A Christmas tradition that I continue from my childhood is to have pickled herring as an available side dish/snack. My grandparents came to the US from the netherlands and brought along all the terrible foods. The only one I really liked was/is pickled herring. It has to be Noon Hour brand in wine sauce. Vita is nasty crap and the one in cream sauce tastes like someone ate the herring, drank some milk, and vomited it into a jar. I realize pickled herring isn't widely palatable, but I enjoy it. Once a year.
I couldn't find it anywhere. I probably drove 100 miles between a dozen grocery stores trying to find it. I found one jar a few weeks ago and ate it. But the extended family Christmas parties are Friday and Saturday and I already told them I would bring some as I have for the last 15 years or so. I'd asked all my coworkers and friends and stuff to keep an eye out. Got a text that a grocery store about 10 miles away had "a ton". Drove out there and yes they did. AND it was buy one get one free!!! I only bought two. I don't need to eat another jar to myself - when I eat too much of it my sweat smells like fish.
I already said today is a good day. I was supposed to work but got the night off, I slept great today, I got the herring and it was BOGO. Then when I got home wife asked if I had any good beer. I said yes there's sours and a few IPAs in the garage fridge she said no. I found one of my wife's Christmas presents (flavored old fashioned syrup) under the couch so I went downstairs to put it in a cabinet to give for her birthday in a month and found a stash of beers I completely forgot about. An entire case of bourbon county from 2019 and 20, 5 bottles of Dark Lord going back to 2015, and another dozen or so bottles of other barrel aged high alcohol stouts from local breweries. I don't think that cabinet's been opened since 2020. So we cracked a bottle and yes, today was a good day.
