From peppermint bark to ready-to-heat stuffed turkey breasts, you can load up for holiday parties big and small.
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Here’s the best thing about Costco at holiday time: It has everything. You can stock up for a cookie exchange, buy groceries for a formal Christmas dinner, or scoop up creative and fun best friend gifts for your loved ones. But here’s the worst thing about Costco at holiday time: Parking can be as tough as nabbing a Cabbage Patch Kid in 1983.
There was not one single spot at my Seattle Costco recently, so I parked at a nearby sporting goods store and prayed I wouldn’t be towed. (Which I don’t recommend; I was nervous for my entire shopping session.) But when you do find a parking spot, you’ll find that Costco is chock full of holiday offerings, just like it was in October when I scoured the shelves for autumn buys. Note that the prices reflect what I paid in Costco’s hometown of Seattle; prices at your local store may differ.
My daughter is 18 now, but she and her friends still love to get together to build and decorate gingerbread houses. This Create-A-Treat brand Pre-Built Gingerbread Manor Cookie Kit ($13.89) scores points because the main gingerbread McMansion is already assembled, so you don’t have glue the walls together yourself with icing and moan when they come crashing down. Extra points for the two large trees made appropriately with green cookie dough.
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Lindt Teddy Advent Calendar
Advent calendars have always been a part of my holiday season, counting down with a little treat (or simply an opened door) from Dec. 1 to Dec. 24. The Lindt Teddy Advent Calendar ($19.99) actually boasts 27 Lindt chocolates because some days have more than one chocolate. The candies include reindeer and teddy bear shapes as well as wrapped truffles, but dark chocolate lovers should look elsewhere. These treats are almost all made from milk chocolate, with the exception of one snickerdoodle white chocolate truffle variety.
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Bartons Holiday Mingle Mix
I’m not sure I knew there were so many varieties of holiday candy until I bought this 24-ounce bag of Bartons Holiday Mingle Mix ($9.59). It includes dark chocolate pretzels with white drizzle, milk and dark chocolate caramel corn, milk and dark chocolate peanut butter cups, milk chocolate pretzel balls, milk chocolate nonpareils, white coated cookies with sprinkles, and something called “red gems” which tasted like off-brand M&Ms. Everyone’s sure to have a favorite, but save the chocolate-drizzled candy corn for me.
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Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark
As I was pondering the large container of Kirkland Signature peppermint bark ($16.99), another shopper plopped two in her cart and conspiratorially said to me, “Everybody likes chocolate and mint, right?” Maybe not everybody, but if those two tastes happen to be a holiday favorite for you, you’ll want to buy this. It’s giant slabs of dark chocolate coated in white chocolate and sprinkled with peppermint candy pieces. Buddy the Elf probably eats this for breakfast.
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Kirkland Signature Mini Cran Orange Bisconie
Never heard of bisconie? Me neither, till now. Think of a biscotti without that teeth-shattering crunch, mixed with a scone. Kirkland Signature Mini Cran Orange Bisconie ($7.99) come in a pack of 12 and look kind of like sliced-off muffin tops. They make for a great morning treat to dip in tea or coffee, or to just devour plain. Be warned: They’re very citrusy.
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Stonemill Kitchens Organic Cranberry Sauce
There will always be canned cranberry sauce (“canberry”) on my table, the old-fashioned variety that shows off the ridges of the can it came in. But I pair it with a fancier cranberry sauce. It’s easy to make your own, but you can also scoop up a 36-ounce tub of Stonemill Kitchens Organic Cranberry Sauce ($8.99). It’s tart and tasty!
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Kevin’s Natural Foods Turkey Gravy
I think I buy more gravy than any other item when shopping for a holiday meal. You can drizzle it on turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, and you’ll want leftovers for a true Ross Geller Moist Maker sandwich (with a center slice of gravy-soaked bread). You can’t go wrong with Kevin’s Natural Foods Turkey Gravy ($9.99), which comes in a box of two 24-ounce pouches.
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Vicky’s Kitchen Cornbread Cranberry Stuffing with Turkey Italian Sausage
Gravy is great, but stuffing is my favorite part of the holiday meal, so I always make sure I have enough. If you want to switch it up and skip the Stove Top, try Vicky’s Kitchen Cornbread Cranberry Stuffing with Turkey Italian Sausage ($15.49), which comes in a 40-ounce package. It’s slightly different from the stuffing that comes with the Vicky’s Kitchen turkey breast, featuring turkey Italian sausage rather than turkey maple sausage.
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