated time for family and friends to cheers together on FaceTime or Zoom with a special mocktail, like Rachel’s Spiced Pear Holiday Drink, which features pear nectar, ginger beer, holiday spices, and is garnished with a sprig of rosemary.
“Life is always shifting and moving, and I’ve learned that it’s not always about specifically being in the same room with people, but more about the joy that they’ve given for every past holiday and finding ways to pass that joy on,” she says.
Spiced Holiday Pear Drink
Ingredients
- 4 pears, sliced in half with the seeds removed
- 4 tbsp. honey, divided
- 3 tbsp. maple syrup
- ½ tsp. cinnamon, divided, plus more for garnish
- ⅛ tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tbsp. vanilla
- 3 tbsp. water
- 3 cans ginger beer, chilled
- Springs of rosemary, for garnish
Directions
- Make the pear mixture: Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a small bowl, combine maple syrup, 3 tablespoons of honey, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Dredge the cut pears in the mixture, then place face down in a baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool in pan.
- In a blender, add pears with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and water, and blend until liquid. Chill for at least two hours or up to two days. (This will yield 12 ounces of pear puree.)
- Make the drinks: In a pitcher, combine ¼ cup of the pear mixture and ginger beer. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and extra cinnamon.
Slow down with games and crafts
Staying at home for the holidays might just be the perfect way for everyone in the family to truly appreciate all the little things about the season.
“Find ways to make smaller celebrations special this year by doing activities you might’ve been too busy or rushed to do in the past years. Spend some time making Christmas cookies together, hanging lights, or playing a board game in the evening,” Quenzer advises.
Creating handmade cards is also a way to take the typically hectic pace of the holidays down a few notches while showing off your (or your kids’) creativity. Rachel recommends using either watercolors and stamps to decorate your cards, or creating paper cards with multiple layers to keep them visually interesting. But no matter your handmade card construction process, these works of personalized art will surely have a prize place on the mantels and refrigerators of their recipients.
“I think taking the holidays at a slower pace this year could really be a blessing in disguise for some people,” Quenzer says.
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