Happy holidays, everybody.
The big, jolly guy is due to leave some goodies in homes tonight, but what to do with those gift cards given by thoughtful loved ones and friends?
Here are a few suggestions on how to spend that money, along with some tips for tasty treats from your pals in the OnMilwaukee.com editorial office.
Bananagrams -- The holidays are a great time for the extended family to get together under one roof, but let's face it, after the proverbial, "How's work?" small talk, we don't always have things to talk about. Games are great to fill this void and I may be a little behind on this one, but I have just discovered the word-nerd joy that is Bananagrams. The game is beautiful in its simplicity: the object is to create as many words as you can from you collection of letter tiles a la Scrabble, except there is no board. Each player makes his or her own mini board of sorts. In the end, the player who uses all of his or her letters up wins. It's fun, fast-paced and perfect for passing the time with groups of people. -- Julie Lawrence
Bruschetta at Horny Hideaway -- The thing about bruschetta is that it usually doesn't have to be very good. It often comes as a first course and is gobbled up by hungry patrons before you know if it's decent or not. The offering at the Hideaway, 2011 S. 1st St., is better than decent. You'll taste goat cheese served on a thin layer of marinara, with the bruschetta brushed with olive oil and a hint of garlic. It's $6.95 for an order, but it's so good that you may think about ordering a second. -- Drew Olson
Lunch at Palermo's Pizzeria and Cafe -- Take a drive along Canal Street to experience the goodness at Palermo's Pizzeria and Cafe, 3301 W. Canal St. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, it's an unique place for lunch and to buy frozen pizzas, sauces, doughs and other Palermo's items. Great sandwiches and specials, too. And why not take a factory tour while you're there, too -- if you've got the time, of course. -- Jeff Sherman
Kids meals at Qdoba -- My family is partial to Qdoba (though, tobe fair, one actually prefers Chipotle) and so we get there a few times a month. Now that there's a kids' menu, it makes ordering for the wee ones even easier. No more ordering a tortilla with rice and cheese or a giant quesadilla they'll never finish. Now we can get a miniquesadilla, two kinds of naked mini burritos or a single taco and add a side of chips, beans or apple sauce (aw, you know it's the applesauce!) and a drink (milk, juice or soda), too. The meals ring up at just under $4 each. Now, if we can just get the Qdoba folks to stop asking if we mean chocolate milk when we ask for "milk" ... --Bobby Tanzilo
Apple Magic Mouse and wireless keyboard -- At first -- like with most Apple products for those switching from Windows -- Apple's wireless Magic Mouse took some adjustment. I'd become accustomed to the more ergonomic models from Logitech. But now that I've gotten comfortable with the sleek and stylish pointing device, I'm once again hooked. The first mouse to utilize multi-touch ability, the buttonless Magic Mouse is a powerful little accessory and a perfect accessory for those using their MacBook as a desktop device. The Bluetooth connection means no more little dongles, cables or receivers and battery life is pretty good, compared to other mice I've used. Add in the new wireless keyboard -- which also follows Apple's trendy design principles -- and free up your workspace. Both come packaged with any new iMac and also retail for $69 apiece at the Apple Store. -- Andrew Wagner
