Happy Holidays from Our Wonderful World Media!
Our Wonderful World Media wishes you and your family the very happiest and most peaceful of holidays. This year has brought unexpected challenges for all of us, but we look forward to a New Year full of health, happiness and prosperity. During this pandemic we are sharing alternative ways to connect during the holidays. Enjoy!
Sharing Alternative Ways to Connect During the Holidays
One of my favorite parts about the holiday season is connecting with my loved ones. Sharing this joyous time with family and friends always helps to warm our hearts during the cold fall and winter months. There are plenty of fun, inventive ways for us to be together, even if we are cooped up inside this year.
Fun family games for Zoom/virtual meetings
With more people working from home, our use of technology is on the rise. But it’s not just for work these days. We are also using it to reign in the distance between ourselves and the people we cherish. A number of families will be hosting virtual meetings (using programs like Skype, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Jitsi, and Whereby)
Secret Santa present swaps
Organizing a secret Santa with friends is a great way to add a little bit of excitement to your holiday season while also saving a little money (since you only have to purchase a gift for one person, in addition to the dollar cap in the gift exchange). An online tool can help you pair up without ruining the surprise and allowing everyone to join in.
Some great tools for this are Elfster (https://www.elfster.com/secret-santa-rules/), DrawNames (https://www.drawnames.com/secret-santa-generator), or Giftster (https://www.giftster.com/secret-santa-generator/).
It is more fun if you are able to have the participants send out presents via the mail (or drop off presents on doorsteps) and meet online to open gifts.
Online games you can play with your family (maybe a virtual scavenger hunt)
If you are feeling extra creative, try creating a holiday themed virtual scavenger hunt for your family to enjoy. Just come up with clues that link to one another, which can end on an informational page about the holidays or in a pre-planned present or email.
Streaming holiday movies together
Most virtual meeting/video services allow you to share your screen. If you do not have an account which allows you to do that, you can use a service like Teleparty to stream your favorite holiday movies with a group of loved ones. This allows you to watch the movies while also giving you the option of chatting in a sidebar.
Ways to show gratitude for people who are out working during the next wave of lockdowns
I love being able to express my gratitude for people who are working during the holiday season. I often write out thank you notes and give out gift cards. This year is no exception. With grocers, food service workers, and delivery drivers working hard while we are cooped up inside, what better way to show our gratitude than with a thoughtful thank you, a larger holiday tip, or with a special gift card just for them.
Recipe
I have a special recipe and it is one of my favorites for the holidays.
Ambrosia Trifle
I love trifles and love to make them. If you do want to impress everyone at the Zoom meeting or if you want a lighter dessert after a heavy holiday meal, I suggest a holiday trifle! This one is my favorite as it brings together fresh citrus flavors while also giving you a healthy dose of vitamin C!
What you are going to need:
- A cup of unsweetened canned coconut cream
- A cup of heavy cream
- A fourth of a cup of coconut sugar
- Three large red grapefruits (cleaned, peeled, and separated)
- Four large pink grapefruit (cleaned, peeled, and separated)
- Four large navel oranges (cleaned, peeled, and separated)
- A couple cups of sliced fresh strawberries
- A couple cups of chopped fresh pineapple
- A fourteen-ounce angel food cake cut into one-inch cubes
- A cup of unsweetened toasted coconut flakes
What you are going to do with those things:
- Beat the coconut cream in a bowl until it’s thick and forms soft peaks. This should take a couple minutes.
- In a separate bowl beat the heavy cream in the same way.
- Fold the coconut cream into the heavy cream
- Mix all the fruit in a separate bowl
- Place two cups of the angel food cake at the bottle of a trifle bowl or any big clear glass bowl.
- If you want, you can even layer these in small clear serving bowls, so you don’t have to scoop out the dessert while trying to preserve the layers, just adjust the proportions accordingly.
- Top with a couple cups of the fruit mixture, three tablespoons of the coconut flakes, and about two thirds of a cup of the cream mixture.
- Repeat these layers until you have filled the bowl or serving dishes. Consider topping the whole dessert with a spiral of strawberry slices for a little flair.