The Daily Tannenbaum The stigmata of the single life.*

CoW Advent 12/24/11 – Christmas is finally here!
Item: Marzipan pig (& a very studious Lola)
Source: Adams Fairacre Farms (thanks for the memories!)
Country of Origin: Germany
Yum Factor: n/a, I gave it to my brother-in-law to thank him for being host this Christmas, and for good luck. Marzipan pigs are traditional holiday gifts, and I’m glad I got this little one instead of a realistic evil one: http://jonaslaberg.posterous.com/evil-marzipan-pig-is-evil

CoW Advent 12/23/11 – Christmas Eve Eve
Item: Marinela’s Principe Calleta Sandwich con relleno limon
Source: Casa Latina
Country of Origin: Mexico
Yum Factor: 4 of 10. (If a food product could talk, these greasy cookies would yell: LIME! LIME! I’m flavored like LIIIIIIIIIME! Which is to say, it was a little overpowering. I saved these until the end because they seemed so festively colored, but they had me running to find some back-up chocolate.)

CoW Advent – 12/22/11 – 3 days ’til the big one!
Item: Balconi Choco Orange
Source: Valerie, my co-worker, via some store in Yonkers. She didn’t even know that I was doing an international advent calendar, she just bought this for me last week because we were talking about how chocolate and orange go together. A Christmas miracle!
Country of Origin: Italy
Yum factor: 7 of 10. (ooey and gooey, and much like the comfort of our stateside Hostess products. The orange flavor isn’t attempting to be anything close to real, but it’s not overpowering. And Val tells me there are other flavors available! Yonkers road trip, ya’ll!)

I feel compelled to mention that since I started this project, I’m now seeing international treats EVERYWHERE.  I was in a store called “Women’s Work” today that sold fair-trade chocolate from Peru that was made in Switzerland and distributed out of Massachusetts.  Is it too soon to start my 2012 calendar?  I could call it SCOW – Stale Calories Of the World.

CoW Advent 12/21/11 – three more days of SUGAR!
Item: Britannia Cardamom Treat
Source: Krishna Grocery
Country of Origin: India
Yum Factor 5 of 10 (This month I learned that in India, they do not believe in giving you enough filling for your cookies. But they also only charged me 50 cents, and I got enough cookies to share with the whole office. And the flavor was unique, in a good way.)

CoW Advent 12/20/11 – The First Night of the Festival of Lights!
Item: Elite Milk Chocolate Coins
Source: Stop & Shop Kosher section
Country of Origin: Israel
Yum Factor: 6 of 10 (The chocolate was workaday, but I love that I paid 50 cents to get a coin with a 100 on it! That is somehow better. Also, I ate this in honor of my Jewish ancestors. Happy Hanukkah!)

CoW Advent 12/17/11 – a week to go!
Item: Like Alynda said, Manner vanilla wafers.
Source: Adams Fairacre Farms
Country of Origin: Austria
Yum Factor: 7 of 10 (they are indeed awesome, as far as wafers go. It’s because they have a filling, which prevents everyday wafer boredom. I would really like to dip them in chocolate, however. That would bump them up to an 8.)

CoW Advent – 12/17/11 – 8 days left in this thing.
Item: 2 Cadbury Dairy Milk “Freddo” bars, one solid, one caramel filled
Source: Adams, again
Country of Origin: UK
Yum factor: 7 of 10 (They’re small, take two! And only cost 20p each (89 cents, American.) What can I say, Cadbury UK just makes some smooth chocolate. These were small and tasty.)

CoW Advent 12/16/11 – 9 days to go.
Item: Maltesers
Source: Adams Sweet Shop
Country of Origin: UK (I think)
Yum Factor: 5 of 10. (meh. Whoppers are better.)

CoW Advent 12/15/11 – 10 days ’til Christmas!
Item: Cocomo Chocolate Filled Biscuts
Source: Krishna Grocery, Rt. 9
Country of Origin: India
Yum Factor 1 of 10 (How can something be stale, soggy, and dry as hell all at once? These were awful, and I’m willing to bet that they were on the shelf too long, as they were the only of this kind left. Also, the presentation is distressingly off, and the “chocolate filling” redefines the meaning of “full.”)