2013 Holiday Gift Guide

I know it’s close to Christmas and I probably should have posted this last week but if you’re anything like me you’re still shopping. Or if you’re really like me you haven’t even started shopping yet. Whoops! This 2013 holiday gift guide is a simple gathering of awesome items I use daily in my kitchen and my house. Most the gift ideas are kitchen/cooking related but I threw in a few random items too. Hope you enjoy and happy holidays!

1)Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea: This is my most favorite tea in the whole wide world. It has a nice spicy cinnamon flavor and it’s naturally sweetened with cloves. Plus the tea comes in silk sachets so the tea is similar to loose leaf but still gives you the convenience of a tea bag. When people ask about this tea I usually say it tastes like drinking Big Red gum…except it’s tea…

2)Silicone Baking Liners: Silpat liners are one of the most used things in my kitchen. They are great for cookies, candy making and vegetable roasting. Just make sure you don’t use a knife on these liners. They cut very easily. I may or may not have done this before…

3)Keurig Vue® Single serve coffee system: Before I got my Keurig I was sure it was a waste of money. Who wanted a coffee machine that makes you buy pods and only makes one cup at a time? Well, I was wrong. I LOVE this baby. I’m more of a flavored coffee drinker (hazelnut please) and my husband just likes plain old Donut Shop. Since we are not making a big pot of coffee I can enjoy my hazelnut and he can enjoy his regular cup of Joe. Plus you can brew hot water (perfect for cinnamon tea) and make lattes.

4)One Simple Change: My dear friend Winnie wrote this book. She sent me a copy and I was sucked in immediately. Making healthy and simple changes in my life is something I have been trying to do for years. If you’re looking for a little more happiness in your life this book is for you. Plus there are a few recipes in there too.

5)Adjust-A-Cup 2-Cup Measuring Cup: Sometimes measuring sticky stuff (molasses, peanut butter, honey, etc.) can be a real pain the butt. It gets stuck in the measuring cup and then trying to get it all ends up in a giant mess. I know, I sounds like an informercial. But seriously, this measuring cup is the best. It has liquid and dry measurements and it plunges out the products so all the ingredients make it into your recipe.

6)Food Scale: A scale is a great tool for any kitchen. I use it for bread and pastry making and to weight and portion out meat.

7)9-Inch Whisk: I know a small whisk might seem non-essential but I use this thing more often than my big whisks. It’s great for scrambling eggs, whisking together baking dry ingredients and bringing together sauces. Plus it’s the perfect size to sneak into a stocking.

8)Calphalon 7 Qt. Digital Slow Cooker: I got this slow cooker at my wedding shower (thanks mom!) and use it at least once a week. I love it’s large oval shape because it fits large cuts of meat and vegetables without being so full it overflows. Plus it has a warm setting which I love. If a meal gets done before Art gets home from work I can pop it on warm without worrying about overcooking the dish.

9)Swivel Peeler: This swivel peeler is my favorite! It takes off just a thin amount of skin without butchering the whole vegetable or fruit. Plus it has a nice fat rubber handle that makes it’s easy to hold.

10)SodaStream: A few years ago my husband bought me the SodaStream as a surprise Christmas present. I’m addicted to drinking seltzer water so it was a good purchase. I cannot recommend this product enough. I drink at least 3 big bottles of seltzer a day and do not have to worry about recycling cans or running out of something fizzy to drink. You can also make you own soda but I rarely do that. I’m more in it for the seltzer. Since you’re the one making the seltzer you can control how much fizz each bottle gets a well. My husband likes his seltzer lightly bubbled and I like mine super super super bubbly.

11)Cookie Scoop: Growing up we never had cookie scoops, we had spoons. Now, while you can totally make cookies without a cookie scoop I think it’s a great kitchen gadget. It portions out perfect sized cookies and makes the scooping a lot easier. I like the medium scoop for average sized cookies but the small scoop is a great for small gingersnap style cookies.

12)Vitamix: I know, I never shut up about my Vitamix. I can’t help it. I freaking love it. I use it for cocktails, milkshakes, soups and smoothies. So good!

13)Rimmed Baking Sheet with Cooling Grid: I love these baking sheets mostly because they come with a free rack. I use it for cooling cookies and for roasting meats. The baking sheets are not the highest quality but they work well and have hung around my kitchen for the past 3 years.

14)Delacre Biscuits: This is a totally random gift but I love these cookies. They are perfect with coffee and are super delicious. Plus all the cookies are crunchy and dipped in chocolate…hello party gift!

15)The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion Cookbook: I already have mad love for King Arthur Flour so it’s not surprise I love their cookbook too. It’s my go-to baking book and offers up lots of tips and tricks that are helpful for novice and experienced bakers.

16)Microwave Popcorn Popper: I’m obsessed with snacks. This easy popcorn bowl gives you fresh popcorn without all those weird microwavable popcorn bag chemicals. It only took one article about popcorn lung to freak me out. You can pop plain in this bowl or a add a little drizzle of oil.

17)FoodSaver: Growing up we had a FoodSaver and it was the best. We could freeze anything and nothing went to waste. I finally broke down and bought myself one a few years ago and have been using it non-stop. I like to buy big bulk packages of meat (cheaper per pound!) and then portion it up, seal it in the FoodSaver and freeze.

18)Roku: About a year ago we cut cable. We were tired of spending over a $100 a month of cable and night after night saying “there is nothing on tv!” The Roku hooks up to your TV and offers app like interfaces that allow you to connect to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Pandora, Crackle (and a bunch more channels) in one easy box. Trust me. If you are thinking about cutting cable this is totally necessary.

Disclosure: This gift guide is not sponsored but does contain Amazon.com affiliated links.