Always seeking inspiration from my travels, I journeyed to Spain and rented a beautiful villa on the Costa Blanca in Altea to write Finding Christmas. There the homeowner Josette Dotez, her amazing friends, and the town of Altea welcomed me with open arms and made my stay truly magical.
For everyone who has been on this journey with me—my family, David, Margaret, John, Debbie, Wynn, Nathan, Maddy, Marcus, Sandra, and Jon, and my #TeamChristmasKaren friends, Brenda, Jeryl, Lee, Lamar, Greta, Samuel, Denise, Lorianne, Delia, Tom, Clint, Amy, and Tim—I couldn’t imagine doing what I do without your continued love and support.
To my snowman family—my stepdad, John Bezold; my grandparents, Harry and Irene Schaler and Walter and Patricia Crane—you are always with me in my heart.
And to you, my dear reader, thank you, sincerely, for letting me share Finding Christmas with you. I wish you all the magic of the season and that you find and embrace what truly matters most.
P.S. Insights, Interviews & More . . .*
About the Author
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Meet Karen Schaler
About the Book
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Finding Christmas Recipe
Finding Christmas Christmas Tree Tips
Finding Christmas Know Your Trees
Christmas Tree Recycling Tips
Finding Christmas Scavenger Hunt Ideas
About the Author
Meet Karen Schaler
KAREN SCHALER is a three-time Emmy Award–winning storyteller, author, screenwriter, journalist, and national TV host. She has written original screenplays for Netflix, Hallmark, and Lifetime Christmas movies, including the Netflix sensation A Christmas Prince. Karen wrote the Hallmark movie and novel Christmas Camp, and the sequel novella, Christmas Camp Wedding. Traveling to more than sixty-five countries as the creator and host of Travel Therapy TV, Karen is constantly inspired by the diverse people, places, and cultures she encounters. All of Karen’s stories are uplifting, filled with heart and hope.
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About the Book
Finding Christmas Recipe
For Finding Christmas and embracing your own Christmas spirit, I’m sharing the recipe I created for the Finding Christmas Gingerbread Snowballs! Like in the story, these were inspired by a time when I was young and tried to make gingerbread men, and the cookies kept breaking! Very upsetting. So I wanted to create something gingerbready that was delicious but still easy to make. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Merry Christmas!
Finding Christmas Gingerbread Snowballs Cookie Recipe
COOKIE COUNT: 36
Ingredients
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice (the secret ingredient)
¼ cup molasses
1 tablespoon finely cut candied ginger (optional if you like spicy)
Finding Christmas Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
YIELD: APPROX. 2½ CUPS
Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 package (8 oz.) regular (not low fat) cream cheese at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt (about ⅛ teaspoon)
3 cups powdered sugar
Cookie directions
Note: Mix all ingredients by hand.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, salt, and baking soda.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown and white sugar until fluffy.
Beat in egg, and then stir in fresh orange juice and molasses. If using candied ginger, add in here.
Gradually stir in the flour and spices mixture to the butter and sugar mixture.
Mold dough into golf-ball-sized portions.
Place 2½ inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Gently flatten with hand halfway down, until dough is about 1 inch thick.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes.
Transfer to wire rack or parchment paper.
Let cookies sit for at least 15 minutes before frosting.
Make sure frosting is at room temperature.
Decorate frosting with silver or gold edible stars, or red or green sugar sprinkles.
Store cookies in the refrigerator in an airtight container, to preserve frosting.
After refrigerating, bring to room temperature (approximately 15 minutes) before serving.
Frosting directions
Cream together the softened butter and cream cheese by hand or using a hand mixer at medium speed. Mix until smooth.
If using a mixer, put on low speed, then add in vanilla, lemon juice, and sea salt.
Next slowly add powdered sugar a little at a time. Adjust for desired sweetness and thickness.
If not using right away, store in refrigerator. Bring frosting to room temperature before decorating cookies.
Always store frosting and cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!
Finding Christmas Christmas Tree Tips
Whether you’re cutting down your own Christmas tree, like Emmie and Sam, or buying a tree from a lot, here are some Finding Christmas tips for selecting and caring for your special tree.
Dress for Success: Dress in casual, cozy clothes and leave the designer shoes at home. If it’s chilly where you are, be sure to bundle up and be ready to get down on the ground if you’re cutting your own tree. Bring sturdy gloves and your camera for great pictures!
Size Matters: Know what size you want and what will fit your space before going to get your tree. Trees look a lot smaller when they’re in the forest or on a lot, so be sure to know your limit to avoid having to chop the top off your tree to make it fit in your house.
Pick Me: For the freshest trees on the lot, gently wrap your hand around a branch and pull it toward you. If a lot of needles come off, it’s too dry and won’t last. Also, bend the branch a little. It should be pliable and not break. Crush a few needles between your fingers and smell. If it doesn’t smell like Christmas, it’s not fresh enough. Final test: Bounce the tree up and down a few times. If you see a bunch of needles fall off from the outside tree branches, that’s not good, but needles falling off from the interior of the tree is normal.
Get This Straight: Some trees can have very crooked trunks. Pick one that’s as straight as possible. It will save you a lot of hassle at home when you’re trying to get it to stand up straight.
Chop, Chop, Chop: If you’re cutting down your own tree, it’s best to have two people. One will lie on the ground and do the cutting with a saw, while the other holds up the bottom limbs so the cutter can see what they’re doing. TIP: The helper can also move the tree around a little while it’s being cut down to help prevent the saw from sticking or getting stuck.
Shake, Shake, Shake: Before putting your tree in or on top of the car, give it a good shake to get rid of any loose needles or critters you don’t want to bring home.
Protection Please: If you’re tying your tree on top of your car, be sure to put something down first to prevent any scratches. An old blanket, a tarp, even cardboard will do the trick and protect your vehicle.
Cut, Cut, Cut: Don’t miss this step! Once you get home, you still need to cut an inch off the bottom of the tree, opening up the veins to deliver water to the branches. If you don’t, the pitch from the tree will cover the bottom, and it won’t be able to drink wa
ter.
Up, Up, Up: Putting up your tree is easy if you have the right-sized stand, making sure it’s big enough to support the tree. First put down some newspaper or a plastic tree bag—it will come in handy when you take down the tree—on the floor where the tree stand will go. This will protect against any spilled water. Put the stand on the base of the trunk while the tree is on its side, tightening the stand’s prongs about three-quarters of the way. Then carefully put the tree upright and make your final adjustments.
Drink, Drink, Drink: Your tree is thirsty. It can drink gallons of water, so fill your stand with clean water and check it several times a day in the first few days. Never let the water go below the cut trunk. If it does, pitch will form and the tree won’t be able to drink. If this happens, you will have to start all over again, taking the tree out of the stand and cutting an inch off the bottom and putting it back up. It’s much easier to check the tree every morning and night, and once during the day. No additives are needed. The main trick is providing it with enough water 24/7.
Final Countdown: Once your tree is in the stand, it will take a few hours to settle. The branches will open up, so you need to wait at least three hours before you decorate.
Finding Christmas Know Your Trees
While the Douglas fir is one of the most popular Christmas trees, there are several other great options you can choose from, depending on your style, climate, and budget. Here’s a quick look.
Douglas Fir: This sweet-smelling star of Christmas trees is a universal favorite. If you live in the Northwest, these are budget friendly, but in the Northeast, they can get pricey. Parents think of this tree as child friendly due to its soft needles, but its branches aren’t as strong as some other trees and may get weighed down if you have heavy ornaments.
Blue Spruce: Out west and in the Rocky Mountains, the blue spruce is often a local favorite for its beautiful blueish silver branches, which are hardy enough for any ornament. They’re also typically narrower, so they’re a great choice for tight spaces.
Balsam Fir: One of the most affordable trees in the Northeast, the balsam fir is also one of the most fragrant Christmas trees. It also has great needle retention, making this a very popular pick.
Fraser Fir: Gaining popularity out east, the Fraser fir is coveted for its beautiful two-tone emerald green and silver needles, which have a great track record for staying put.
Virginia Pine: Down south, this budget beauty is a top pick for its fresh pine scent, but one drawback to be aware of is that the Virginia pine has a lot of pitch, which can make the branches and needles sticky.
Scotch Pine: This hardy Christmas tree thrives in cold climates and is a favorite for its soft, pretty needles, which can handle lots of decorations.
White Pine: Another top pick you can find a lot in the mid-Atlantic states is the white pine, with its family friendly softer needles and affordable price tag.
Christmas Tree Recycling Tips
Real Christmas trees are biodegradable and can easily be recycled. Here are some top tips when you are ready to say goodbye to your tree.
Bye, Bye: If you put down a tree removal bag when you set up the tree, hiding it under the tree skirt, you can now just bring the bag up and cover the tree before removing it. Just don’t forget to remove the tree stand.
Community Pickup: Many local communities provide free Christmas tree curbside pickups, so check the schedule and the rules, and you’re all set.
Stop and Drop: Check your local recycling center, as many will take your tree for free.
Magnificent Mulching: This is win-win. Check with your local department of public works to see if they’re participating in a mulching program. This is where they shred the trees and make the mulch available to you for gardens and landscape.
Bird Feeders: Before recycling the trees, some folks enjoy using their Christmas trees for up to a year as natural bird feeders in their yards, decorating the branches with things like popcorn and orange slices. Birds can use the trees for shelter, and it’s a wonderful way to keep the Christmas spirit alive throughout the year.
Finding Christmas Scavenger Hunt Ideas
In case you’re inspired to try your own Christmas scavenger hunt, here are some quick and easy ideas to help with your festive fun!
If you don’t have the time or resources to hide clues all over town as Emmie did, you can still have a wonderful Christmas scavenger hunt in your own home. This can be for one person or for a group of people.
First, decide what the final prize will be. A Christmas present? A holiday treat? An ornament? Remember it can be something small. It’s the thought that counts. Then decide where you’re going to hide it.
When you’re creating your clues, make them as simple or as creative as you like. You can do Christmas riddles—like Emmie did, for example—or you can do cute, easy clues such as Look inside my tummy for something yummy, putting the next clue inside a Santa cookie jar. You get the idea.
Decide if you want to create a scroll for each clue, as Emmie did, or even easier, use a little piece of paper and hide clues under things, like Roses are red, violets are blue, look under me for the next thing to do, with the next clue under some flowers or a plant.
Another fun option for a group of people who are all racing to find the next clue is to have a little present, like a candy cane or a Christmas cookie, with each clue that’s found.
The only rule is that there are no rules. That’s the best part. You can design a Christmas scavenger hunt that fits what you want to do. Just be sure to invite me over. I’ve gotten pretty good at them over the years. I’ll be happy to help, especially if cookies are involved!
Merry Christmas!
Also by Karen Schaler
FICTION
Christmas Camp
Christmas Camp Wedding (novella)
NONFICTION
Travel Therapy: Where Do You Need to Go?
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
P.S.™ is a trademark of HarperCollins Publishers.
FINDING CHRISTMAS. Copyright © 2019 by Karen Schaler. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Cover design by Danielle Christopher
Illustration details © Getty Images; © Alamy Stock Photo; © Shutterstock
FIRST EDITION
Digital Edition OCTOBER 2019 ISBN: 978-0-06-288370-4
Version 08312019
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-288371-1
ISBN: 978-0-06-296437-3 (hardcover library edition)
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