During the twelve days until Christmas break, the King Street Chronicle will present staff favorites from the holiday season. This tenth edition will not include ten lords-a-leaping, but beloved Christmas songs, movies, recipes, quotes, and festivities.
Song of the day: “Baby It’s Cold Outside” performed by Idina Menzel and Michael Bublé
Movie of the day: Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer
“Sam the snowman tells us the story of a young red-nosed reindeer who, after being ousted from the reindeer games because of his beaming honker, teams up with Hermey, an elf who wants to be a dentist, and Yukon Cornelius, the prospector. They run into the Abominable Snowman and find a whole island of misfit toys. Rudolph vows to see if he can get Santa to help the toys, and he goes back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. But Santa’s sleigh is fogged in. But when Santa looks over Rudolph, he gets a very bright idea,” according to imbd.com.
Recipe of the day: Pita and Guacamole Christmas Trees
Ingredients:
Four pita folds
16 thin pretzel sticks, halved
One-half cup of sour cream
One-half cup of guacamole
Two tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
One-quarter teaspoon of garlic-pepper seasoning blend
One-quarter cup of finely chopped red bell pepper
Steps:
- Cut each pita fold into eight wedges. Insert pretzel sticks half into center of the bottom of each wedge to form the tree trunk.
- In a small bowl, mix sour cream, guacamole, parsley, and the garlic-pepper blend. Spread about a teaspoon of the sour cream mixture onto each pita wedge.
- Blot the bell peppers with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Sprinkle about a quarter teaspoon of the diced bell peppers on each pita wedge.
- If desired, cover and refrigerate up to eight hours before serving.
DIY of the day: Christmas Shadow Box
Supplies:
Shallow wooden box or a shadow box picture frame
Copper fairy lights
Fake Christmas trees
Cotton balls
Hot glue gun
Steps:
- Pull apart cotton balls into strips to resemble snow.
- Glue the fairy lights to the inside bottom of the box, ensuring the battery case is outside the box and not visible.
- Stand the box vertically and glue the fake trees to that side of the box
- Glue the pulled apart cotton to the floor of the box, making sure to cover the stands of the trees.
- If using a shadow box picture frame, add a glass cover.
Courtesy of goodreads.com
Quote of the day: “I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone.” – Taylor Caldwell
Festivities around the world: London, England
Every year, the streets of London are elaborately decorated with Christmas lights. These bright displays include giant, illuminated peacock feathers that hover over Bond Street, thousands of strands of snowball decorations that hang over Oxford Street, and more. Residents and visitors to the city enjoy ice skating at Canary Wharf Ice Rink, a colorful, lighted skating rink in central London, and at the rink in front of Henry VII’s historical palace.
Covent Garden is another picturesque location to spend Christmas in London. Their 2016 theme is “Meet Me Under the Mistletoe” and there are 40 hanging mistletoe chandeliers that spread Christmas cheer throughout the venue. Some other London Christmas favorites are the Royal Opera Chorus, the Royal Ballet’s performances of the “The Nutcracker, ” and The Big Top Christmas Bazaar. The Bazaar is located in an indoor marketplace, and features performances from musicians, storytellers, comedic acts, and Christmas shopping. During the Bazaar, the “Some Voices” choir creates a festive atmosphere and sings unique twists on classic Christmas carols.
-Daisy Steinthal, Staff Writer, and Nina Rosenblum, Staff Writer