Creepmas, KFC, and Love: A Very Different Expat Christmas in Córdoba

Like a lot of people, I struggle during the holidays—both financially and emotionally. It feels like every year things are stable until December hits, and then everything goes sideways. This year was rougher than any we’ve had since my husband and I moved to Córdoba City, Argentina in 2012.

Between my parents’ declining health (and their very toxic personalities) and nonstop headaches with tenants and the rental properties we own, I honestly considered canceling the holidays altogether. My husband—aka “the hubs”—has been battling his own physical and emotional slump, too.

But here’s the thing: I love the holidays. The second one ends, I’m already mentally planning the next. There was no way I was skipping Christmas this year. We just had to improvise a little.

We planned to celebrate Navidark—our own tradition blending Christmas cheer with horror aesthetics. Think “deck the halls,” but spooky. Unfortunately, two Argentine stores we usually count on for eerie décor—Ghostly Store and Kripta—didn’t deliver anything worth ordering. Even the local Halloween goldmine, Cotillón Chialvo, came up short in the ornament department when I checked for Christmas. 

They promised ornaments would arrive later in the month, but a second trip just wasn’t in the cards financially.

Still, I managed to snag a few gems:

• Santa and Grinch masks

• Festive eyeglasses

• Holiday plates, napkins and straws

We love masks, goofy accessories, and taking photos together, so this accidental haul became a highlight.

Our Christmas tree is always the star of Navidark. We call it our Creepmas Tree, and while this year’s version was less intense than previous years, it still delivered the vibe we love.

Although not feeling so great, the hubs surprised me by adding a few more decorations to our living room while I was out getting some last minute supplies.

As for dinner? We went rogue—but strategically. I headed to the new KFC location at Nuevocentro Shopping in Córdoba City. Instead of a classic 8-piece bucket like last time, I ordered 11 wings and 11 chicken strips, plus:

• Popcorn chicken

• Bacon & cheddar fries

• Onion rings

• Four drinks

It cost 64,000 Argentine pesos (about $43.99 USD), and none of the online deals applied in-store. But hey—holidays, right?

Since KFC here doesn’t offer the sides we’re used to back home, we made our own American comfort classics:

• Coleslaw (using a mix and pre-made bag from JUMBO supermarket)

• Mashed potatoes with homemade gravy

• Corn

• Garlic bread—arranged into a Christmas tree shape, which actually turned out adorable

Dessert was where we really leaned into the dark side of Navidark:

• A Dirty Santa drink with rum, crushed ice, and grenadine for a splash of Christmas red

• A large brownie cake transformed into a reindeer using:

  • Pretzels for antlers

  • Edible candy eyes

  • A cherry for the red nose

  • Green icing for the mouth

We also made reindeer donuts using pretzels and edible eyes. We tried icing for the noses, but the donuts were too warm and the icing melted. So naturally, we rebranded the runny red dot as… a bullet hole. In our version of the story, the reindeer had a tragic run-in with hunters. Festive? Yes. Horrifying? Also yes.

To complete the theme, we molded homemade peanut butter cups into brains, hearts, and skulls, using melted white chocolate tinted with red food coloring. The color was more pinkish-red than blood-red, but the results were equal parts grotesque and charming.

To cut down on all the sugary stuff, we made a makeshift charcuterie board or rather a charcuterie tree using salami, cheese slices, cucumber and crackers. It wasn't as big or as fancy or as full as we envisioned it but we were running low on items and it was too late to order anything or go to the market. But we'll definitely do better for our halfway to Christmas in July or Christmas 2026.

We had grand plans for:

• A Christmas tree-shaped pudding decorated with Rocklets (Argentina’s budget M&M cousins)

• An apple pie

But the December heat and our emotional exhaustion won this round. We postponed those ideas to New Year’s Eve instead.

To get into the holiday spirit, we kept our favorite December tradition: one Christmas movie a day leading up to the 25th. We mixed classics like Home Alone with holiday horror flicks like Violent Night. I’ll share this year’s full movie list here, and trust me—there were some unexpected surprises.

1. Black Christmas - A classic holiday horror film

2. Silent Night - This was a pretty decent holiday horror film too

3. Better Watch Out - The main kid was annoying. Never again.

4. Jingle Bell Heist - It was a Christmas Rom-Com but watchable.

5. Oh. What. Fun - It wasn't. Michelle Pfeifer needs to go back to the 90s when she was actually good. 

6. The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge - The characters were dumb as fuck but Scrooge was okay.

7. My Secret Santa - Rom-com - Mrs. Doubtfire Meets the Associate

8. Krampus

9. She's Making a List --- Everything barfy that you would expect from Hallmark plus a shitty ending 

10. Home Alone 2 - Decent but why couldn't Kevin help the homeless lady out?

11. The Running Man - Not a Christmas film but we needed something new.

12. A Mom for Christmas - A 90s TV classic. Sappy but a tear-jerker.

13. ATM - Scary.

14. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas - It was watchable.

15. A Carol Christmas - Shitty faith based studio film. Tori sold out.

16. Dashing Through the Snow - Shitty movie that failed to be everything Violent Night was.

17. Violent Night - This helped wash away the memory of movie 16.

18. Jingle All the Way

19. The Great Flood - Technically not a Christmas movie but both mom and son were the key to restarting humanity so kind of.

20. Tinsel Town - Kiefer Sutherland in a Christmas movie and he was actually funny.

21. Elf

22. It's a Wonderful Knife

23. P2

24. While You Were Sleeping

25. The Associate

So that was our Christmas this year. It wasn’t extravagant. It wasn’t flawless. But it was ours. We made it work together—as partners, as a team, and honestly? Our love carried the magic when everything else felt heavy.

Now we just need to crack the code on New Year’s Eve. I’ll report back… in early January. Let’s just call it a cliffhanger.

Until then, I hope you all had a warm holiday season, and I’m wishing you a wonderful New Year ahead.

From False Alarms to Fried Chicken: KFC Opens in Córdoba at Last

In early November, I wrote about how false Google information led me to Nuevocentro Shopping in Córdoba City in search of a newly opened KFC. Unfortunately, the place wasn’t open yet. The only sign of hope was a construction wall hinting that a KFC would open there someday.

One of our Argentine friends was surprised when we told her about the whole ordeal. She didn’t really get it. The first thing she asked was, “Why the rush?” We tried explaining that it wasn’t just about the fried chicken—KFC represented home for us. She still didn’t understand and gently suggested that we try to find other things in Argentina that made us happy instead of getting so attached to one restaurant. Although her words stung a bit, we knew she couldn’t truly grasp what it feels like to miss home. So we let the conversation go.

Jump to December 11th—and our dreams finally came true.

KFC, which until recently had only operated in Buenos Aires, had begun expanding into other provinces, and Córdoba was finally getting its turn. So, just like before, I rushed out of the house to see it for myself—and, of course, to bring home a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

When I arrived at Nuevocentro, I headed straight to the food court, which was surprisingly empty. For a moment, panic hit me. Was I really about to be disappointed again? Thankfully, no. All I had to do was turn the corner—and there it was.

KFC was officially open for business, and customers were already digging into their fried chicken and sides.

There was also a huge line—something you usually only see at Burger King or McDonald’s here. I jumped right in, but the wait wasn’t bad at all; within 15 minutes, I was at a touchscreen menu placing my order.

The staff was incredibly friendly and helped answer everyone’s questions, which was great because I had a few of my own. For instance, I didn’t see cole slaw or onion rings on the menu. It turns out they’d run out of onion rings, and cole slaw wasn’t available at this location yet.

Also missing were mashed potatoes with gravy and warm biscuits—staples back home. Apparently, they’re not offered anywhere in Argentina, not even in Buenos Aires. But honestly, I came for the crispy fried chicken, so I wasn’t too heartbroken.

I ordered an 8-piece bucket, two medium fries, two bacon-and-cheddar fries, a large popcorn chicken, and four medium drinks.

Since I was paying in cash, I had to finalize the purchase at the register. Before doing that, I asked one of the staff members to take a photo of me in front of the giant fried chicken bucket display. She happily said yes, snapped the pic, and sent me on my way to pay.

The area was loud and chaotic—people were placing orders faster than the kitchen could keep up—but it made sense for a grand opening. I wasn’t expecting perfection; I just wanted a bucket of chicken to take home to the hubs.

When I got my order, I noticed they’d given me four small drinks instead of four medium ones. Normally, I might have said something, but since I had a ton to carry and was taking the bus, I figured smaller drinks meant slightly less odds of spillage.

If I had one complaint, it’s that they were extremely stingy with sauces. My huge order came with exactly one honey-mustard sauce, and I had to buy barbecue sauce separately at the register.

By the time I got home, we had to reheat everything, but it was still delicious. We were just grateful we no longer had to travel all the way to Buenos Aires to satisfy our KFC cravings.

In the photo above, the hubs decided to mess with me and completely “Tiny Tim” my plate—if you’ve seen A Mickey’s Christmas Carol, you know the reference. Tiny Tim’s family was so poor they could only afford the tiniest meal for Christmas Eve dinner. Thankfully, that wasn’t our reality, and he filled my plate properly after he finished laughing. Even after we ate until we were stuffed, we still had leftovers for the next day.

This year has been emotionally and financially tough for us, so having a simple moment—something as small as enjoying familiar comfort food—felt like a much-needed break from everything. I guess that's not the kind of thing every will understand. But sometimes it's the little things, like a bucket of fried chicken, that remind us joy can show up right when we need it the most.

Thanksgiving 2025 in Argentina: A Smaller Feast, But Still Full of Gratitude

Thanksgiving has always been our second-favorite holiday, mostly because it gives us an excuse to make an outrageous mix of sweet and savory dishes. Over the years, our menu has shifted, but we always make room for the classics: turkey (or sometimes chicken), mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, biscuits, corn, and stuffing. Sadly, cranberries remain elusive here in Argentina—at least for now—and we’ve never been fans of green bean casserole anyway.

This year, though, we decided on a smaller Thanksgiving for a few reasons. First, we already did a big Thanksgiving-style meal during our halfway holiday in June. Second, both our gas and electric ovens have been acting up. While we can bake basic things like cookies, cakes, and pies (with the occasional culinary tragedy), cooking a turkey for six hours just wasn’t happening until we get them repaired. And third—our budget is tighter than it’s been in years. Many of our tenants moved out recently, some because their contracts ended and others because of property issues.

Even so, we still enjoyed a delicious meal, just the two of us.

The Main Course Misadventure

For the main dish, we ordered a chicken from a place called Good Chicken here in Córdoba City. It was, without question, the first and last time we’ll be ordering from them. We specifically asked for the chicken not to be cut because we wanted it whole. As you’ll see in the photos below… they cut it anyway.

But that wasn’t even the worst part. The real problem was the hair strands still attached to the chicken. That made us seriously question how well it had been cleaned before cooking. We ended up re-seasoning everything ourselves because Argentine food can be pretty under-seasoned. Then we threw it into our electric oven for 45 minutes to reheat before serving.

Prepping the Meal

Unlike previous years, the hubs did most of the cooking while I made a run to Cotillón Chialvo, the party store that stole our hearts on Halloween. I was hunting for Christmas decorations (more on that in an upcoming post).

Thankfully, I made it back in time to help with the final prep work. By the time we were done, we had stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and our questionable-but-edible chicken ready to go. 

It was a simple, budget-friendly meal, but considering how much we do have—especially compared to so many people in the world—we had no real reason to complain. Plus, it tasted great, and we even had leftovers for the next day.

Dessert: The Real Stars

Now the desserts? Oh, we thrived. And by “we,” I mean my husband, who is an absolute wizard in the kitchen.

The apple pie was better than ever—and not just any apple pie. This was a butterscotch apple pie. The only downside is that I am absolutely terrible at cutting pie slices, so they looked a bit tragic on the plate. Trust me, though: it tasted great.

We also made a peanut butter pie with a dark chocolate topping and a special message.

Then came our dark chocolate treats, molded into pumpkins, turkeys, and leaves. The pumpkin and leaf candies had peanut butter filling, like homemade Reese’s cups, while the turkey-shaped ones had half a cherry inside. Unfortunately, it was very trial-and-error. Most of them fell apart while we tried to remove them from the mold, but we still managed to save a few survivors.

And then there were the Pop Your Cherry Pudding Cups: vanilla pudding layered with vanilla cookies and topped with two cherries. Simple. Indulgent. Perfect.

Since November in Argentina is basically summer, we also made pumpkin spice “blizzard” drinks—blended pumpkin purée with pumpkin spice, sugar, and lots of ice. Refreshing, festive, and lifesaving in the heat.

The next day, we made Thanksgiving truffles using pumpkin purée and melted white chocolate tinted with orange food coloring. They were meant to resemble pumpkins, complete with a little pretzel-stem on top.

We also had just enough homemade pumpkin purée left to make a pie. The hubs discovered a much easier method thanks to an online recipe. In previous attempts, he baked the crust, added the filling, and then baked the entire pie again. This time, he baked the crust as usual but cooked the pumpkin mixture separately in a pan. Once it was ready, he poured it into the crust and let it chill in the fridge to firm up. 

While the final texture was more pudding-like than traditional pumpkin pie, it still tasted absolutely delicious.

Our First Thanksgiving Tree

Of course, decorating is an essential part of the celebration. We’ve done Halloween trees for years, but this year, we created our first Thanksgiving tree. We decorated it with plastic leaves, pumpkins, dark brown ornaments, gold and orange tinsel, and a few unique touches. Honestly, it turned out adorable.

This was our first attempt

Our second attempt with more ornaments and tinsel

The axe represents the villain from the film Thanksgiving

The gun is there because well...people love shooting things during the holidays

To honor those who wish to stuff themselves with something other than turkey

I added the witch hat because I didn't have a pilgrim hat until the day of

Parades and Horror Flicks

While eating, we watched the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC—last year’s version, since the 2025 parade hadn’t been uploaded yet. The 2024 parade was pretty underwhelming because of the rain, and the hosts didn’t help. As much as I love Hoda Kotb, I’m not sad that it was her final year hosting.

We were tempted, though, to watch footage of the 2025 parade that someone posted without commentary—just the parade itself. I only discovered it because actor Robert Picardo shared a clip of the Starship Enterprise float. It was followed by a giant Jason Voorhees balloon. Since Star Trek and horror are our thing, we gave it a try. Honestly? We loved it more without the constant talking from Al Roker.

Over the weekend, we also watched some Thanksgiving-themed horror movies, including:

• Thanksgiving (2023)

• Black Friday (2021)

• ThanksKilling (a terrible movie in the worst way—the turkey puppet carries the whole thing)

• Kristy (not fully Thanksgiving-themed, but it takes place during break)

We also watched a couple of Thanksgiving episodes from our favorite shows:

• Grey’s Anatomy — Season 2, Episode 9

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Season 4, Episode 8

Now that the leftovers are gone and Thanksgiving is officially behind us, we’re more than ready to jump into Christmas mode. Until next time, let the festive chaos begin!