The bear has to shovel food into her mouth for some time before she goes into hibernation. Packing on pounds during the winter is one of the ways she protects herself from the terrible cold. Human beings have to make do with holiday meals, bone-warming spirits and pounds of sugar to keep our fragile forms from potentially freezing solid and shattering into a billion jagged shards. It’s a real possibility. Evolutionary biology tells us that eating rich, shame-riddled treats during the holidays is absolutely necessary for our survival. That’s an actual fact that can found somewhere, but the search would most likely burn some of those precious winter calories that could be better spent perusing the masterpieces created at Bittersweets Bakery. The artisans of this modest temple to the confectionery make a multitude of goodies from scratch every day, and the broad menu (which features vegan and gluten-free options) guarantees you can find something for anyone on your shopping list—brownies and cake pops for the decadent sensualist, homemade pies and cakes for the traditionalist. But what Bittersweets is best known for is their cupcakes. With a different daily menu sporting a dozen of the most exotic flavors this side of the Rio Grande, finding the perfect edible is delightfully painless.
In these days of high-speed solid-state quantum-computed whatsits and thingamabobs, sometimes a gift made out of love with your own two hands can be especially meaningful. Unfortunately, most of us weren’t born with a paintbrush in our hands, and the only thing we can draw is criticism. As luck would have it, someone was way ahead of us on this one, and the beautiful people at Kiln It have set up a space where we can release our inner da Vinci under the tutelage of professionals. Decorate a piece of pre-made pottery or sculpt and fire your own piece. Slap a mosaic together or go the traditional route with canvas and paintbrush. Kiln It also offers “bottle slumping,” a unique service where guests can bring a glass bottle from home to have it flattened into a usable conversation piece for the home. If you have some time, you can set up an appointment to create a lifelike replica of a loved one’s face or hands in a process called “lifecasting.” For the rest of us, walk-ins are encouraged—good news if you’re pressed for time, but still want to appear thoughtful and deep.
