Don’t fret if your behind on opening the advent calendar doors

Before the turkey dinner was served, many people purchased a food advent calendar. The idea of having a bottle of wine, liquor, cheese, cocktail or chocolate or more sounded thrilling when December 1 hit. Now that the month is over half over, many people might have skipped a day, two or more. Since holiday stress should never be on the table, here are a few ideas to put those missed days to good use.

Create a board

Since the board trend is never going to fade, turning that cheese calendar into a delicious holiday board is a simple idea that will make anyone cheer. While it might be nice to add some cured meat, nuts or other items to the mix, it is the simple way to ensure that the cheese gets cut. Even if all the cheeses do not necessarily go together, it can be a fun way to explore which styles have a great appeal.

Wine calendars into wine tastings

All those little bottles of wine seemed like a great idea on December 1, but sometimes that glass needed to stay empty one night. With a few bottles left over, why not set up a little wine tasting for friends. It can be fun to see how friends explain the flavor profiles of new wines.

And, if a wine tasting isn’t making you thirsty, consider making a wine pairing menu. That special multi-course dinner could get a boost from those little bottles. Plus, you don’t have to worry about extra wine left over at the end of the night.

Keep a well-stocked bar

While all those little bottles of liquor offered numerous possibilities to start the month, some nights didn’t warrant a cocktail. But, it can be a help for that home bar.

Keeping a few bottles on hand for when friends come over can be quite helpful. While some people might always have a bourbon on hand, others might not have a flavored vodka or a gin. Being a well-prepared host can be the best gift.

Get baking

From that daily piece of chocolate to the little jar of jam, all those sweet treats can be the inspiration to get baking. Why not transform them into a bigger dessert. Whether used to decorate a cake or transformed into an ingredient for a cookie, there are plenty of ways to re-purpose all those ingredients.

Even if day 10 is opened on day 20, the surprise waiting in that advent calendar is still going to bring smiles. Like many gifts, it is about how the idea is presented that makes it special.