My all-time favorite Christmas song is The Christmas Song. Seems redundant, but that’s the real name for the song that starts off with “chestnuts roasting on an open fire.” First recorded by Nat “King” Cole way back in 1966; my favorite rendition is by Johnny Mathis. His golden crooning inspired me to sample chestnuts that had actually been roasted on an open fire. They were oddly damp and unpleasantly smoky. Not my favorite. I’ll stick with roasted peanuts, and if you want to throw some of those in a batch of peanut brittle or peanut butter toffee, I’d be happy to partake.
When it comes to favorite Christmas songs and favorite Christmas treats, the answers are easy. But my favorite place in Green County to stock up for the holidays? There’s no way to name just one, so here’s a December roundup which may inspire some ideas for your very own list of favorite people.
● Swiss Colony Outlet, Monroe — grab the ingredients for a themed recipe idea, like fun-shaped pasta and a shiny new kettle to cook it in, with pasta sauce and parmesan cheese.
● Minhas Distillery, Monroe — spirits to inspire holiday spirit. Just put a bow on a bottle of Blarney’s Irish Cream Liqueur.
● Alp and Dell Cheese Store, Monroe — fondue pot + cheese + wine. Eat, drink, and be Swissy!
● Chalet Cheese, Monroe and New Glarus — on the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me — five pounds of Limburger? If your loved one isn’t a fan of stinky cheese, try Pannaro — a gouda-parm blend that will be the first cheese to disappear from your charcuterie board.
● Heartland Graphics — for funroe in Monroe! Gift the gift of community pride with a branded Monroe sweatshirt.
● Bullquarian Brewhouse, Monroe — grab an eco-friendly (refillable) custom branded beer growler.
● Toy Haus, Monroe — endorsed by Santa, who does all of his toy shopping right here.
● Luecke’s Diamond Center, Monroe — diamonds would be a great stocking stuffer, or look for a one-of-a-kind piece in the estate jewelry case.
● JoAnne’s Dress Shop, Monroe — fun socks, fun mittens, fun purses — a fun gift that’s sure to fit.
● St. Vincent de Paul, Monroe — recycled, one of a kind, and plenty of options to deck the halls.
● Cheese Days Store, Monroe — new “Swiss-consin” apparel in unisex and ladies, and “eat, drink, yodel” mugs soon to be on the shelves. This little shop is located in the Historic Green County Courthouse (check the website cheesedays.com for store hours) or shop online anytime.
● Hardware Hank, Monroe — how about a shiny new snowblower?
● Maple Leaf Cheese Store, Juda — Fruity cheddar, what could be better? Four flavors to choose from — Cranberry, Cherry, Blueberry, and Apple with Cinnamon.
● Hawks Mill Winery, Browntown — Cranberry flavored “Holli Berry” is back for the holidays. Wouldn’t this pair nicely with Cranberry Cheddar?
● Gypsy Air Tours, Brodhead — give the gift of a flight with a gift certificate for a ride in a vintage biplane.
● Kelch Aviation Museum, Brodhead — a custom wooden biplane ornament to go with that gift certificate.
● Country Lane Bakery, Brodhead — no need to bake when you can simply show up with an authentic Amish-made pie.
● Decatur Dairy, Brodhead — cheese curds, the perfect stocking stuffer.
● Brenda’s Blumenladen, New Glarus — I’m loving the very festive holly berry plant that somehow (ahem) ended up on my office desk.
● Kinderladen, New Glarus — sticker books for the littles, and free gift wrapping.
● Railroad Street Boutique, New Glarus — so many options, but I’m endorsing the amazingly soft, incredibly cozy pajamas by PJ Salvage.
● Bailey’s Run Vineyard, New Glarus — sparkling wine usually means bubbles, but Bailey’s “Wonderland” wine actually sparkles just like a snow globe. You’re guaranteed to be the hit of the party with this one.
— Noreen Rueckert is director for Green County Tourism and Green County Cheese Days, and helps out with Main Street Monroe’s Concerts on the Square. Her favorite cheese is rumored to be Feta. She has the best office in the county — overlooking Monroe’s Square from the tower of the Historic Green County Courthouse. She dabbles in photography and graphic design, adores cats and iced coffee, and secretly loves the Cheese Days Song.
